How to Use Aromatherapy at Work for Increased Productivity

How to Use Aromatherapy at Work for Increased Productivity

There are some things that you probably cannot change about your work environment. Among these things are the office lighting, the noise level, the furniture layout, and the color of the walls. However, you can definitely take steps to improve your office environment without having to request a work order. One way to do so is to use aromatherapy for productivity. Source Skeptical? According to Entrepreneur magazine, “Smell is the strongest of the senses and is best able to influence brain activity.” This is because olfactory bulbs directly connect to the areas of the brain that process learning and emotions. For many people, aromatherapy can even lower blood pressure. By harnessing the power of scent, […]

Digital minimalism 101: How to clear out your digital clutter and find focus and calm in 30 days

Digital minimalism 101: How to clear out your digital clutter and find focus and calm in 30 days

“How do you simplify your digital life?” is quickly becoming the question of our generation. Between packed calendars, overflowing inboxes, and the constant pull of social media and news (and Netflix) it can feel like how you spend your time online isn’t really up to you. Source But what if there was a way to use your technology without feeling used by it? The answer is Digital minimalism. Coined by author and computer science professor Cal Newport in his book of the same name, Digital minimalism is a philosophy of technology use based on the understanding that our relationship with our apps, tools, and phones is nuanced and deserves more […]

Πώς να περάσεις δημιουργικά τις φετινές γιορτές;

Πώς να περάσεις δημιουργικά τις φετινές γιορτές;

Τί είναι οι γιορτές; Όμορφες στιγμές, αληθινές και ζεστές. Και αυτές οι στιγμές είναι που μετράνε πολύ περισσότερο από τα πλουσιοπάροχα τραπέζια και τα φανταχτερά στολίδια και τραπεζομάντηλα. Ας δημιουργήσουμε και φέτος στιγμές. Στιγμές που θα υπάρξουμε μέσα τους, συνδεδεμένοι με όποιον τρόπο μπορούμε με αυτούς που αγαπάμε μέσα από την καρδιά μας. Ας κάνουμε κάθε στιγμή να μετρήσει, ας της δώσουμε την αξία που της αναλογεί. Το στοίχημα είναι να μετατρέψουμε το διαφορετικό, το πρωτόγνωρο για πολλούς από εμάς, σε μία θετική εμπειρία. Στολίστε το σπίτι σας Έστω και αν είστε μόνοι. Κάντε το για εσάς. Αφιερώνοντας αυτές τις γιορτινές μέρες στον εαυτό σας! Γιορτάζοντας τις νίκες του! Φτιάξτε […]

How To Attract People Back To The Office In 2021

How To Attract People Back To The Office In 2021

As we look towards a post-pandemic future, many employers are making plans to bring their teams back to the workplace. But with over a year of home working under our belts, we’ve solidified new ways of working in our homes and as such, many team members are reluctant to return to the office as we know it. Source The key to attracting employees back to the workplace is gaining a fundamental understanding of what people liked about working from home, as well as what they disliked, and integrating the common themes into your workplace. In a nutshell, learn from the lockdown experience to create a mutually beneficial workplace for businesses […]

“Pandemic posture” hurting your back? You can fix it!

“Pandemic posture” hurting your back? You can fix it!

Here’s what to do if you’ve developed back pain from poor posture habits picked up in the last year. Source Move over, “Quarantine 15.” That term, coined for pandemic-era weight gain, isn’t the only catchy phrase from this challenging time. Now there’s “pandemic posture,” referring to poor posture from slouching at a desk or on a couch during time at home — and it brings lots of back pain complaints with it. We asked Dr. David Binder, a physiatrist and director of innovation at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, about this phenomenon and what to do if you’re experiencing it. Q. Is “pandemic posture” real? Dr. Binder: Yes, we have seen increased […]

A day off work and ‘Zoom-free Fridays’ aren’t going to cut it. Here’s how to really tackle burnout.

A day off work and ‘Zoom-free Fridays’ aren’t going to cut it. Here’s how to really tackle burnout.

On Monday, Citigroup’s CEO, Jane Fraser, sent a memo outlining new perks meant to curb burnout. The proposed benefits may help in the short term, but they don’t address the root causes of burnout. Employers need to get serious about overworking, mismanagement, and pay inequality, experts said. Source On Monday, Jane Fraser, Citigroup’s CEO, sent a memo telling staff that the bank would be eliminating Zoom meetings on Fridays and adding May 28 as a mental-health holiday. It was an attempt to curb skyrocketing burnout rates on Wall Street, especially among junior bankers, who, in some cases, are working upwards of 98 hours a week. In addition to these benefits, Citigroup also added an extra […]

The Great American Burnout is just getting started

The Great American Burnout is just getting started

Ariane Ollier-Malaterre answered my call from Canada. “It’s a holiday here today,” she told me: The National Holiday of Quebec. She had the day off from teaching at the University of Quebec in Montreal’s School of Management. Source Never mind that Ollier-Malaterre studies the future of work, focusing specifically on how people set boundaries between their personal and professional lives. She was excited to share some of her research findings, and getting on a 30-minute call from home seemed easy enough. This blurring of boundaries is a trap Ollier-Malaterre knows that others will fall into as well. She is especially worried now that many people are returning to the office […]

Getting Added Value From Our Holidays

Getting Added Value From Our Holidays

Holidays whether in good, old sunny Greece or anywhere else give us a tremendous opportunity to challenge our routine. That’s why they are called ‘διακοπές’ cause we break away from our usual habits. We often attach a great deal of importance to them by anticipating those few days per year that we can recharge, disconnect from work and reconnect with ourselves and nature.   But what if we could learn more through them and carry some meaningful changes with us, coming back to our routine? What if we could reassess our daily life and  spread some of the lessons learned throughout the entire year? Afterall, we feel truly alive by […]

6 best Android parental control apps and other methods

6 best Android parental control apps and other methods

Parental control is a lot different now than it once was, but here’s how you can stay ahead. Source Parental controls on phones evolved a lot over the years. Back in the day, devices had kid modes that turned off the UI basically entirely, trapping the child in a specific app. Unfortunately, kid mode is easy to work around and it doesn’t work really well. There are better alternatives out there anyway. These new options give your children more freedom to do what they want while still keeping you in control. Here are the best parental control apps for Android and some other methods in case you need further control. […]

How Long It Takes to Start Enjoying Exercise, According to Reddit

How Long It Takes to Start Enjoying Exercise, According to Reddit

“Once you start to see the results of your hard work, you become hooked.” Source Exercise isn’t always fun, and if you’re doing it to benefit your health or to support a weight-loss goal, it may feel like an awful chore. “People who enjoy exercise, when and how did you start to like it?” Here are some of the answers. If often takes a few months to start enjoying exercise Among people who named a specific period of time, 2-4 months seemed to be a common answer. Some pinpoints 80 days: I’ve exercised for 100 days straight now – 15 minutes of quick walking up steps + walking and yoga. It took […]