Category: Work Life Balance

8 Tips To Improve Time Management

Posted by Matt2257 in Work Life Balance

     

Are you the person that can never get anything done? Do you feel like your work day is always moving faster than you can? Or are you the eternal procrastinator? Whatever the reason, there’s never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done. But, here’s the good thing. There’s tons of things you can do to improve your efficiency and gain back some of that lost time. Let’s take a look at eight solid things you can do today to improve your work and time efficiency.

Just like they say at AA, the first step is to acknowledge that you have a problem. So, knowing that you have a time management problem and accepting it is the first step to improving it. So stop denying it and accept it.

The second step is to decide. You need to decide that you’re going to do something about your time management. You can know you have a problem, and you can acknowledge that you have a problem, but until you decide that you’re going to do something about it nothing else matters. Once you decide that you have a time management problem, you can move forward. Save yourself some goals that you can achieve. And in the same way that someone tries to lose weight, make sure the goals are actually achievable. Create some success but you can build on.

Number three, stick to your goals. The reason that you create a goal is so that you have something to hold yourself accountable to. If you can’t secure goals, and you’re not going to achieve anything. That’s why it’s so important to create goals that are achievable. Once you achieve those initial goals, you can raise the bar again and continue to strive to get better, and better. You also have to have a stick to it might set, you have to make sure you don’t give up.

The fourth step is to create daily task lists. Creating a to do list for yourself is an easy way to properly manage your time. In fact, it is one of the easiest approaches that you can take. Outline what you need to do throughout the day. Be sure to list your tasks in order of importance. Every time you accomplish something, cross it off of the task list. Not only will this give you a sense of accomplishment, but you can see how you’re getting things done during the day. At the end of the day create the new list for the next day. At the end of the week, create the new list for the next week.

Use time management tools. Properly managing your time is important, but it can be hard for many individuals to get use to, especially right away. If you are one of those individuals, you will want to consider using time management tools to your advantage. But make sure that the time management tools don’t become time wasters. Your PDA, or your scheduler, should be used quickly and efficiently. Don’t spend minutes and hours just messing around and tooling with it.

Learn to say no. In all honesty, there are times where you may not be able to refuse a project at work or a task at home, but try to not take on more than you can accomplish. If you must, look into using outside help. In the home, this outside help can come from a housecleaner. At the workplace, this outside help can come from a coworker. Remember, there is a nice way and a rude way to say no. But at the end of the day if you are the one that says yes all the time, you never get anything done for yourself.

Get organized. Organization is key to being able to properly manage your time. If you are unorganized, you are likely to waste a large amount of time. For example, in the workplace you can waste time by searching for lost or misplaced documents. The same can be said for the home; if you are unorganized, you can spend hours searching for your glasses or car keys. Look at your desk, lift your computer, and ligature filing system. If things are all over the place, you will have a hard time finding them and you will waste time. Take a few minutes at the end of every day to put things back where they belong to you can start your next day fresh.

Get a coach. Or get help. If you have that much to do, and you’re super busy, it may make sense to hire someone to help keep you organized like an assistant, or if you’re just having a really hard time keeping to your plan, a coach can help keep you accountable.

Put all of these steps to work and you are sure to see success! Remember, you only have 24 hours in the day so make use of every single minute wisely.

Improve your efficiency with a Herman Miller Aeron Chair. For more information on a cheap Aeron Chairvisit http://getmychair.com

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An Online Home Based Business Can Change Your Life

Posted by Sdriver in Work Life Balance

     

A home based business is just as much work as any other business and takes extreme amount of dedication and determination. Working hard each and everyday in the beginning is going to be something that you will need to do. You will need to invest time and money into your home business to keep it running.

After all of that hard work you put in you are going to have a business that you are in control of. This means that you will have more freedom then you ever experienced working for anyone else. Owning your own business means that you will have the freedom to spend time with family. Your daughter has a ballet recital, or your son has a baseball game? No problem for you, because you are free to take off and go when ever you need to. If your child gets sick you do not have to worry about calling in sick to work to stay home and take care of them. Doctor’s appointments for you and your family are no longer difficult to arrange, because you are free to go at any time that is available to you.

Many people would love the freedom to just go on vacation when they wanted to. When you own your own business you have that freedom. You can take a couple of days off to go on vacation any time of the year you want. Depending on the type of business you are running you may even have the freedom to take your business with you where ever you go.

An internet business can be run from anywhere in the world. If you have a laptop you can take your work with you anywhere. That soccer game of your son, daughter, cousin, niece, or nephew is now your office. Perhaps you would like to take an extended vacation but need to keep tabs on your business and how things are being run. Not a problem at all if your business is an internet based business and you have a laptop. Go on a cruise, or take a trip to another country all while still working and making the money to enjoy your life.

Running an internet business and taking it with you wherever you go also means that you can even work at the park or some other out door location. This is especially nice if you have little children who need the time to be out doors but you still need to do the work to keep your income level where it is.

Remember that the more work you put into your home based business the more money you are going to make. The more profitable your business is the more freedom you will have to do the things you really want to do. Having freedom to do the things that you want to do will lead to a more happy and fulfilled life. Obtaining your goals for your life is one of the reasons that many people enjoy having their own business.

Take charge of your future by starting an online home based business…
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http://www.Make5KaWeek.com

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Can An Ergonomic Work Chair Help Your Back?

Posted by Matt2257 in Work Life Balance

     

Working long hours can take it’s toll on your back. They say that it is important to get a good bed as you spend a large portion of time in that piece of furniture, but it is the same with a work chair. This is a common scenario for everyone–we are often too engrossed in doing our work that we oftentimes forget that it is very important for us to be seated comfortably as possible. Before you know it, neglecting your back can create future problems. While more costly, it is often worth the extra dollars for your health. If you are one of the million people who are in the same line of problem, then it is time to have an ergonomic task chair in your home office.

So what is an ergonomic task chair? The goal of an ergonomic chair is providing you with the maximum comfort that you need once you purchase it. In addition to comfort, the work chair is designed to work around and support your body for minimum stress on you. What manufacturers put into mind when coming up with this type of office necessity is that it should have the ability to coordinate the existing physical conditions felt by an individual who uses it coupled with the understanding of the health capacities of the user. There are some important aspects to consider when you plan to have an ergonomic chair to rest perfectly in your office space.

It is very important for a user to further evaluate the design of the ergonomic task chair that he wants to buy. Make sure you pick a chair that is snug and secure, but also gives you enough room to move freely. Make sure that the ergonomic chair that you decide to purchase is made up of quality materials, with its cushion providing the maximum comfort for the user. The cushion should allow the weight of the user to be evenly distributed in the bulk of the chair.

Other areas to look at are how your shoulder sit naturally when in the chair. Your shoulders should not feel hunched up. They should sit naturally. So, the arm rests should sit at at level to support the arms, without pushing up your shoulders.

When you sit in the chair, your legs should break evenly at the knee where the seat ends. If your knee line sits before the end of the chair, you run the risk of cutting off your circulation.

Make sure that your feet can sit evenly on the ground. If your feet hang, again, you are creating a cut off of circulation on your legs, and that can cause discomfort.

Choose one which employs an adjustable back feature coupled with a stretch seat. In this way, you would be sure that your back pains would further be alleviated once you take note of this aspect. If you want to have a full support for your mid-back, then a chair incorporating a lumbar support feature would be best for you.

With this type of ergonomic task chair, you would be assured that it would provide you a better comfort than the standard office chair that we oftentimes have. This type allows the user to adjust it to whichever height you desire so as you could bid goodbye to the toughest back pains in the world caused by stress and strain brought about by the standard office chair.

Matt loves his Herman Miller Aeron Chair. For more information on an Aeron Chairvisit http://getmychair.com

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The Great British Time Squeeze

Posted by Enrico in Work Life Balance

     

The United Kingdom has embraced the return of the ‘long hours culture’. Over 3 million people have begun working over a 48 hour week. The number of people working long hours increased at a faster rate over the last year than the decline in excessive working between 1998 and 2006. The recent increase in working hours could be the result of the challenging economic climate, which has made employers more reluctant to recruit new staff, leading to existing employees having to work harder.

After slow but steady progress over the last decade, long working hours are making their way back into Britain’s workplaces. Employees across the UK already work the longest hours in Western Europe with the least amount of public holidays. The recent increase will mean lower productivity, more stress and less time to have a life outside the office with friends and family.

This is supported by a recent survey commissioned by Beefeater Restaurants, which reveals that 70.6% of Britons don’t feel they have a positive work/life balance. Work-life balance is achieved when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society. The survey, carried out by NEMS Market Research, shows that, as a nation, Britons don’t feel they spend enough time with their families and friends. The results reveal that, even in a culture which claims to prioritise a healthy work/life balance, British companies are falling short in their efforts.

A third (33.1%) of full-time workers surveyed didn’t feel they spent enough time with their family and friends and cited a busy job and work pressure (83.8%) as the main obstacle. When questioned on the impact this had on their lives, more than a third of full-time workers (34.6%) felt that life was passing them by without enjoyment.

Working long hours also comes with a health warning. There is sufficient evidence for us to be concerned about the potentially negative effects of working long hours on physical health. The strongest evidence probably concerns the links with cardiovascular disorder.

Stress is often the outcome of a work/life imbalance. According to a survey conducted by the National Life Insurance Co., four out of ten employees state that their jobs are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful. It is clear that problems caused by stress have become a major concern to both employers and employees.

Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Persistent stress can result in cardiovascular disease, sexual health problems, a weaker immune system and frequent headaches, stiff muscles, or backache. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, jumpiness, insecurity, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. Stress may also perpetuate or lead to binge eating, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

A survey conducted by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank found that 44 per cent of workers in the United Kingdom take off fewer days of holiday than they are entitled to. Furthermore, 77 per cent admitted to keeping in touch with work, via email for example, while they are on holiday trying to relax.

One way of improving employees work/life balance is to ensure that they are able to use all of their holiday allocation effectively throughout the year. If employees were to take holidays throughout the year then it is suggested that employers would reap the benefits of increased productivity, improved recruitment and retention, lower rates of absenteeism, plus a more motivated, satisfied and equitable workforce.

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Cardiff Airport Parking, Cardiff Airparks.

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Does Sick Building Syndrome Exist?

Posted by Toofan in Work Life Balance

     

One of the main causes of illness in the workforce today is known as sick building syndrome and it is responsible for thousands of days off work sick each year. Sick building syndrome is not a problem that is just confined to the United States, it is beginning to be recognized all over the world as more and more people are feeling the effects of being in a poorly ventilated building.

Some of the symptoms of sick building syndrome are: indoor allergies, itchy eyes and nose, runny nose, sore throat, headaches, blurred vision, nausea, dizziness, fatigue and difficulty when concentrating for any period of time. Some people believe that these symptoms are purely psychological however if you are suffering like this you will argue that it is very real. Imagine what it would feel like to start to feel ill within minutes of entering your place of work each day and find that you get worse as the day progresses.

Experts have put forward different reasons for this sick building syndrome from outside influences such as person’s general health or family life, an illness epidemic and other viral infections. However these do not take into account the fact that more and more people are falling ill and all have one thing in common - they all work in the same building.

Such buildings that seem to have high levels of sickness related to sick building syndrome tend to have poorly maintained ventilation and heating systems which many people blame for their illness. This theory can be supported by the fact that the majority of people who claim to have sick building syndrome are often in good health when they away from the building and only become ill again their return.

If poorly maintained ventilation systems are to blame for these illnesses then it is important that something is done about them. Dirty ventilation systems can be the cause of many different types of illness as mold spores can grow and multiply and they are then blown through air ducts right to where people are working. This then results in them being ill as the air that they are breathing is not fresh and purified. Mold spores are not just to blame, if rodents get into the air ducts they can cause problems as can a build up of general dirt and debris, so they should be cleaned regularly.

So really it would be fair to say that sick building syndrome does exist but only where there are dirty ventilation systems that are not kept up to standard. If you suspect the air ducts and ventilation system in a building are dirty is it important that it is brought to the attention of someone who is responsible for them. Your local HVAC technician can provide a comprehensive maintenance service that will ensure that ventilation systems are kept clean and running efficiently, reducing the number of sick days and keeping staff healthy. If this sounds like something that your business could use, contact your local HVAC technician to help you improve your air quality.

Giant Mechanical is a leading Chicago area company that provides Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and a variety of other services. Find out how Giant Mechanical can help you with your commercial, residential, or institutional needs by visiting http://www.giantmechanical.com.

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Choose A Profession Where Growth And Flexibility Are The Key

Posted by Snicolle in Work Life Balance

     

The days when someone used to view a waiter or bartender as someone who is uneducated or just passing through till something better takes place are long gone.In today’s fast paced world the Hospitality industry is flourishing providing a good income and opportunity for those who seek flexibility in both their work environment and how they want to live.

In a recent job market survey by the Canadian Food and Restaurant Association it states the Foodservice Industry employs over a million people or 6.3% of the total employment eclipsing other industries such as agriculture , forestry , pulp and paper , banking, and oil and gas extraction combined.

The young people entering the Hospitality profession are finally being rewarded financially as noted in the same survey with the first 8 months of 2007 citing an increase of 8.2% in average weekly earnings in Ontario as an example.So when at one time young people entered the profession to earn enough money to get by now they are looking at it as a career option.

With other former industries such as manufacturing that used to provide stability on the downswing because of changing demands and competition ,young people are turning to the hospitality industry because of it’s guaranteed growth.

Just a note that the number of times reported that an average Canadian household ate out for a meal or snack in 2006 was a staggering 536 times. This statistic will only increase in the future as the time constraints on families multiply.

The Foodservice Industry has always been looked at with some criticism in the past because of the long and unsocial hours one works.Not anymore , in fact many people love the industry because they work with other like minded people developing teamwork and social skills , meet new people everyday in most cases when they serve the guests , and then at the end of the day go home to continue with their other interests.
All in all far from a boring life.

Some other professions involve working with computers and corresponding via email and cell phones prohibiting the human need to socially interact face to face. Although these are worthy occupations and some indeed very well paying the link to cell phones and email often means the job even after one leaves the workplace never really ends at all as their availability is with them everywhere they go.How may cell phones do you hear ring now when you are enjoying a dinner in a restaurant?

Few people in the Foodservice industry a decade ago every achieved any notoriety at all but now that has completely changed.With the start of Food Networks and the internet young people now can look to someone who is a chef , restaurant owner , or innkeeper whom they can aspire to right in their living room making the profession inviting and glamorous at the same time.

With the high self esteem of Foodservice personnel everywhere due in part to the constant instant gratification one receives from another meal cooked to perfection , or the gratuity a waiter receives each shift , who wouldn’t dream of having their moment of glory in a show of their own or a cameo appearance in one.

One thing is for certain , the opportunities in the Foodservice Industry are limitless now and always will be for as long as there are people on this Earth there will always be someone willing to serve another.

His motivational speakingengagements are both funny and informative. Find out more about Steve Nicolle at his website which is at http:// www.stevetalks.ca

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