A Happy Body...Is A MORE PRODUCTIVE Body!
by Suzanne Maese
The key elements of success are – people, knowledge, technology, process and practice – and they all play out in your physical workspace. Ergonomic technology could be your key to being less stressed, while being more efficient and productive.
Imagine you’re in your workspace, where it’s imperative that you’re productive to succeed. Picture the space and the actions that you routinely do during your average workday. By today’s standards, time against productivity… is a measure of profitability. Studies have shown, whether you’re making million dollar deals or working in the neo-natal care unit of a hospital… there are usually ways to improve performance. Fine-tuning your work environment to reach maximum productivity can benefit even those of you with the sharpest minds.
To start with… many of you don’t have systems, not to mention ergonomic systems that support you in the workplace. How you interact with everything in your environment has a direct affect on how effectively and efficiently you use your time. Do you realize the average person wastes 8 weeks per year looking for things that are missing? What you’re searching for may be buried in a stack of clutter or misfiled… but one thing is certain, you need it now and are wasting your valuable time looking for it.
Over the years, my work has taken me into unimaginable offices. From penthouse offices to remote factories in Turkey, I’ve seen the full spectrum of workplace organization or lack there of. And personally, I believe order is heavenly. Unfortunately, for most… your day begins with the stack of mail, followed by haphazardly placed phone messages on post-its, not to mention all sorts of printed information from “so called paperless” computer files, which together create a cluttered mess of potentially vital information.
From the many schools of thought for keeping the piles at bay, may I recommend these simple suggestions:
- Touch a piece of paper for the first time with a result. That result might be placing it in an action file, such as a “to be completed” file, but never leave it in another stack to be dealt with later. Because when later finally comes, it’s like starting all over with each and every item in your “later” stack.
- Speaking of Files - create as many as you need. Label them and keep them vertically. These are some of the ones I use most often:
TO READ:
when it gets full – it’s time to empty it! If you haven’t already read it, you probably don’t need or want to read it after all.
TO FILE:
when it gets full – it’s time to file! When it comes to filing, delegation comes in handy.
TO COPY:
when it gets full – head for the copy machine or delegate this job as well.
TAKE HOME:
when it gets full – take it home. However, make sure you still want or need it… especially, if it’s been in the file for a while.
CURRENT:
files you use DAILY (project files, calling lists, client info, etc.). These files will hold everything that’s currently active.
URGENT:
for "Top Priority" items only. Check this file when planning your daily tasks and making your "TO DO LIST."
Other file may be customized to your work (i.e. Follow Up, Expense Reports, Needs Signature, New Products, Travel Itineraries, etc.). If it comes across your work space on a regular basis, it needs a file. When all your papers have a home… where you can find them quickly, you’ll actually be saving time. Imagine that!
- Your PLANNER contains your schedule and "TO DO LIST." If you’re not working with some form of a planner, how can you prioritize your tasks and manage your projects efficiently. P.K. told me of an old Chinese proverb that says… "The weakest ink is mightier than the strongest memory." In other words, write it down!
These steps help keep your desk cleared, which allows you to be more productive, because you have a more efficient system in place. If you’re still feeling stressed and physically exhausted when your workday is finished, you have to investigate your body ergonomics within your workspace. Understanding the interaction between you and the physical elements of your workspace is very important when looking for balance and harmony on the job. After all, you want to feel good while you work.
Did you know, it only takes 4 hours daily... of repetitive motion to create musculoskeletal injuries? If you experience daily neck pain while on the phone or numbness in your arm after a day of keyboarding, you can be certain that you’ll join the 50% of the population with work related injuries before they retire. Not only is this a problem for your health and general well-being, but your productivity on the job also suffers. If you’re not paying attention to the ergonomics of the products that make up your computer work station, you’re probably unaware that you can lessen body stress by investing in proper ergonomic products. For instance, negative tilt keyboards eliminate any pressure on the median nerve, henceforth preventing carpal tunnel syndrome.
It’s also important to have a chair with synchronized tension tilt and a pivoting back, to prevent muscle fatigue caused from maintaining a fixed posture for prolonged periods. When your chair is fitted to you, it supports your back from your shoulders to your tailbone. The best fitting chair fully supports you while providing movement for your spine and joints. As there are no government regulations on ‘ergonomic products’, buyers beware. Humanscale chairs are the brand I recommend most often, because they have 2 outstanding ergonomic chairs that can be adjusted to fit up to 95% of the population.
Here are a few other tips for creating body harmony in the workplace:
- A Cornell University study shows Micro breaks decrease work related injuries by 40%. Micro breaks were defined as 3 times 30 seconds plus 5 minutes every hour. That means, 6½ minutes per hour. During these micro breaks stretch your entire body, and rest your eyes as well.
- Cornell University research also showed that you read 20% faster on a LCD flat panel versus the CRT, because LCD technology creates less eye strain. A LCD flat panel mounted on an adjustable arm significantly decreases neck discomfort (plus it‘s a big space saver on any desk).
- Productivity increases by 17% when using a laptop holder at your correct eye height. The proper level for your computer screen is with the top 1/3 of your computer screen at or slightly below eye level. Keep your screen at arms length or approximately 22 inches from your eyes.
Ergonomic technology is improving every year, as more research is completed and more products are developed… all to make your workplace safer and less stressful, yet more efficient and productive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
P.K. Odle is a celebrated classical Yi Jing Feng Shui consultant and the Executive Director of the world-renowned American Feng Shui Institute®, where she has taught since 1998. She created The Feng Shui Advantage's "Lifetime Keys Personal Directions Self-Mastery Toolbox." To learn more about using the ancient Chinese science of Yi Jing Feng Shui to improve your Health, Relationships and Finances... through 16 weeks of FREE TIPS subscribe to her award-winning eNewsletter, The Feng Shui Advantage MONTHLY, at http://www.FengShuiAdvantage.com. The next issue could change your life!
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