Two forms of exercise to keep your brain young

Two forms of exercise to keep your brain young

Exercise is the closest thing to a miracle drug that we have, according to a growing body of research. When it comes to keeping the brain young and staving off the effects of aging, two types of workouts appear to be the best: cardio and strength training. A new review of nearly 100 well-designed studies found positive cognitive effects were linked with activities like walking, cycling, and yoga when people did them for an hour three times a week. Source: Business Insider Exercise is the closest thing to a miracle drug that we have. Whether it’s a mood boost, better muscle tone, or a sharper mind you’re looking for, two types of workouts are […]

Best Health And Fitness Management Apps

Best Health And Fitness Management Apps

Are you running the same route, eating the same grilled chicken and veggies for dinner, or listening to the same playlists over and over? Anyone can fall into a rut, but it’s time to push past the monotony and re-energize your habits. Choose among these apps to find inspiration and ideas to eat, exercise and, yes, sleep better every day.   Source: Forbes Meditation Studio Meditation has been proven to help people decrease stress, reduce anxiety, improve sleep and generally aid in managing challenging situations. Meditation Studio is one of the best apps in helping newbies and more advanced meditators alike achieve their zen goals. The app features a wide scope of […]

7 Easy Ways to Create a Zen Office Space

7 Easy Ways to Create a Zen Office Space

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “the modern workplace”? If you’re like a lot of people, it’s probably words like “ultra-connected,” “demanding,” “always on,” or “stressful.” No wonder companies experience such high turnover, low productivity, and burnout. Now imagine a workplace exemplified by the following: Peace. Calm. Tranquility. Focus. A little better, right? That’s the idea behind Zen Office spaces. Source Zen is a Buddhist philosophy that emphasizes meditation, intuition, and tranquility. Zen is also a practice that pulls you out of your routine, and trains you to live less automatically and more mindfully. More and more companies are embracing Zen principles to bring tranquility to their […]

The Pillars of an Effective Workplace Wellness Program via HBR

The Pillars of an Effective Workplace Wellness Program via HBR

Strategically integrated wellness programs have six strong pillars that simultaneously support their success, regardless of the size of the organization. Construct them well, and your institution could see the kinds of big returns that the 10 companies in our sample have garnered. Source: Harvard Business Review 1. Multilevel Leadership Creating a culture of health takes passionate, persistent, and persuasive leadership at all levels—from the C-suite to middle managers to the people who have “wellness” in their job descriptions. It’s easy to find employees who don’t participate in wellness programs. Some cite lack of time, little perceived benefit, or just a distaste for exercise. Others don’t know about available services or blame […]

What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs? HBR

What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs? HBR

Since 1995, the percentage of Johnson & Johnson employees who smoke has dropped by more than 2/3rds. The number who have high blood pressure or who are physically inactive also has declined—by more than 1/2. That’s great, obviously, but should it matter to managers? Well, it turns out that a comprehensive, strategically designed investment in employees’ social, mental, and physical health pays off. J&J’s leaders estimate that wellness programs have cumulatively saved the company $250 million on health care costs over the past decade; from 2002 to 2008, the return was $2.71 for every dollar spent. Source: Harvard Business Review What Is Workplace Wellness? Our extensive research on workplace wellness […]

Why Sleep is Important

We’re always on the lookout for ways to transform our lives, but sometimes we forget that — along with exercise — there’s another miracle drug within our control: sleep. If you have a few days off over the holidays, one of the best things you can possibly do with your time is work on fixing your sleep habits. Our sleep problems are so bad that the CDC refers to them as «a public health epidemic.»   While a tiny percentage of the population does just fine on little sleep, those people are incredibly rare. Almost half the population doesn’t get enough sleep: 40% of people sleep less than the recommended seven to nine hours a night (teens […]

Air Purifying Plants that Clean Your Office Air

We need fresh air to live a healthy and full life, but it’s fast becoming a luxury. Residents of many major cities around the world are faced with smog and poisonous gases from motor vehicles, fossil fuel based power plants, and factories. The good news is, there is a simple solution you can use at your office or at home to make your air much cleaner. While air purifiers might help, air purifying plants are a great and natural way to clean your air supply. In this article, you’ll learn more about air pollution, its dangers, and how to choose the best air purifying plants that suit your needs. Source The Pollutant Problem According […]

Few Healthier Office Snacks & Drinks Your Coworkers Will Rave About

Few Healthier Office Snacks & Drinks Your Coworkers Will Rave About

‘Xmas is the season for office snacks and happenings! These unique office snacks will keep your colleagues happy, healthy—and impressed with you—all season long. Source Delightful Drinks Party treats should lift you up, not weigh you down. Choose any of these delicious beverages if you’re looking for a refreshing office party treat. Tea Set out a carafe of steaming water with an assortment of tea bags, some orange slices, and maybe even a few cinnamon sticks for an easy office party treat to warm your coworkers’ hearts. Lavender Lemonade Combine the crisp flavor of lemon with the floral aroma of lavender to create a beverage perfect for washing down all […]

The Psychology of Getting More Done (In Less Time)

The Psychology of Getting More Done (In Less Time)

In today’s busy world, we seem to be obsessed with the idea of “productivity” and “work hacks”. It’s easy to see why: being able to get more done allows us to get ahead in life, and even gives us more time to do the things we love outside of work.The problem we run into, however, is that it is easy to get motivated, but hard to stay disciplined.   Source: Entrepreneur  This is because most of us look at productivity in the wrong way: it’s not about signing up for the latest task management tool (which, admit it, you’ll use for a week and soon abandon) or chaining yourself to your desk, it’s about […]

SMART Goals Will Help You Achieve Anything

SMART Goals Will Help You Achieve Anything

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” — Confucius  Source Most of us don’t have the slightest clue about how to set goals in a way that will empower and embolden us rather than deter and limit us. We usually have some outlandish abstracts in our mind of what we want to achieve, but we never actually fulfill those fantasies. However, when you set goals the SMART way, you’re far more likely to follow through. If you’ve never heard of SMART goals, then this primer should get you up and running quickly. The SMART method allows you to set your goals so that […]