The Importance of Resting Time

Summer is a time for rest, relaxation, and a family vacation. But if you do not think you have time for a vacation, or that they’re a waste of time, you could be hurting your health.

Researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas remind us that getting away from our work and our everyday schedule is essential for good mental health and creativity. Vacations allow us to recharge our batteries and empty ourselves of everyday stress.

Vacations do not have to be expensive

You do not have to spend a lot of money to have a relaxing vacation. Simply taking yourself away from the daily grind for awhile will help. Here are some ideas:

1. Spend your vacation time pursuing a favorite hobby, such as putting together a jigsaw puzzle, woodworking, or painting
2. Visit a friend or family member
3. Take walks in a local park
4. Join a club or try something new
5. Play games with your friends or family

Post-traumatic Vacation Disorder?

Do not let the benefits of your vacation be eliminated by the stress of piles of work and e-mail, which can overwhelm you on your first day back in the office. Wrap up as much as possible before you leave and make a priority list of things to do when you get. And most importantly, relax. It will get done!

All work and no play?

In our stressful society, vacations and “down time” are more important than ever. Yet nearly half of all full-time workers in the U. S. do not use all of their vacation time each year. On average, workers forfeit eight vacation days a year to their employers.

There are many reasons that Americans decide to forego their vacations, but the consequences are the same: increased stress, loss of creativity, and loss of energy. If workers continue to forfeit their vacations, over time the result may be burnout.

Symptoms of burnout

Burnout is a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that results from long-term stress. There are numerous causes, including working long hours, low job satisfaction, excessive school work or studying, relationships that drain you of energy, being spread too thin, trying to be superman or superwoman, or trying to be perfect. Since we all experience these causes at some time or another, how do you know if you’re burned out? You may have any of these symptoms:

1. Physical problems, such as fatigue, headaches, backaches, or stomachaches
2. Emotional exhaustion
3. Loss of enthusiasm for work, school, family, or friends
4. Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
5. Depression
6. Inability to concentrate
7. Acts of hostility or emotional outbursts

Avoiding burnout

The best way to avoid burnout is to care for your mental and emotional well-being. Follow these tips to help you reduce stress and avoid burnout:

1. Do not spread yourself too thin: learn to say “No.”
2. Prioritize your work load and avoid working long hours.
3. Take regular 5-10 minute relaxation breaks.
4. Eat a healthy diet, exercise, and get plenty of sleep.
5. Be aware of any physical signs that may precede burnout, such as headaches, body aches, fatigue, or being sick often. Consult your physician if you have any of these symptoms.
6. Mentally remove yourself from your job, school, or other stressful situations and view it from an outsider point of view. If necessary, seek help from a counselor.
7. Do your best, but do not try to be perfect.
8. Take a vacation at least once a year!

If your schedule is a bit overwhelming, and you do not know what to do to balance your responsibilities, consult with your physician or with a counselor. They may be able to help. In the meantime, however, do not throw away your vacation time! Take advantage of summer and have some fun!

Minh Nguyen, D.d.s.
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-importance-of-resting-time-57381.html

Office Plants are for Life!

Many businesses in the UK and abroad are now realising the potential benefits that office plants can bring and as such thousands of companies are investing in office plants as a means of improving productivity amongst employees, reduce absences caused by poor indoor climates and to help improve the general mood of employees whilst at work.

Inspired by a series of now famous academic studies that highlight how effective office plants can be in an office environment, facilities managers and business owners are transforming dull office premises into wonderful green spaces with a mixture of large and small office plants complete with stylish and colourful containers.

Unfortunately, many of these same businesses are failing to realise that live office plants require a certain amount of maintenance and care in order to flourish. Spending a great deal of money on a selection of office plants is hardly going to be worth the investment if they all die or wither within the first few days is it? There is however a much easier and some might say wiser solution to this problem by hiring office plants from a professional interior landscaping company.

Live office plants like any other living thing require a certain amount of TLC in order to grow and thrive in the harsh indoor environments frequently found in modern office and business premises. Dimly lit corridors, windowless rooms and air tight buildings are quite difficult conditions but there are plant species out there that can tolerate these climates and any reputable office plant specialist will be able to assist you with your plant options.

Carefully maintained office plants will not only make office buildings look much better but they will also improve the air quality and reduce employee stress levels thus maximising your business profits. Investing in an office plant maintenance scheme then is well worth it, especially if you and your management team have little or no time to look after office foliage.

Professional interior landscapers will provide a specialist office plant maintenance service to ensure that all your office plants are kept healthy and are appropriate for the environment. It may also be the case that artificial plants would be more suitable for your premises in which case your plant technicians will also be able to assist you. Advances in technology have also led to a dramatic improvement in artificial plants with many varieties and life like versions now available.

Interior landscapers are experts not only in looking after office plants but also recognising which species work well together in terms of aesthetic design. Considering that modern business premises have become much more about getting the ‘look’ and ‘feel’ right, this can prove to be a real attribute to the way that your visiting clients view your company. With a variety of containers and office plant species to choose from it is also highly unlikely that you will not find a species that will not add something to your office.

Office plants can then, in many ways, breathe life into any office building, hotel or showroom providing they are kept healthy and happy and there is no better way to ensure that your office plants breathe easy than hiring office plants from a professional interior landscaper. And remember office plants are beautiful living things that breathe life and are not just for looking at!

PaulZ
http://www.articlesbase.com/sales-articles/office-plants-are-for-life-565773.html

Planning For Your Own Productive Home Office

Before starting home office people must take advice from a variety of books for reference. These include books on planning the layout of the home office to designing and building your own home office furniture.

There are many ideas and one can mix and match colours and styles to find something that suits the individual. There are information from very basic office layouts in small spaces to more complex dedicated home offices.

When someone is beginning from scratch and wants real inspiration, then there are many books that will give plenty of ideas. An element that is sometimes forgotten when planning a home office is the lighting requirements.

Space for home office:
Home offices are no longer relegated to a bend of the basement or inside a small closet. With more and more people working from home, the home office has become an important space in the largest home or the smallest residence.

With the regular home office using a computer, fax machine, copier, shipping facilities, and Internet connections, a small desk and chair in a corner just do not work. Working at home is routine for many adults. If space is limited, then by removing the clothes pole and installing electrical connections one can easily convert a closet of any size into a workspace.

Think of all the things that one will need to work comfortably and efficiently in home office. Start with correct temperature control and lighting. Have a telephone installed in the room or be sure to have a portable phone available. The desk chair will be moving around in the space, so flooring should be a hard surface, at least near the desk. Select window coverings that will allow controlling the light in the work area.

A place to write:
Probably the most important piece of furniture is the desk or work surface. Whether one select custom-designed cabinets and writing surface or use two file cabinets with a door stretched across them, this is where one spends the most time and it should be large enough and the right height to most comfortably do the work.

To make the most of limited space, have shelving installed behind the desk. Select a chair that is comfortable, the right height and provides proper back and arm support for the type of work one will be doing.

Furniture is the integral part of every office. The furniture are those components that gives the office an official look and ambience. Apart from looks and ambience point of view furniture are also important for an office in numerous ways.

For example the productivity of the work that is done in an office also depends upon the furniture. This is mainly because the furniture are greatly responsible for creating a comfortable work atmosphere in an office. In case an employee is suffering from the effects of the problems caused by improper office furniture’s the employee cannot perform all of the office tasks satisfactorily.

For these reasons many newer and more comfortable office equipments and furniture are being made constantly to help in creating the perfect and comfortable office atmosphere.

The chair is really the most important device in any office. This is because the user spends most of their workdays sitting in them. The chairs if they are not comfortable enough can impart stress on the muscles and spines of those who are sitting on them for most of the day.

Study suggests that proper sitting position is not truly an upright position but is slightly reclined. For keeping a proper position in that perfect home office a chair with a little tilt mechanism can suit the best. Also there are those ones that lock into several positions are more preferable.

Without a proper sitting position in the office chair it can give rise to numerous problems including back and lumbar problems that can greatly impact the work productivity and the work atmosphere.

A word on the computer desk

The importance of a proper computer desk cannot be ignored in any way especially if the work is all about sitting at the desk in front of the computer the whole day.

Scientific researches have concluded that the way in which one sits in a computer desk while working is an important factor for the comfort of the spinal chord and the back. Hence preference should be laid not upon the fanciness of the furniture but to suit all the other features of comfort and proper position of sitting.

Allan Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/planning-for-your-own-productive-home-office-105612.html

Helping You Understand Asthma

A disease wherein inflammation of the airways causes airflow into and out of the lungs to become restricted is known as Asthma. If you or your child has this disease, you no doubt understand that it can be chronic. When you have asthma, your airways tend to be red and swollen and irritants such as pollen or cigarette smoke causes the inside walls of the airways to become even more swollen. The passages get narrower, and less air flows through to your lung tissue. In addition, mucus is also produced in larger than normal amounts, which clogs your airways even more, making it hard to breathe. Thus, the wheezing and inability to breathe accompany the attacks.

Common asthma symptoms are the wheezing sound made as the air squeezes through the narrowed airways, along with coughing, shortness of breath and a feeling of tightness in the chest. Symptoms can come and go with asthma, and their intensity can vary. While asthma is often connected with allergies, it can also be related to non-allergic causes, such as chemicals and other irritating substances. Exercise can also bring on asthma symptoms in some people. Individuals who are more sensitive may display asthma symptoms caused by: pet dander, dust mites, cockroach allergens, molds, or pollens. Asthma symptoms can also be triggered by respiratory infections, exercise, cold air, tobacco smoke and other pollutants, stress, food, or drug allergies.

One of the highest risk factors for asthma is having a family history of asthma, especially the allergic kind. Asthma can affect people at any age, but half of the people with asthma develop it during childhood, usually before age 10. Asthma is a very common disease and is becoming more common all the time. In the US alone, about 20 million people, 9 million of whom are children, have asthma. It affects people of all races and ethnic backgrounds.

Treatment for an asthma condition may consist of short and long term medications. In addition, long-acting brochodilators help open the airways. So too, a doctor may prescribe a combination of an anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator such as Advair. For quick relief, a short-acting bronchodilator such as Ventolin may be used or Prednisone, which acts as a stabilizer in severe attacks.

Individuals who have mild asthma may use relief medication as needed. However, those with persistent asthma should take medication on a regular basis to prevent symptoms from occurring. A severe asthma attack may require a medical evaluation. Further, hospitalization, oxygen, and intravenous medication may also be indicated.

The inability to breathe can be a frightening experience, especially for a child. While adults can carry their medications with them, it is important to note that school aged children cannot. The public school system requires that all medications remain locked in the nurse’s office. This can be a disaster waiting to happen if the nurse is not available. It is incumbent upon parents to question the validity of this mandate to ensure their child has access to the medication at any time during the school day. Anything less would be unacceptable.

Jeff Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/helping-you-understand-asthma-96809.html

Office Basics and Getting Your Office Set Up

Now that you’re ready to start making money as a writer, you’ll need a place to be a writer. Here are three steps to get you started.

1. Start with a desk. Actually you need more than a desk — you also need a place to work. While a separate room is ideal, I’ve seen people turn dining rooms, basements and even a corner of a master bedroom into an office (yours truly started out of her bedroom).

Wherever you decide to set up shop, you need enough room for both a computer and paper files (background information, magazines, client files, etc.) Let yourself spread out.

Don’t forget to make room for a bookshelf and file cabinets. You’ll need both.

What you DON’T want to do is share that space with something else. Believe me, it’s a real drag to put together and tear down an office every day because you need the kitchen table for dinner. It drains your energy and will keep you from being as productive as you could be.

2. Stock up on office supplies. Make sure you purchase the basics in advance so you won’t have to go running to Staples when you’re under deadline (talk about stress).

Here’s a list to get you started:

- Paper (buy it in bulk — you’ll save money plus it will last you awhile)
- Pens
- Extra printer cartridges (very important, always have a couple on hand)
- Highlighters
- Staples and staplers (get a good stapler, you’ll thank yourself)
- File folders (don’t forget accordion file folders)
- Paper clips
- Post-it notes

3. Make sure your technology is working. Although being a writer is one of the less expensive businesses to set-up and maintain, there still are some things you really need to invest in. After all, you want to make it as easy as possible for your clients or editors to conduct business with you. If you don’t, there are many other writers who will. Some basic items to consider:

- Computer with Internet access. High-speed is best (again, you don’t want to be wasting time with dial-up).
- Fax machine. Yes, e-mail has taken over many of the functions of a fax machine, but if you do any copywriting, I guarantee you still need it. Fax machines have come down in price, you can get a pretty decent one for under $300. Make sure you get one that doubles as a copy machine — you don’t want to be running to a shop every time you need a copy.
- Dedicated fax line. A second phone line to hook up your fax doesn’t cost you that much and makes you look even more professional. Plus there will be times where you need that second line (or you need to receive and/or send a fax while on the phone).
- Voice mail on your primary line. No, not an answering machine. Get voice mail. That way, your clients, potential clients, editors, interviewees, etc. will never get a busy signal. Remember, you want to make it easy for people to do business with you.

On your computer, here are some basic software packages to look into:

- Word processing (You’ll find many of your clients use Microsoft Word, so that’s probably the one to invest in)
- Accounting software (QuickBooks and MYOB are two good ones)
- A client-tracking software package (like ACT!)
- Tracking software for submissions (I’ve used Excel with success, but there are other dedicated ones out there if that’s more your style)
- Other packages to make you more compatible with your clients (I’ve found Excel and PowerPoint to be helpful).

One final tip — it’s best to get your office organized BEFORE the work starts rolling in. It can be very stressful to balance work with getting your office in order.

Michele PW
http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/office-basics-and-getting-your-office-set-up-680051.html

What song plays in the "Stress Relief" episode of the Office when Jack Black meets Cloris Leachman?

They have the episode on Hulu and I have the beginning of this song stuck in my head. I would like to know what song it is so that I could listen to the rest of it. You can hear the song towards the end of the middle of the second act.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/55745/the-office-stress-relief
They have the episode on Hulu and I have the beginning of this song stuck in my head. I would like to know what song it is so that I could listen to the rest of it. You can hear the song towards the end of the middle of the second act.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/55745/the-office-stress-relief

Check here:

http://heardontv.com/

What All Do You Need to Know About Insomnia?

What is Insomnia?

Who would not want to sleep like a baby at night and wake up fresh in the morning with all that previous day’s fatigue vanished.  No one hates the feeling of all night sound sleep and relaxed body in the morning.  The only thing one may detest is moving restlessly on your right and left all through the night and feeling lethargic next morning.  One would always feel declined to go to office after lying in bed for
7-8 hours with that monstrous unyielding stress and pain in head.  The monster is none other than Insomnia.

Insomnia is not something which is very uncommon.  You may hear people complaining about it everywhere.  It is not restricted to any geographical or cultural set up.  The problem of Insomnia is everywhere.

What are the causes of Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleeping disorder which is caused due to unhealthy habits of lifestyle.  People in offices may carry their stress and emotional disturbance to home and may feel that they are not getting proper sleep.  Also, people who take excessive caffeine and overeat may fall prey to insomnia.

They may experience headache and continuous uneasiness in their body which in turn may deprive them of a sound sleep. The environmental hazards like noisy neighborhood or close proximity to air traffic and busy streets may induce sleeplessness at night. Likewise, non-achievement of targets in work place or unwanted negative stress due personal problems may also eat into your sound sleep.

What are the cures of Insomnia?

People suffering from insomnia mostly resort to medications which can give instant results.  They may find solutions to their problems in allopathic treatment; however this may lead to prolonged addiction.  Insomniacs will start taking pills without realizing that they are doing more harm than good to themselves by doing so.  The allopathic medications have their own side-effects.

The best cures suggested for insomnia come from herbal remedies and yogic exercises.  It is advised to spray some lavender drops on your pillow or your forehead as it is considered to induce sleep.  The lavender drops can be used in the bathing tub as its aroma is believed to have therapeutic effects.  A warm glass of milk is good if taken with 2-3 teaspoons of honey before retiring to bed.  One should include leafy vegetables and whole grains in dinner.

The environment also plays an important role in the quality of your sleep.  Please make sure that your room is dark or dimly lit.  It should be away from noise of television or busy traffic.  Never try to do any work while in bed.  Listen to a piece of soft music in bed or before retiring to bed.  It will provide you with a smoothening and calming effect on your mind and nerves.  If you have anything bothering you or disturbing your mental peace, please write it on a piece of paper and think that it is out of your mind and you will get back to it next morning.  In the long run, a simple exercise like this may cure insomnia.

What are the exercises to cure Insomnia?

The answers to the problem of Insomnia have also been found in Yoga.  The yogic exercises performed daily in the morning can relax your muscles and help in sound sleep.  The PRANAYAM is the process of inhaling and exhaling deeply in fresh air.  It kicks out all the impurities of your body and provides mental peace so that you can sleep easily at night and say goodbye to Insomnia.

Barbara Lacy
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/what-all-do-you-need-to-know-about-insomnia-701999.html

Recruitment of Office Staff for Your Business

Whatever size of business from small organisations to large companies at some point there will be a time when there will be a need to recruit either permanent or temporary office staff.

With so much face-to-face interaction in business today, and increasing skill requirements, recruitment is the essential first stage of getting hold of the right people to make your business a success. Without good people, customers will look elsewhere.

Whichever way you choose to do it, recruiting staff will always require some form of investment for your business. But it is equally important to remember that taking this investment seriously can make it more valuable.

Operating in London and Hertfordshire Forties People – http://www.fortiespeople.com have a long history of recruiting office staff for permanent or temporary positions.

Always think about whether you really need to take on new staff as a solution or alternative to recruiting may already exist within your business, allowing you to save money. For example, by re -organising the business’s structure, or promoting existing staff to take on and manage new tasks, you may be able to meet your staffing needs.

Using a recruitment company is effectively outsourcing a large chunk of the process and this will save you time. Another benefit is that in some instances, you can try out temporary workers before employing them permanently. In some instances you can often get a rebate (within certain time periods) and be provided with another candidate if the first candidate you take on is unsuitable. Recruitment agencies usually pay temporary workers directly and take care of tax issues, which again will save you time.

Finally, remember that the most important part of your business is the people and this should always be considered throughout the whole recruitment process.

When all things are considered recruiting office staff is not the difficult task if you work with a professional recruitment agency who will take away the stress and the hassle.

Jay Edwards
http://www.articlesbase.com/recruitment-articles/recruitment-of-office-staff-for-your-business-360978.html