Category: Inside Indus Net

Modern life has made it easier for us to live a comfortable life without having to sweat it out. Not only that, it has also brought us a number of diseases to comfortably nurse ourselves with. Well, not so comfortably. Stressful lifestyles have contributed to an increase in autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular diseases, pre-diabetes and a host of other ailments. Also, work suffers. No one who is stressed out can work efficiently and effectively. In order to ensure that you work as effectively as possible, we have made a list of 4 relaxation techniques that you can use easily to de-stress yourself. After all, the moment you are de-stressed, you will start to work much better. 1.      Learn to meditate This sounds like the obvious choice for a list of 5 relaxation techniques but it is important. Psychologists and mental health professionals who have studied the matter have found that meditating regularly decreases stress and improves mental health. They also found that meditating regularly helps to improve concentration, memory and attention. Apart from these benefits, it can also reduce anxiety and improve your state of mind. All that you need to do is, find a quiet room, lay down a mat, sit comfortably, close your eyes and begin to chant a positive mantra such as “I am peaceful” or “The world has been very kind to me”. If you are distracted by thoughts, allow them to pass like clouds. Observe them. Do not react. 2.      Breathe deeply If you cannot find a room to meditate or you are pressed for time, you can use a 5 minute deep breathing technique to bring down stress levels almost immediately. Deep breathing counters the effects of stress. It brings down your heart rate, increases the amount of oxygen in your body and lowers your blood pressure as well. All that you need to do is, take a five minute break and begin to focus on your breathing. Sit straight, close your eyes, and if possible, place your hand on your belly. Begin to slowly breathe in through your nose and feel the air fill your stomach. Notice how your body is filled with refreshing air and then exhale it out through your mouth. This is one of the quickest and easiest methods to reduce stress. 3.      Engage in physical activity If deep breathing is not helping much, go to the office gym. If your office provides you with additional recreational facilities, go ahead and use them. Any physical activity is known to increase the level of endorphins in our bodies. Endorphins help us to feel good about ourselves and are crucial to reduce stress. Moreover, physical activity is known to reduce stress dramatically. It not only reduces your stress, it also improves your overall health and contributes to a better state of physical and mental well being. If you cannot find any facilities at work, have a short lunch and quickly run up and down your office staircase. That should be more than enough. 4.      Socialize with your colleagues This is one of the least neglected forms of relaxation. It is very important to build positive relationships with people around us. We are social beings, after all. By making sure that we are cordial with our colleagues, we will make sure that there is a lot less stress in our lives too. It is inappropriate to talk while at work but when you are on a break, you could always try to catch up with the “latest” with a colleague you are fond of. Sometimes, offering people support also removes your own stress. Listen to other people’s stories and anxieties and forget about your own. We should always look for opportunities to building relationships and nurturing them. Reduce stress, increase performance A little physical activity, some deep breathing and a little socializing can go a long way when it comes to reducing stress at work. When one is not stressed, one will also work much effectively. It is important to be aware of our own bodies and what they are trying to communicate with us. If you are unable to work properly, it means you are stressed out. Just take a short break and get back to work again!

Everybody likes a well decorated room. No one likes to walk into a room that is dull or drab or just too ordinary. When a room or a working space is decorated in an interesting fashion, it starts to stimulate people and they begin to feel better when they work. Moreover, you do not want to bring in clients who might get a negative opinion about you because of the way it is decorated. Decorating IT labs is very important as it boosts motivation It is very important to make sure that your company’s IT office or labs are well decorated. It is common to notice that computer labs and working spaces are often the messiest in offices. This is partly because the developers and engineers who work in those spaces are often not too concerned about interior decor. There surely will be exceptions but the fact that they work for long hours in front of the computer forces them to ignore their surroundings and concentrate on their work. It is not a good practice and it should preferably change. A well done computer lab that is attractive and great to look at stimulates IT workers and engineers. In this article, let us take a look at why it is important to decorate an IT lab or office. • IT professionals like art too It is a misconception that IT workers and employees do not enjoy art and wall hangings. By investing money in art and hanging them on the wall, you will please your IT workers more than anyone else. These are the people who usually look for things that break their monotony. Thought provoking art works can break the monotony that they usually endure. • A well decorated IT lab stimulates workers Art, artifacts and colors stimulate people into working. A dull and drab room can demotivate even the most enthusiastic employee. It is important to decorate working labs in such a way that it stimulates employees. You could use colors like red, deep blue, orange and other bright colors that stimulate people to work. No one likes to work in a somber grey room. • Interior decor can alter moods and emotions Decorating rooms and living spaces in certain ways can alter our mood. There are techniques which help to make people happy, energized and stimulated. Speak to an interior decor specialist and get the room decorated in such a way that it is stimulating. It should not be so stimulating that employees are distracted from their work. But it should be stimulating enough to encourage them to work and remain alert. • Interior decor can increase communication between employees Employees often do not talk to each other because they feel demotivated or are just too busy with work. In order to help them to socialize with each other, you could leave thought provoking art works on the walls. These art pieces can be rotated among different rooms in order to break teh monotony. Art is one of the best ways to decorate a room and by investing in good art, you will also make sure that your working space is stimulating. If you do not want to invest a lot of money in art, you could ask some of your employees to bring their own art works and contribute it to the office. They will not only like their art to be hug on the wall but will find a hobby to keep themselves occupied in their free time. Art can be therapeutic in nature. And it can also be a great way to decorate your working space. Whether you spend money or don’t, begin to fill your IT labs and offices with interesting and stimulating art works to see employees’ productivity go up.

When Shirley feels tired at work, she goes to the washroom cubicle and takes a 15 minute nap, only to be woken up by an alarm that she sets on her cellphone. It is her dirty little secret but she claims that it helps her to stay more alert and focused at work. Doesn’t she sleep well at night? She does but then there is always something that makes her to crave for those moments of slumber in which she can recuperate from a tired mind. A lot of people stealthily or openly take naps during work. A lot of them also get fired or warned when they are caught sleeping. Napping at work has a stigma but is not that bad Sleeping while at work is considered to be a hallmark of those who are lazy, unprofessional and those who are not interested in work. Yet, a lot of people, a majority of people in fact, sleep at work. This only shows that it is a perfectly normal thing to do, as long as it is monitored by oneself. Sleeping at work is not only normal but can be beneficial to both employees and companies in which they work at. This is one of the reasons why a number of companies have begun to offer sleeping lounges where employees can go and grab some sleep, albeit for just a few minutes. Short naps rejuvenate the brain It is scientifically proven that sleep helps us to rejuvenate our brain cells. When we sleep for at least 15 minutes, our brain cells get the necessary time to recuperate from the days hard work. It is not enough to just close one’s eyes. When we take a nap, we feel refreshed and are able to use our brain cells better. Short naps increase productivity Short naps are also known to increase productivity. Every company wants its employees to be productive and efficient. If they are feeling sleep and are not able to work efficiently, what is the point of them sitting in front of the computer? It does not really make sense to force employees to stay awake when a 15-20 nap could actually make them work more efficiently. Lack of sleep decreases concentration Researchers have shown that drivers who are deprived of sleep are more prone to causing accidents than those who are on alcohol. This is because, people who are sleep deprived are unable to concentrate. Do you really want your accountant to add a couple of zeroes more because he or she couldn’t sleep properly. Letting employees to take short naps at work will help them to concentrate on their given tasks better. And that is ultimately good for all of us. Sleeping well boosts health People who are sleep deprived are usually unhealthy. It can cause serious metabolism issues that can turn into chronic illnesses. With that in mind, it is important for people to take short naps and repay the sleep debt, as it is known. Those who sleep well notice that their general health improves. This helps them to work better as well. At the end of the day, health is more important than everything else. People who sleep well are happy Even after 10 minute nap, people report being elated and satisfied. This improves their mood and they are able to communicate and interact with people better. If an employee has to make a presentation, he or she will do better to take a short nap before making that presentation. They will also look better, when they feel rested. Short naps make people happy and this is one of the reasons why companies must start encouraging people to take short naps at work. Scientific and psychological research shows that even short naps are enough to boost people’s productivity. The next time you see someone taking a short nap at work; do not look down upon them. They might actually be preparing to work harder and better, when they finally wake up from their slumber. Sleeping at work has a stigma but when people take short naps in order to boost productivity, there is nothing really wrong in that.