Two key focuses of my blog are Workplace Discussions and Health/Wellness. A major responsibility of management especially industrial settings is assuring workplace safety. Maintaining a healthy workforce will assure continued productivity. The following contributed post was entitled, Keeping The Workplace Safe.
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Injuries can happen in many different ways. A lot of people are shocked to discover the figures when it comes to workplace accidents. In 2018, 5,250 workers lost their lives due to a workplace accident. On top of this, there were 2.8 million non-fatal workplace illnesses and injuries. We all need to do our bit to reduce these figures.
Everyone in the workplace has a duty to ensure that the environment is as safe as possible. Of course, the ultimate responsibility falls on the shoulders of your employer. However, if you notice something that you don’t think is quite right, you should always report it. With that in mind, we are going to take a look at some of the things that all employees can do to keep their work environment as safe as possible.
Always wear Personal Protective Equipment The first thing you need to do is make sure that you always wear Personal Protective Equipment, which is often shortened to PPE. Depending on the nature of your work, you may have a number of different types of PPE that you need to wear. For example, if you work in a noisy environment, you may be required to wear ear protection. No matter what PPE is required, make sure that you wear it at all times.
Report unsafe conditions Aside from this, if you notice any conditions that are unsafe, you need to report these to your employer as soon as possible. If you have been injured because your employer has not rectified a potential issue, you should look into hiring a personal injury lawyer. After all, your employer has a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy work environment, and so it is imperative that they adhere to the laws that are in place.
Stay in-the-know regarding safety procedures In addition to the tips that have been provided so far, you should make sure that the emergency exits at your place of work are kept clear all of the time. You should also be aware of any new safety procedures that are put in place. Safety procedures are updated all of the time to ensure maximum efficiency, so keep up to date with this and never take shortcuts either.
Take breaks regularly and keep the correct posture Finally, there are a number of different things you can do to manage your own health in the workplace. Even office jobs can have a number of different dangers. Take breaks regularly and keep the correct posture to ensure that you are as healthy as can be in the workplace. There are lots of ergonomic furniture pieces and office supplies that are available today and can help you with this.
As you can see, there are a number of different ways that you can make sure your work environment is as safe as can be. If you follow the suggestions that have been mentioned above, you considerably reduce the possibility of being involved in any sort of workplace incident.
Two key focus of my blog are Athletics/Sports and Health/Wellness. A common activity/pastime/sport is cycling. It’s thought to be universal activity, one which individuals with certain physical limitations such as hip replacements can safely participate in but it is 100% beneficial for you? The following contributed post is entitled, Cycling Might Not Be All That Good For You After All.
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Cycling is currently undergoing a resurgence in popularity. Everyone wants to hop on a bike, cycle to work, and get healthy, especially when there are significant risks for using public transport.
Public health officials love the idea too. For years, they’ve been pushing cycle lanes and bicycle-to-work incentives to get people riding on two wheels. For them, it’s a solution to the longstanding obesity epidemic. If people cycle to work, they’ll lose weight, get healthy, and reduce the strain on the health system.
Cycling, however, remains a bit of fringe activity. People do it – but not in the numbers required to make much of a dent in motor vehicle use. Plus, it is such a fleeting part of most people’s lives that there are only limited scientific studies on the downsides of the activity. For that reason, there’s barely any pushback that recognizes both the benefits and risks.
Before delving into why you might want to avoid the current cycling craze, let’s be clear on the benefits. We’re not saying that riding a bike is a bad thing, like smoking. It’s just that it isn’t just a list of benefits: there are costs too.
Cycling has all sorts of positive effects on your body. For one, it helps to improve your posture. Riding a bike requires the use of all kinds of core muscles, and it forces you into a particular stance, which enhances the overall balance of your body.
The exercise you do while riding a bike may also increase your level of cardiovascular fitness. The more you ride around, the healthier your heart and lungs become.
There’s also a good deal of evidence that riding a bike reduces your levels of stress more than practically any other form of exercise. There’s something uniquely freeing about the sensation of pedaling with a smooth-riding contraption between your legs. You feel liberated, particularly when you go offroad, something that might reduce blood pressure.
Finally, it may increase muscle mass, especially around the legs and buttocks, thus raising your natural metabolic rate.
Nobody seriously disputes the benefits of cycling – and in a perfect world, there would be only benefits. But in reality, that’s not how it pans out. Cycling has serious drawbacks, and we need to discuss them.
Cycling is one of the most dangerous things that you can do on the road. You wouldn’t run down the middle of the street with cars passing by on all sides, but that’s essentially what you’re doing when you ride a bike. You’re not in a vehicle, so you have no protection. It’s just your soft, fleshy body, versus metal bodywork.
Per mile traveled, cycling is one of the most dangerous forms of transport, which is why city authorities are so keen to install bike lanes. Bureaucrats know that motorists don’t pay as much attention to cyclists as they should, and that’s when accidents happen.
Cyclists also have a penchant for ignoring the road rules – another thing that gets them into trouble. Jumping red lights or under-taking are tempting when you’re on a bike, and you know you’re not going to get caught. But they also make getting from A to B more dangerous.
Even if you go offroad, there are still serious risks. Mountain biking isn’t a sport known for its low chance of injury. If you come off at speed, you can easily break bones and concuss yourself. Wearing elbow and knee pads can remove some of the chance of serious injury, but not all of it.
The Pollution
Cycling around in city traffic also exposes cyclists to a host of unpleasant fumes from ICE vehicles. Diesel is the worst. It contains tiny particles that damage the lining of the lungs, eventually leading to serious conditions, like cancer. They get in through the nose and mouth and bury themselves in the soft tissue that lines the passageways that lead to the lungs. With enough exposure, cyclists can eventually develop a sore throat and more severe conditions, especially if they spend more than an hour per day in heavy traffic conditions.
Pollution levels are often higher in places where cycling is more important. In China, for instance, officials want to encourage it to prevent cities from being overrun with cars. Therefore, regular folks are going to need assurances that they’re not damaging themselves at the same time.
The Fertility Issues
If you thought that bouncing along on a tiny saddle was a bad idea, you are right. Researchers rethink that the act of riding a bike restricts the arteries that flow to the testicles. Cycling is a significant reason why so many people visit a male infertility doctor. It’s an unseen factor that prevents families from having children.
You might think you can avoid fertility issues by wearing padded shorts and avoiding lycra, but it’s not as simple as that. Vasoconstriction appears to happen regardless of the level of padding, so it’s not just a matter of pressure. There seems to be something about the very act of cycling itself that causes problems.
We tend to forget that bicycles are contraptions, not parts of the natural environment. Operating them, therefore, could be just as much of a risk as anything else. Like so many other machines, they may not perfectly conform to our bodies’ ergonomics, causing problems.
Fertility issues may be just the tip of the iceberg, too. Evidence suggests that cycling regularly can lead to muscle imbalances and knee problems, especially if cyclings clip into their pedals.
Cycling might seem like a cheap form of exercise. But the moment you get serious about it, the price rises significantly. If you want to go running, you put on a pair of sneakers and hit the trails. If you’re going to go cycling, you have to spend at least a couple of hundred dollars on a bike, and extra money on helmet and gloves. And that’s just for the basic kit. Serious cycling is much more expensive.
The average mountain bike, for instance, is an extremely sophisticated machine with dozens of moving parts. Brand new, these bikes typically cost thousands of dollars and are top on the list for criminals to steal. They’re highly transportable, and there is no central registry, tracking who owns what. It’s not like cars.
The same applies to road bikes too. Quality cycles in this category are often made of carbon and cost thousands of dollars. Replacing them isn’t easy.
On top of the upfront cost and the risk of theft, you also have ongoing maintenance issues. Serving a car might cost $500 per year. If you buy a top-end bike, you can easily spend that sort of money on your machine as well. It gets expensive.
The Importance Of Dialogue
Cycling is hailed as the preferred mode of transport for the 21st century. It’s green, good for you, and, dare we say it, fun. But people have become so enthused that a serious discussion of the risks is no longer a part of the dialogue.
The truth, though, is that cycling is not as innocuous as checkers. It comes with risks to health, many of which are far higher than driving in a car. Modern society is set up for the motor vehicle. Like it or not, that’s how the world has developed. The pushbike was, until the pandemic, way down the list of most people’s priorities. Some city councils built cycle lanes, but they were often an after-thought and seldom used. The vast majority will always prefer to go around on four wheels. And so getting around frequently requires riding on the road.
Cycling isn’t as accessible as many people imagine, either. First, you have to be physically fit to do it, which many people are not. You also have to have parents who taught you to ride a bike. If you’re an adult who can’t, you either have to learn – which isn’t easy – or forget about it. And, secondly, cycling is more expensive than many people imagine. Bikes might be cheap for policymakers on fat salaries. Still, they’re far dearer for the average person looking to make a living.
Therefore, it is critical that we have a sensible dialogue about cycling as a form of transportation. If it really were as good as people imagine, then we would all be doing it, but we’re not. Many of us use our cars at the first opportunity, even if it’s just to go down the street to pick up some groceries from the store.
We have to question; why? Is it just laziness? Or does cycling come with some serious risks? Do people avoid it for good reasons? Imagine if the government was pushing motorcycling, which is as dangerous as riding a pushbike per mile traveled. There would be an uproar. It would be irresponsible. But for some reason, the same rules don’t apply to bikes. Perhaps that needs to change?
A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Any time you go onto the road, you’re unknowingly at risk for an accident of some sort often times at no fault of your own. It’s thus critical to think about driving as defensively as possible so as to minimize the potential for collisions. The following contributed post is entitled, Three Top Ways to Avoid Car Collisions.
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There is no one that wakes up and thinks that they want to crash their car today. However, because of our actions, poor driving skills, and rushed decisions, there are a lot of car accidents out on the roads each day. From a small fender-bender to larger collisions, there are several ways that you can cause damage to your own car and to your own health, as well as to someone else’s car, and someone else’s health.
As more and more of us hit the roadways and increase the highway congestion over the summer, it is important to make sure that you are doing things to slow things down, not get distracted, and keep any car accidents to a minimum. Of course, you can’t control other people out on the road, and you may need to read more about making a personal injury claim if you get hurt and it wasn’t your fault. But if you take steps to improve your driving, then it can limit your chances. Here are some things to think about.
It is important when driving to not rush into anything and to not make a decision like pulling into traffic without assessing the risks. You should take extra care to be more aware of blind spots, as often there can be cars that you can’t see because of the car design or because of road signs. When you come to an intersection, then you should look in both directions, but do so at least twice before you come to your decision to pull out. Cars can appear sometimes, almost out of nowhere, so it is a good idea to exercise caution when you are pulling into any traffic.
Be aware of red light runners
As has been mentioned before, you can’t control other people out on the road. Which is why, to avoid any collisions, it is best to be aware of anyone who may be running a red light. Although any collision would be their fault, you won’t want to even be in one if it can be avoided. When going into an intersection on a green light, it is best to be a little cautious and not head off at full speed. Another thing to be wary of is trucks. They are huge, and as a result, have huge blind spots. The general rule is that if you can’t see a truck’s mirrors, then they can’t see you.
Keep looking backwards when reversing
A lot of collisions can happen when you’re reversing, from another car trying to rush past you if you try to reverse park, to people or children running out in front of you. Plus, other cars can be backing out of a parking lot at the same time as you, which can be dangerous. So it is a good idea to not just rely on mirrors when backing out, as there are some blind spots with mirrors. Physically turn your head to check, and combining that with checking your mirrors can make a big difference.
A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. We as a society incur lots of injuries and sometimes deaths a result of unsafe driving. Safe driving can make all the difference in our lives and those we’re sharing the road with. The following contributed post is entitled, The Ultimate Guide To Safe Driving.
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Driving in the twenty-first century should be easier than ever what with all the cruise control functions, automatic gearboxes, and advanced safety features. However, with increased levels of traffic and more ruthless individuals on the road, it can be a more daunting prospect to head to the grocery store in your car. To combat any hesitance you have about driving, you need to ensure that you employ safe driving tactics at all times. This means being a defensive driver. If you focus on everyone else on the road, potential hazards and you always stick to the speed limit, you can enjoy a fun drive whenever you put the pedal to the metal.
When out on the road, it’s better to go slower and reach your destination safely rather than never get to your destination at all. You must make sure that you take your time and stick to the speed limit to stay safe. Don’t be tempted to go just that touch faster because you are running late for an appointment. This could result in you getting into a collision or being pulled over by police. Set out earlier than you anticipate and mitigate for any potential traffic. Use a satnav with inbuilt live traffic updates to give you a heads up if congestion is building. An alternative route will then be suggested. Consider a dashcam from TDot Performance to ensure that your safe driving is evidenced should the worst happen. Utilize the tech on offer to help you drive more safely.
Be Aware
While you might be tempted to focus on your own driving, you need to consider all road users, including other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Everyone has a right to be on the road, so ensure that you consider their needs. Many cyclists have been injured because unobservant drivers have turned left without looking or have opened their doors without checking their mirrors. This shows a lack of awareness and can be detrimental to other road users. Remain aware and alert. Never drive tired. If you are sleepy, pull over, rest up and start driving when you are feeling more focused on the road.
While your car isn’t on the road, it needs to remain in a drivable condition. Do some fluid checks every month, such as oil dipstick tests and washer fluid level checks. Make sure that your tires are at the correct pressure and that the bodywork is free from excess rust. Keep a jack in your car and ensure that you have a red warning triangle, some spare oil and water should you break down. Ensure that you keep your break down cover up to date and have your insurance details in the glove box. By maintaining your vehicle, you can be sure of your safety on the road.
Being a safe driver means being defensive and thinking of your fellow road user. By following this guide, you can be a more confident driver when you next take to the road.
A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Our mental health is absolutely critical to our overall well-being. It’s not something that can directly be seen but it impacts everything. It’s also potentially the hardest part of ourselves to fix once it breaks. The following contributed post is entitled, What To Do If Your Mental Health Is Suffering.
Your mental health is extremely vital when it comes to you being happy and healthy. If you’re having trouble functioning and are just trying to get by each day, then you may be suffering from mental health issues. The upside is that there is help available and there is hope for improved days ahead.
You must catch it early and take steps to feel better before your condition worsens. It’s a serious matter that you shouldn’t take lightly or ignore. You can experience brighter days ahead when you commit to healing and addressing what you’re going through head-on. Know that you’re not alone and that many people can relate and will understand what you’re going through.
Monitor Your Signs & Symptoms
You may not be feeling like yourself or right but aren’t sure why. Therefore, it might help to monitor your signs and symptoms so you can determine if it’s a mental health issue you’re experiencing. Write down what you’re dealing with and what has changed when it comes to your mood and desire to participate in activities you once enjoyed doing. It’ll help to identify what you’re feeling and what’s changing when it comes to your emotional state and behaviors.
Reach out for Help
It’s always a wise choice to reach out for help when your mental health is suffering. You don’t have to go through this challenging time alone. There are many professionals and resources out there that can benefit you. You can find help based on your situation, such as seeking out assistance from the wounded warriors project if you were a service member and are now having mental health issues. There are also support groups for just about any type of condition you have so consider this outlet as another possibility when you’re struggling mentally.
Practice Self-Care
You must take care of yourself daily and attend to your personal needs if you want to feel better. While this can be more difficult to do when your mental health is suffering, you must find ways to practice self-care. Eating the right foods, exercising, and getting enough sleep are all activities that impact your mood and mental health. You may be able to manage your symptoms more adequately when you make your well-being a priority and avoid overdoing it or putting yourself in stressful situations.
Confide in Trusted Friends & Family Members
You can also consider confiding in trusted friends and family members when your mental health is suffering. Open and be vulnerable so you can let others in and make them aware of what’s going on with you. While they may not be able to solve the problem, they can offer you support and comfort and listen to your concerns. They may also be able to point you in the right direction for getting the help you need so you can heal and feel like yourself again. Talking about your problems or mental state can take some of the burdens off your shoulders and help you not to feel so alone.
The first principle of my life is Creating Ecosystems of Success and two key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Health/Wellness. Some people feel stuck in where they are, but there are changes that we can all make to improve our lives right now. The following contributed post is entitled, Make Changes to Improve Your Life Right Now.
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It is so important to make the most of things that can make changes in your life. You have to understand what it takes to make the right decisions in life and to try to make positive changes as much as you can. As much as you can do to take your life in a positive direction, you need to try to do now, and there are a lot of factors that play a part in helping with this.
Life can often not go the way you want it to, and this is why it is essential to make sure you plan and prepare for this. Try to do as much as possible to help you make the right improvements in your life, and there are a lot of things that can play a role in this. Here are some of the key changes that you can make to improve your life right now.
You have to make sure you do as much as possible to get as healthy as possible, and this is something you need to keep in mind as much as you can. Getting a healthier body and mind is one of the best approaches you can take in your life. This is something you need to make sure you focus on as much as possible, and there are a lot of ideas you can use to achieve this. Healthy eating and exercise are the order of the day, and they can go a long way toward helping you with this.
Protect Yourself
It is essential that you do as much as you can to protect yourself in your life right now. There are a lot of things you can do to achieve this, such as staying fit and healthy and buying health insurance. However, there might also be times when you need to make sure you take steps to look after yourself in other ways, such as hiring a misdemeanour lawyer to defend you if you need to be protected.
Take Charge of Your Money
Taking charge of your money is something that you need to make the most of right now, and this is something that plays a massive part in the process of making your life better. You’ve got a lot to think about here, and getting a handle on your cash is something that you need to work toward right now. Budgeting your money is something you are going to need to focus on as much as you possibly can, and this is so important moving forward as well. Keeping yourself financially comfortable is something that you need to work on right now.
Make sure you do as much as you can to improve your life and make the best changes you possibly can. Try to think about some of the best ways you can go about making the right changes to take your life forward as much as possible. Taking steps to try to look after yourself and take your life forward in a more positive way is so essential right now.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, Health/Wellness and Organizational and Management Discussions. When you’re in management, you want to support the overall health of your staff. Doing so will both maximize their productivity and foster their loyalty. The following contributed post is entitled, Supporting Mental Health In The Workplace.
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Supporting mental health in the workplace is essential; people deserve to be able to open up about how they’re thinking and feeling, and to feel encouraged to do so even in a professional setting. We’re human beings, after all, and we can’t just turn our brains off when we’re at work!
So, if you’re someone who’s out to support mental health in the workplace, but you’re just not sure where to start, we’ve collected a few ideas together for you to look into. Mental health matters a lot more than people tend to think, and as a small business leader, it’s time to advocate for healthy management.
Your employees deserve to have one on one time with you or with a supervisor they’re under the care of. Give them the chance to have private and/or personal meetings, where they can air their struggles or concerns. Because when you make time for meetings like these, you show your employees that their thoughts and feelings matter; you show them that the workplace doesn’t have to be just another problem on their plate.
Try Out a Workshop
A workshop or a training program is essential for supporting mental health in the workplace. With a strategy like this, you create an environment of education about mental health, and you place some positive emphasis on creating an open workplace that people can be productive in.
Indeed, a mental health workshop can be beneficial for all kinds of reasons. It can lead to more sensitivity in the workplace, it can lead to further treatment options to be explored, and it can even just mean a healthy, honest, and open dialogue about mental health at work is being had. Give a keynote speaker the platform, and give your employees the chance to take some time and put their needs at work first.
Provide Options
And finally, be sure to provide as much information on the options for mental health that are available to your employees. Let them know there’s help out there, and that the company can help them get it. Of course, plenty of businesses work closely with mental health charities and private organisations to ensure there’s always a counsellor on hand for an employee to see if need be.
But if your company hasn’t taken a step like this yet, it might be time to do so. Look into your own options for providing mental health care to those in your workplace; companies such as Meridian Psychiatric Partners are out there, and could become part of the healthcare package you provide. Even just storing helpful leaflets or official pamphlets on the front desk allows a person to pick up the information they need when they need it.
Supporting mental health in the workplace is essential to working well. Make sure you’re leading by example and providing the right resources for your employees. For a modern workforce, mental health and wellbeing should be a top priority.
Three of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, Current Events and Health/Wellness. The Coronavirus/Covid-19 Crisis/Pandemic has caused many workers to work at home which hasn’t been a simple adjustment for everyone. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Simple Ways to Combat Stress While Working From Home.
Coronavirus has drastically affected business both large and small around the world. And because of the global pandemic, many have had to work from home instead of the usual office setting that they are used to. This change has affected the ability to work for those not familiar with a remote routine, leading to countless feelings of stress and as though they are on edge.
But to be as successful as possible within your role, it’s important to identify methods that will help to relax you – so that you’re feeling as productive and motivated each day.
Although it’s undeniable that you might not be as engaged as you would in your work setting when you’re among your colleagues, it’s still important to seek techniques that guarantee you get your work completed on time. But if you’re unsure as to where to start, then it might be a bit daunting. To help guide you, here are 5 approaches you could take:
1. Create a Dedicated Workplace
When working from home, it’s important to create a dedicated workplace – and to not sit in your living room on the couch or in another busy environment. By opting to sit and work in a loud part of your home, you’ll only feel stressed and as though you can’t complete tasks to the best of your abilities.
So to prevent this from happening, consider creating a home office that you can comfortably work in. This won’t only help your concentration levels, but will also be more ergonomic – especially if you have an adjustable office chair.
2. Keep in Contact with Colleagues and Loved Ones
During this time, it’s only natural to feel isolated when you’re at home all the time. And even though life is gradually getting back to normal, many people are still working from home either full time or part of the time. If you’re feeling isolated and stressed, then it’s essential that you try and stay in contact both with your colleagues and with loved ones.
Human interaction is vital throughout your working day and it’s something that shouldn’t be ignored. Giving you a little pick me up, these virtual video calls will make all the difference to how you’re feeling.
3. Take Breaks Throughout The Day
Although this might seem like an obvious one, it’s still worth a mention – especially during the coronavirus outbreak when you may feel limited as to what you can do. Taking breaks throughout the day is critical to recharging your brain and giving yourself that much-needed breather.
Without doing this, it’s clear that your mental health will start to suffer. So make sure you take time out away from your screen and manage any feelings of stress. Even just 10 minutes or so away from the desk will help you to refresh.
You could spend these breaks going on a walk nearby, baking something delicious or doing anything activity that doesn’t revolve around a screen. Just make sure that when you’re doing this you’re following the social distancing guidelines!
When work is finished, you can then have a cooling down period in which you unwind. Some people might take this time to understand the importance of grow cabinets if they use cannabis to relax, or another activity they enjoy doing.
4. Establish a Working Routine (And Try to Stick to it)
Without a schedule in place, you might feel as though you’re struggling to find a balance between your work time and your personal time. These blurred lines could start to make you feel stressed and as though you never have time to unwind.
It’s therefore a good idea to create a daily schedule. Within this time, you could list exactly when you’re going to work (which will usually align with your core working hours) and when you will stop work for the day.
Although this is a simple trick, it can prove to be invaluable not only in this time but in the future if you have to work from home again.
5. Switch Off
As part of your downtime, it’s also worth putting your phone and any other technology away at least two hours before you sleep. At the moment, the news and social media are incredibly negative, so instead of focusing on this before you go to bed, consider opting for reading a book or another activity.
When working from home, you want to ensure that your sleeping pattern is as good as possible with no disruptions. This is therefore a beneficial practice to do each night, to allow you to fall asleep more naturally.
Final Thoughts
So, there you go! Those are 5 simple methods that you can use to help you to relax and combat sleep while working from home.
The methods that you use, of course, is up to you. But whatever proactive steps you take towards ensuring that you manage your levels of stress, while remaining engaged the more successful you will be.
The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. A key problem many people have is not respecting their own time. Unfortunately time management is not something that is taught across the board. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Tips for Being More Respectful of Your Time.
In life, there are all sorts of resources of various types that you might have plenty of – or very little of – depending on a broad variety of circumstances.
One thing that everyone has equal access to, however, is the time available in a given day. No matter whether you are the most quick-witted and enterprising business guru in the land, or someone much more ordinary, you will never have more than 24 hours in a day to spend attending to your chores, chasing your dreams, and all the rest.
Very often, we end up convincing ourselves that the reason why we don’t do the sorts of things we would ideally want to do in life, is because we just “don’t have enough time.”
While time constraints are obviously real, it’s also true that we frequently sabotage ourselves and develop a distorted sense of what is and isn’t possible, due to the fact that we aren’t as respectful and thoughtful of our time as we should be.
In her book “168 Hours,” the writer Laura Vanderkam details many examples of successful people in a variety of fields who have nonetheless managed to juggle their hobbies and personal lives alongside fruitful careers. The secret? They always found a way to squeeze in a bit of time on a regular basis for the things they were really passionate about, even in spite of all the odds.
Vanderkam shares one particularly telling anecdote in the book, where she describes having read a publication where various members of the public waxed lyrical about the brilliant things they would do if they only had an extra 20 minutes or so a day to spend. Predictably, there were a lot of people who were apparently going to live out their dreams and pursue their hobbies if only that extra sliver of time would materialise.
Considering the fact, however, that the average person spends several hours a day watching television – this can’t help but ring a bit hollow.
Here are a few tips for being more respectful of your time in general, so that you can live your life in line with your true values, hopes, and principles.
Consider auditing your time for a while to see just where it’s actually going
In “168 Hours,” Vanderkam proposes a great exercise for raising time-awareness – that is, keeping daily “timesheets,” detailing how you spend all your time for at least a week or two at a stretch.
This isn’t necessarily meant to be a permanently ongoing exercise. The key point is that it will shine a light on just what’s actually happening with your time, so that you are no longer likely to be so inclined to feel as though the minutes and hours have just swept by in a blur.
After doing this exercise for a few days, you might be shocked to find just how much of your “working hours” were actually spent on browsing the web. Or how many of your evening leisure and relaxation hours were not actually spent on entertainment, time with friends and family, or relaxation, but were rather dedicated to checking work emails after hours.
There is a famous old saying that “what gets measured, gets improved.” By the same token, if you never actually track how you’re spending your time, you will inevitably have a very limited scope for mastering it and treating it with more respect.
Realise that outsourcing certain things is often a great way of freeing up more time
Generally speaking, it’s quite common for people to be reluctant to spend money outsourcing things that they could – if pushed – do by themselves.
Of course, it’s good to be self-reliant and not to spend money gratuitously, but both in your working life and your personal life, it will often be the case that “outsourcing” various tasks, projects, and chores, is one of the best and most reliable ways of freeing up more time that you can then spend more fruitfully.
If you are an entrepreneur, for example, there is quite a good chance that you will naturally be predisposed to try to micromanage your business as much as possible. But everyone has limited time, a limited range of skill sets, and a limited amount of energy to spend on a given day.
Bringing a third party network management company on board, for example, might therefore not only mean that this dimension of your business gets handled more effectively, but that you also suddenly find you have far more time and energy available in your day to spend on other things.
Use the power of your environment to keep you focused and on point
There is a popular idea in productivity-focused circles that suggests that willpower is the end-all-be-all when it comes to things like proper time management.
While willpower is certainly important, however, it is not a resource you can draw on endlessly in order to try and structure and arrange every aspect of your daily existence. According to the psychologist Kelly McGonigal, author of “The Willpower Instinct,” research suggests that willpower is actually a finite and expendable resource. If you try to rely on it too heavily for too many things, you’re setting yourself up for burnout and failure.
In order to be more respectful of your own time, and to manage your time more effectively, one of the most powerful things you could do would be to use the power of your environment to keep you focused and on point.
What exactly does this mean?
Well, essentially it means that as human beings we are all inclined to follow the path of least resistance, by default. The way you structure your environment can therefore serve to nudge you down more or less fruitful and intentional paths, requiring varying degrees of willpower.
When it comes to being more respectful of your time, a good environmental shift might be something like installing a web blocker on your computer to keep distracting sites at bay during certain hours. Or, surrounding yourself with people who will keep an eye on you and keep you accountable if you’re supposed to be meeting a certain deadline by a certain time.
Two focuses of my blog are Health/Wellness and Technology. A major aspect of our personal health relaxing outdoors. One challenge to doing so is too much sunlight. Creating the optimal amount of shade can contribute to the optimal outdoor experience. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Ways To Add Shade To Your Backyard.
In the summer, many of us are eager to spend time in our backyard. However, as much as we may occasionally enjoy catching a tan, there are times when it can be nice to have a bit of shade to cool off in. If your backyard is a suntrap and you want to add some shade, here are just a few different options to consider.
Use patio umbrellas
Patio umbrellas can be placed in the centre of tables offering shade to dining/seating areas. You can also buy freestanding patio umbrellas. They’re the cheapest and easiest source of shade and they’re also portable, allowing you to move them around your backyard. However, they’re not a suitable option if you’re looking to provide shade to a large area.
Consider a pop-up gazebo
A pop-up gazebo can be put up when you need some shade and taken down when you want to enjoy the sun. It could be the perfect option for providing temporary shelter to an outdoor living area. Gazebos come in all sizes, shapes and forms. Some come with heavy-duty waterproof fabric that can protect you from the rain and wind too.
Build a fixed canopy
A fixed canopy could provide shade to a specific area without the fuss of putting it up and taking it down. This could be a fixed wooden gazebo, a fabric awning or a metal freestanding canopy. You could even make it retractable (this could be operated by a pulley or operated electronically). The options are limitless – by hiring contractors you can build a canopy designed to your specs. You could even build it yourself – there are many places online where you can find materials for metal canopies and timber for wooden gazebos.
Plant trees
Trees can provide a natural source of shade. You’ll help to invite wildlife into your backyard and the air will feel cleaner. There are companies that you can buy trees from – some of these companies can help plant the tree for you. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to buy a fully-grown tree unless you’re buying a relatively small tree, so there may be some patience required while the tree grows to full height. Planting a tree could have an impact on your neighbours, so make sure to check the decision with them first.
Raise fences and hedges
You may also be able to raise fences and hedges to provide some extra shade and possibly some extra privacy. This could prevent the need for overhead structures. You should definitely check your neighbours are happy with the decision to raise the fence/hedges before going ahead.
