While psychologists have termed ‘burn-out’ to be an essentially emotional situation, the consequences are often related to the health of a person. A burn-out affects the physical, emotional and intellectual health of a person and affects his quality of life considerably.
In the IT industry, that is notorious in India for having abnormal working hours and stiff deadlines, there is a considerable number of people who suffer from burn-out. It is obvious that health suffers in the midst of this problem and that is what we are concerned about at the moment.
How do you know if you are burned out?
If you find yourself in one of these situations, it’s likely that you are suffering from burn-out and it’s time to deal with it. The reason why you must take is very seriously is that the consequences of burn-out can be as serious as a high blood pressure and depression. While realizing that you are suffering from a burn-out, also understand that it is possible to solve the problem and it is not very late yet. The following are some practical ways to deal with a burn-out:
Burn-out is often a neglected or unrecognized problem that we all face once in a while. The key is to watch for it. Understand that human mind gets bored often especially with a routine work. So you have to give it a break and recharge it frequently. If you make this a life-long habit, you can keep burn-out at bay always.
]]>There are hundreds of health benefits of exercises. But those that really stand out are often not physically visible yet they have a very tangible effect on your overall personality. The reason why exercise benefits are much relevant to people spending 12 hours a day in a three by three cubicle is that many of these benefits are also related to people’s intellectual state. This week, lets take a look at some such benefits of exercising.
Brain workout: Even the most casual and relaxed 20 minutes of exercising leaves your brain recharged. A bunch of Canadian researchers last year found out that those that involve some kind of physical activity such as walking, gardening, cleaning, swimming etc scored better on brain teasers than those who constantly led a sedentary lifestyle. Exercising has a great effect on your brain and it keeps it ready and alert.
Memory retention: Good news for those who are seeing their loved ones suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors have now started recommending continuous physical exercise for those having memory loss issues or the disease. Exercise has a direct connection with hippocampus. Hippocampus happens to be one of the first brain regions to surrender to the damage related to Alzheimer’s. This area is crucial as it governs the memory and spatial navigation. Walking or jogging lowers the risk of the disease.
Happiness quotient: Activities like running, swimming or jogging add to the overall wellbeing of a person leaving him happy. Fast running gives people a physical high. They feel accelerated and hence the entire day is spent in that feeling. Imagine that if you do this to yourself daily, you will feel a high every day.
Self esteem: Ever heard that exercise actually has a bearing on your self-esteem. That is because exercise makes a person psychologically satisfied with himself. He feels like he is doing something great to keep his body fit. This gives him a great body image leading to self-esteem. Most diffident people are those who are usually ashamed of their body. Only if they start exercising can they actually improve their self-image.
Better students: Physically active individuals turn out to be better students because exercising increases the level of brain chemicals. Have you ever noticed that many sharp students in your school were also very good at sports? That’s because these two things have a direct connection. In activities like tennis, athletics, dancing, swimming etc, you need co-ordination. This makes your brain work faster and sharper.
Fighting off blues: Workout in gym has the power to even replace antidepressants, as a research has suggested. If a person engages himself in burning calories, he is able to fight off depression better. The reason is exercise kindles the growth of neurons. It’s almost like literally sweating your depression out of our mind and body.
]]>So we have come up with a specific focus to our Office Stretching exercises. We came up with exercises that are specific to a certain area of your body, courtesy the website LiveStrong.com – that is an initiative of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. (Armstrong won the Tour De France for a record seven consecutive times after having survived Cancer.)
The biggest problem with us working professionals is that we spend a major portion of our days just sitting. And if there’s one area that gets severely affected by this is our abdomen. Our abdominal fat, due to lack of any calorie burning, keeps getting fatter.
There’s one integral part of your cubicle that can change the above. Your chair. You use it for at least 6 hours a day. But if you involve it for a little bit of stretching , it can work wonders for your abdomen.
Chair-cum-workout bench: You do remember or must have seen workout benches at the gymnasium. Why not convert your office chair into one? Start doing this by simply siting on the edge of the chair with your legs out straight. Now your hands should be grasping the edges of the chair from behind. Now lean slightly backward. Now gradually, start pulling your knees into your chest. Hold for a few seconds and then reverse the process. You can do this at least 20 times a day practically in an office atmosphere.
Upper abs crunches: These can also be done pretty easily using your office chair. Here’ how. You have to first sit erect in your chair. Bend your knees and feet flat on the floor. Now place your hands on your hips. At this point, contract your abdomen very hard and hold for say, 30 seconds. Release yourself slowly and repeat it for at least four to six times. This will help tone your upper abs.
Use the elbows: This is going to look like you are naturally sitting and pondering over something. Good for you, as this will make it more comfortable for you to do them. Rest both your elbows pinned together on your knees. But stay erect as you do this. Do it while seating on the edge of the chair with your feet on the floor. You have to first raise your left arm above your head. Now slowly lift your right knee in the air and bring your left elbow down and bring it towards the knee. Shuffle hands and repeat it.
These are just three of the several exercises that we can do just by using the office chair. Think of the exercises that you know you would do with your workout bench. Likely that many of them can be done with your office chair.
]]>The brewing hot tea that is consumed in gallons every day in India from a roadside thelawaala to an open air lounge – is getting an official status soon. The desi slurs would be louder with recognition. The brewing would be officially demanding. Tea is going to be a nationally acclaimed desi drink.
The thought of a morning without tea almost never occurs to an average Indian. If it’s coffee for an American, it’s chai for an Indian. It’s probably to do with the earthen colour this unofficial national drink acquires that appeals to Indian senses. Chai cannot be replaced. As for the health quotient, that’s what the blog seeks to inquire. Here’s why tea is healthy too:
Immunity:Tea has the power to boost your immune system. Can you believe it? Quite a few researches have proved this. Who doesn’t want to enjoy a savouring cup of tea especially when it helps to ward off infection?
Antioxidants: Believe it or not, tea has antioxidants that slow down ageing and even the effects of pollution that your body is bearing each day as you step out of the house.
Less caffeine: Here’s the fact of facts. An eight-ounce cup of coffee contains around 135 mg caffeine while tea contains only 30 to 40 mg per cup. Whenever you have a choice between the two, prefer tea.
An anti-carcinogen: Tea is believed to protect your body from cancer cells too. Tea contains polyphenols which is an antioxidant.
Prevents heart stroke: What causes a heart attack and stroke? Unwanted blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets. And how does tea help? It actually keeps your arteries pretty smooth and clog-free. People who drink two to three cups of black tea every day are healthier heart-wise than those who don’t drink tea at all, a study has revealed.
Fights dehydration: Another very crucial health merit of tea is that it keeps you hydrated. Recent researches have found that tea and other caffeinated beverages definitely contribute to our fluid needs. Of course you should not have more than three cups every day.
Green tea fuels metabolism: Tea bolsters our metabolism rate. Green actually increases metabolic rate so that you can burn 70 to 80 additional calories by drinking just five cups of green tea per day.
Lets all support and vote for tea now, it MUST be a national drink now, high time!
]]>Vices is technically not our department. So we shall head towards health. If you are a techie, you already know what we are saying. You probably have already started counting a few things that go wrong every day of your life. Time to face it dude!
Here’s a checklist of your bad habits that are wreaking havoc on your health, and you don’t even know it.
No breakfast mornings: How many of your mornings are ‘plain tea mornings’ or ‘black coffee mornings’? If their number is more than three a week, you are already in trouble. Breakfast, as most experts will tell you, is the most important meal of the day. It’s even okay to miss your dinner sometimes, but almost NEVER okay to skip breakfast. In the morning, your metabolism needs re-fuelling. If this doesn’t happen, it gives birth to acidity followed by headache. While tea or caffeine can prevent that headache temporarily, you are paving way for cardiovascular diseases in the times to come. Resolve today. Start eating breakfast. Go for a full glass of milk or a big jug of juice, if you are in a hurry. Add that by munching an easy-to-cook bread toast. Eat something in the morning. Your body needs it.
Unscheduled eating: Monday’s dinner is usually late, isn’t it? How late? Past 9? Bad. Do you lunch every day at the same time or does it vary? If yes, time to change that too. The reason why we are pushing for regular meal times is because it keeps the metabolic rate up. As a result, you don’t suffer from gas and acidity – something which is often the effect of keeping an empty stomach for a long time.
Dehydrated? : If there’s one golden health rule for a techie, it is this: drink as much water as possible. Why? It keeps you hydrated and keeps up the body fluid as you are having a sedentary routine. If you don’t drink enough water, it becomes a leading cause of indigestion, constipation, gas, increased hunger pangs, dehydration. And female techies, lack of water makes your skin look very dull. Visit the water cooler often. Avoid very cold water, as it does not quench thirst. And do not substitute water with a coke, it’s equally unhealthy.
Compensation on weekends: Of course you can hog once in a while but every weekend especially when you have had a very erratic meal times during the week can be very dangerous. All this accompanied by smoking and hard drinks add to the damage you are doing to your body. In fact, keep the weekends for sweet salads, juices, ice creams and home made less-calorie cakes instead of oily food and alcohol.
Two Cs: Coke and Coffee in access amounts are yet another typical of a techie. Long working hours sometimes make it almost impossible to survive without some vice. Since alcohol is not allowed in offices, people quickly turn to these two unhealthy drinks. These are leading agents of acidity, gas and lack of appetite. These can be very easily replaced with fresh fruit juices that are readily available in office canteens.
Easier said than done? Well then choose between doing and dying.
]]>Two hours of a riot of laughter while sitting in an open air Café, sharing about life, cracking jokes, hugging each other and having fun. This real life fun brutally murdered by a conference chat room, most of them filled with strangers who want nothing but unknown listeners to their dark secrets.
An hour and a half of watching a musical programmer with family. Crooning abilities rejuvenated by hearing contestants sing their favorites. Humming along with the music all together. This quality family time strangled by posting of some useless comments on photographs of random acquaintances on Facebook.
How much of real-life are you missing due to Facebook everyday? When you wake up, is your first thought Facebook? Do you end your day by it? Do you open it several times a day during breaks?
If yes, you are no different. In fact, you are probably among the majority of the young working professionals who are suffering from the FB addiction. While Mark Zuckerberg should ideally marvel at the success of his social networking site, most of his workers and their counterparts across the world may want to take a breather from the visual world.
Research studies are being conducted at the moment on the effects of social networking overdose on the health of the people. Some short-term surveys have already labeled this a psychological issue, many other health experts are counting it to be another contributor to a sedentary lifestyle.
Come to think of it. You work for more than 10 hours per day sitting right before your computer. And you spend the rest of your four hours sitting before a computer at home, Facebooking. Nobody needs to tell you that Facebook has the ability to lure and make you an addict before you know it. Are you already one?
The time which could otherwise have been exploited towards doing some physical exercise, is now spent sitting at one place. While virtually, you may have a great social life with more than 1000 people in your friends list, you may have lost real touch with your school or college friends already.
This is a serious social and health problem. And you need to take a break from it. Just as we have fast days on Mondays or Fridays, create fast days every week from Facebook. Set aside either a Saturday or Sunday to keep Facebook at bay. Since it is weekend, you will be able to do better physically or socially. Facebook fast is a good idea. Lets access it only on days when you are working. As for other days, live the real life!
]]>At AnyLinuxWork, we encourage people to learn to keep health issues at bay and go up the professional ladder without compromising on the quality of life. We have developed a check-list to see whether or not our employees are really enjoying life and work both at the same time.
Circadian Rhythms: Are you one of those who work ‘blindly’? Have you ever taken time to calculate what your ‘best performance’ time is? Are there any slots during your entire work day that are often unproductive? Take heart. Know that your high-energy period is the first half of the work day, say, 9 am to 1 pm. That’s what the scientists call Circadian rhythms. Don’t waste this precious time on Facebook or checking emails or replying to them. If you are working on a project, start work on it during this best half. And keep the mechanical tasks like replying to emails, calling HR cell, returning phone calls etc for the second half. Remember that you are at your most creative self during this time, so do your best.
Stretching breaks: Ever noticed that 15 minutes before lunch time, you already start to lose focus? Does it happen before every break? How often do you take a break? If it happens several times, check it. Every time you take a break, it takes much effort and energy to get back to the same level of concentration. This affects efficiency. Result is you end up working late in the office or bring work home. This is very taxing for your health and brain in general. Your biggest motivation to avoid too many breaks during the day – you will be able to go home early.
Physically here, mentally there: Deliberately avoid thinking about work while watching TV or while you are having family time. Distract yourself. You deserve to relax and have fun after every day’s work. It is okay to let go sometimes and forget about work. Try to avoid replying to messages of colleagues about any work related issues. Tell them frankly to discuss them over work. You can do it. This will help your mental health. Your brain will get a real change and will work with renewed energy the next day.
Pamper yourself: Nothing rejuvenates your body and senses better than physically pampering. Even if you are a guy, get a head massage or a pedicure once in two weeks. If not anything, take a long shower after you come back from the office. It’s summer, get a cold water shower and watch your body and brain revel in the refreshing change.
Recreation: At least one physical or mental activity (not video games) outdoor or indoor once a week is a must. Do not confine yourself to work-home-work life. Get out. Gather your friends at least once a week for a hard party or picnic. Play chess with your kid or take him to a cricket stadium. Go running every morning or take a brisk walk every evening. Give your body quality time to unwind.
Weekend work: Have you ever taken work on weekends? How did that week look like? Tiring, isn’t it? On a long run, you are inviting some serious health issues if you are consistently carrying your work over on weekends. Understand that your body has a biological clock and it commands the body to rest and relax completely at least once a week. Even The Bible says that God rested on the seventh day after creating work. Respect your body’s inherent need for rest and rejuvenation. Every machine needs refueling.
Get new air: Plan a weeklong holiday at least once in three weeks. But it should not involve sightseeing or partying. This holiday should take you in the arms of nature. Go to a beach resort or simply a rest house outside the city amid greenery. Watch movies or read books, relax, watch, click, eat and give your body the much-needed change. Switch off your cell phone, don’t carry your laptop on these locations. Breathe in the new air and feel the change in your body.
A fit worker is usually a more efficient one. The need has been felt today even by the employers, why shouldn’t you realize it now? If you lose your health in the long run, you also kill your chances of professional progress. Invest in health today. It’s about time.
]]>At ALW premises, however, the proverbial Indian Chai comes in a green flavor. Start afresh is the protocol here. And that doesn’t happen unless we dip into the scented feel of Green Tea that travels all the way to our cubicle and hems it up.
Of course it never tries to woo the lovers of traditional chai, yet manages to convince them of its benefits particularly when they start their day with it. Green Tea, in fact, today has become a great substitute to many other unhealthy beverages like coffee, which is unhealthier than the much-loved chai. And since the latter usually is so readily available at homes anyway, we bring in some refreshingly healthy option every morning for the Team.
For one, Green Tea is rich in many health nutrients. Just like Chai, it has a direct connection with your heart. Here’s how. Green Tea has flavonoids (epigallocatechin ) gal late, or EGCG. A recent research has said that flavonoids EGCG extracts of green tea have a role to play in lowering the harmful effects of high blood sugar. And guess what? This EGCG can even prevent damage to the major organs like the coronary arteries lining of the heart muscle. That’s like a lot of contribution for the health of Indians who are foodies by culture.
In addition, this seemingly sophisticated drink reduces the respiration quotient and increases your metabolic rate, albeit temporarily. Moreover, people drinking Green Tea regularly have been found to be more energetic. This is interesting as our employees at ALW work pretty enthusiastically till 7 every day. On alternate days, they have English Workshops to attend, parties to go to and movies to watch over weekends.
At the same time, be aware that just like chai, it is not advisable to consume Green Tea in more than the required quantity. You can have it three times a day. But the good news is that Green Tea is any day healthier than chai, coffee and the colas.
]]>As many as 68 inactive men and women aged between 40 and 56 were divided into two categories: the cycling group and the stretching group. In the meantime, the study also observed 18 non-active people who were to be compared with the studied group.
Before the assignment, a few tests were conducted including heart fitness test, measurement of memory and other thinking skills. The studied group did these physical exercises for two hours weekly for six months.
The hypothesis was that in late adulthood, a region of the brain involved in memory, the hippocampus, shrinks. While the cycling group’s heart fitness was improved by 15%, there were not many changes on this count among the stretching and inactive groups. But when a memory test of learning a list of items was conducted, both the cycling and the stretching groups did better than the inactive group. The increase in this test score was linked with an increase in fitness. Moreover, it turned out that the cycling group also did better in the recognition test of retaining learned material.
Also, there was a surprise finding. Both the groups were given a paper and pencil test in which they had to find and mark certain letters quickly. The stretching group actually improved more in a test of attention than did the cycling group.
Quite a few studies previously have also suggested a clear connection between exercising and brain power. This should particularly interest people in the IT industry as they constantly lose out on the exercising front due to work pressures. Ironically, this lack of physical exercise affects their brain power in the long run as they struggle to get to the top ladder of hierarchy in their company.
Stretching is something that Team ALW has been practicing right in the office premises through Office Yoga. We have pictures of Office Yoga exercises pinned in each of the employee areas so that people may find time during the entire day for some stretching. And now with this study, we are all the more encouraged to motivate our team to continue doing so.
Cycling is also something that we have been contemplating to encourage our team with. It is an exercise that can actually improve our heart’s fitness. Heart is an important health parameter and is related to the overall fitness of a person. What is interesting is that the targeted group was exercising and cycling only for two hours per week. Imagine if an engineer is able to take out only half an hour every day for cycling or exercising. It can have a wonderful impact on his brain power and overall fitness.
]]>Then he goes to the place where he spends most of his day and shall spend a major portion of his life- the office. He sits there from anywhere between 8 and 16 hours. Yes, he sits. Then he sits and keeps sitting. If he is a single living away from family, he would be eating a ‘dabbawala’ lunch whose quality differs from day to day. The other options for him can be office canteen or a McDonald’s.
What’s the whole point of this insightful scene from an engineer’s life? Just to make you realize that in the absence of exercise, what a techie eats can make a lot of difference. Not to say that no exercise is okay. In fact, a techie needs it more than anybody, given the work pressure he faces every day. Yet, eating habits shall go a long way to help him avoid many diseases arising out of a sedentary lifestyle.
Techies, do not eat in bulk. Eat in installments. Keep yourself hydrated. We follow a certain work trend at AnyLinuxWork. We serve snacks to our employees twice a day. This means they eat three times during office hours and a total of five times a day. Most ALW team members avoid eating heavy lunches as their snack gets on their tables at around 4 every day. This healthy eating habit is almost a culture at the office now and everyone has learnt to follow the same regimen at home too.
Yet, there quite a few ‘power snacks’ that can keep you healthy and hydrated. And that’s what we felt like sharing. A few of these snacks are served at ALW too and hence you may rest assured that they are tried and tested.
Cucumber: Summer heat saps your energy. You feel thirsty and hungry both at the same time. Cucumber can quench both. Every time you feel like grabbing a Lay’s or an Uncle Chips, consider buying half a kilo cucumber instead. Cucumbers are so easily available around offices in India. You can bring some from home too. Keep a pack of salt and red chili or pepper on your table to make your cucumber snack spicy. How big a deal is that? Come on, you can do it.
Almonds and raisins: These two are rich in vitamins and healthy too without much worry of the calories. Girls, almonds are just great for your skin, you must eat them often. Boys, raisins shall satisfy your sweet tooth. This combination can do wonders for your body, can keep you younger for a long time and nourish your body with the right nutrition. They are also easy to keep on your table in a closed glass bottle.
Chocobar v/s protein bar: Instead of treating yourself with a Cadbury’s Five Star or Kitkat, pick a healthier option. Protein bars now are easily available at any grocery store. Read the ingredients and pick the one that has less carbs and more protein. Protein bars are both sweet and healthy.
Air popped popcorn: The ones available at the multiplexes are often buttered, have loads of salt in them and they are often micro-waved too. They have more calories and are less healthy. Prefer the air-popped popcorn that can be cooked on stove. They are healthier and tastier. ACT II popcorn packets are available in just 10 bucks at any grocery store. Fill your kitchen shelf with loads of them, and carry them with you at the office especially during a night shift.
Water not coke: Constantly sipping a coke is definitely not very healthy. Always keep a water bottle with you at your desk. Sip it every half an hour to keep your body perfectly hydrated during summer. After nutrition, this is what your body needs. Also, while eating, taking a coke instead of water also has serious health consequences as the former can never replace the replenishment that the water provides.
These are just a few of our favourite snacks that we have at ALW premises. Take our word, they help us get fitter and healthier.
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