With a rise in home offices, people are starting to understand the benefits that come with incorporating a standing desk in their home office. Sitting down for long hours at a time is awful for your health, can damage your posture and can even relinquish your productivity. With a standing desk, you will be able to keep the blood flowing leaving you motivated and alert while answering emails and joining Zoom meetings.
Standing desks come in a variety of styles and forms. You can choose an L-shaped standing desk, which is great for fitting into corners. If you are looking for a way to maximize your space, you can also choose a double desk. Get your work and your workout done if opting for a standing desk with a treadmill. You can save time and burn calories. If you are looking for something simple, go for a standalone standing desk. More than likely these will be the cheaper options.
The benefits of using a standing desk are endless. It is known to decrease your risk of obesity and excessive weight gain, could lower your blood sugar levels, decrease your risk of heart disease and heart failure, and can also decrease your pesky neck and back pain. Standing desk can also help out with your posture.
Standing desks are easy to use too. If you need to sit back down, you can press a button and the adjustable desk will be lowered for a comfortable sitting position. Make sure you keep your feet firmly on the ground and look straight forward.
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It is no understatement to say that the 2020 pandemic has turbocharged the existing well-documented trend towards greater remote working. “Remote work may be the most influential legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic,” says a recent survey. Companies are now expecting a greater proportion of their workforce to remain working remotely, even after the pandemic has passed.
For teams and their leaders, the benefits of remote working can be significant. Cutting out the daily commute, spending more time at home and scheduling work around family commitments should make for a much healthier work-life balance. Remote employees work harder and are happier than office-based staff. Their engagement is higher than ever, thanks to new technology that allows for instant messaging, video conferencing, online collaborations and more.
However, if working from home is now becoming a permanent feature for many workers who were previously based at employer premises, it is ever more important to ensure that sensible boundaries are set to protect the delicate balance between professional and private life. Here are some useful tips on how to achieve this on a daily basis.
1. Create a consistent schedule
Regardless of whether you work at the office or at home, a set schedule will provide the necessary discipline to keep a reliable routine for work and off-work hours. Even if your organisation uses scheduling software, it may be worth investing in your own time management tool to keep track of the number of hours you are working and to organise your day efficiently.
While commuting may no longer be an issue, an effective morning routine to get yourself up and ready for work is highly recommended. It doesn’t matter too much what it is – some people get dressed in business wear to get into work mode, others are happy in lounge wear – as long as it gets you into the proper mindset.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate
Working from home can be a lonely business, which is why regular communication within the team is critical for remote teams. In addition to daily stand-ups, weekly meetings and other regular team communications, make sure you don’t neglect informal messaging with your colleagues and line managers leaders. Remote communication tools such as Zoom and Slack have seen a meteoric rise in users in recent months, but there are many other suitable products.
One leadership coach has this valuable advice for team leaders in the current health crisis: “Now more than ever, it’s important for your remote teams to feel their voices are being heard. They’re likely to be feeling isolated, so encourage regular feedback and ideas. It’s important for them to feel you’re concerned for their wellbeing. You’re all in this together, so make sure you keep listening.” (Monkhouse & Company)
3. Ringfence and organise your workspace
A laptop on the sofa or the dining table may be a workable solution for the occasional WFH day. However, if you are working remotely on a more regular, permanent basis, you should create a work-only zone as a way to set up boundaries around your professional and private life. Whether you have a desk in the corner or separate home office, make sure your workspace is tidy and organised at all times.
Be open to the occasional change of scenery if you get stuck. Sometimes, a new environment can help to break the monotony, unblock your creativity and satisfy the need for social interaction. You could take your laptop out onto the patio on a summer’s day, decamp to a local cafe with free WiFi, or use a coworking space.
4. Take scheduled breaks
Punctuate your working day with regular breaks. These don’t have to be long but they should get you off your chair and moving around. Actively counteract the potential problems of a sedentary job with periods of stretching, walking around, even doing some housework. Short breaks here and there throughout the day are also mentally stimulating, making you more productive during the working day and less exhausted at the end of it.
Resist the temptation to snack rather than eat proper meals, or even forget to eat altogether. The occasional donut and caffeine-fuelled day as a short-term fix to meet an urgent deadline may be forgivable, but the consequences of a blood sugar crash will leave you empty and irritable. Better to focus on a nutritionally balanced diet and a proper lunch hour away from the desk.
5. Practise self-care
Remote working can take its toll on your mental health unless you pay attention to replenish your inner resources. While working at the desk all day can be exhausting, there’s nothing like physical exercise to get yourself out of your head and into your body. From a quick yoga routine to taking the dog for a walk, a game of tennis or session at the gym, regular exercise is proven to reduce stress, improve concentration, memory, creativity and sleep.
Finally, there is a lot of truth in the old adage that ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. A healthy work-life balance requires you to pay attention to your off-duty needs such as making time for social interaction with friends, creative pursuits, gardening or just getting out and about!
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Living paycheck to paycheck is a grim reality for many Americans. One recent report revealed that fewer than 40 percent of people have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts and that many have no retirement savings at all. This may sound familiar to you but it could be your worry that building your savings requires high-risk investments, and this could leave you bankrupt. Fortunately, there are a few strategies you can use to pad your savings account without having to navigate the stock market or make other risky investment moves.
1. Review and Revise Your Budget
Being realistic about your household budget can help you make great strides in building savings. If it has been more than six months since you last reviewed your budget, sit down with your spouse or partner and take a hard look at how you spend. Seeing your habits on paper may help you realize where you might be wasting cash and where you can make significant changes.
It can be daunting to make serious cuts to your budget, but if you want to grow your savings quickly, then sacrifices must be made elsewhere. This is not to say that you need to cut out entertainment or creature comforts completely, but it is wise to consider which services might be wasteful, such as magazine subscriptions or costly gym memberships. Read free articles online at your favorite magazine’s website and make plans to work out at home.
2. Set Small Goals at the Outset
While planning savings goals can keep you motivated, setting too large of a marker may frustrate you and cause you to toss your savings plans completely, especially once you first start out. Learning how to save can be a difficult process, so setting smaller, more attainable goals when you first open a savings account may be more fruitful in the long run.
For example, if you want to ultimately save $1,000, set a goal of $250, which is one-quarter of that amount. Once you reach that goal, up the mark to half, or $500, and so on. Raising your goal by these increments can help you see your progress in a positive light, and you will likely feel proud when you reach each milestone.
3. Use Credit Cards With Cashback Rewards
You might view using credit cards as being almost as financially daunting as some investment risks, but not all credit cards are bad news. In fact, some can help you pad your savings if you use them correctly. If you are currently searching for a card that suits your lifestyle and budget, consider applying for one that offers a cashback bonus instead of travel points or other perks.
A cashback reward can be useful in several ways. For example, many credit card companies that offer them allow you to put those rewards toward your monthly payment, which can raise what you pay toward your premium without having to pull money from your savings. Second, these rewards build from items you buy each month, such as groceries, fuel, and other necessities. It is important to remember, however, that a cashback credit card is only useful if you use it wisely and do not overspend.
4. Pick Up a Side Hustle
Technology has made finding a viable side hustle simpler than ever. From being an Uber driver to web design or content creation, picking up side work by using your natural talents can help your savings grow significantly. If you are not sure which job would be the best use of your time and effort, focusing on what you enjoy may be a good place to start.
While you might hesitate about turning a hobby you enjoy into a job, there are several advantages to this tactic. For example, if you enjoy creating digital art, consider adding a commissions list to your social media bio so you can take orders as they come and set a time frame that allows you to enjoy the artistic process while you make a profit at the same time.
5. Change Your Meal Plan
Revising your meal plan and how you grocery shop can help you understand where you might be wasting both money and food when you could be putting these resources toward your savings and dining table. Even if you use a shopping list, it may not be as effective as you think if you are not planning weekly meals.
Before you grocery shop, consider how much food you throw away each week when you clean out your fridge. Make a list of items that are wasted most often and strive to buy these less often. Consider cutting back on how often you eat out and make weekly meal plans so you can have the ingredients on hand. If you are pressed for time during the evening, cook and freeze meals over the weekend so you can defrost items when you get home from work.
6. Consolidate Your Bills
If you are struggling with loan payments, high-interest credit card bills, and other monthly debt that prevents you from saving money, you may want to consider consolidation. From companies that operate in the U.S. to those available for individuals and families living in Sweden, there are many to choose from.
You might think that consolidation is only an option for those who are facing bankruptcy or some other type of serious financial issue. However, this process is typically available for anyone who wants to reduce their monthly loan payments and opt to pay a consolidation company one lump sum instead. Depending on the company you chose and where you live, the interest for each payment and the total may be lower than what you are currently paying each individual creditor. Consolidation companies in Norway, for example, offer such manageable options.
7. Lower Your Energy Bills
Savings can be found around your home if you know where to look, and you can start with your energy resources. Old windows and doors allow heat and cooled air to escape, which wastes resources and may raise your utility bills. Consider investing in energy-efficient options instead. Contact a local roofing contractor to inquire about utilizing solar power and take steps to conserve water. When you lower these bills, the money left over can be applied toward your savings.
If you are uncertain about where you might be losing valuable energy resources around your home, you can ask your local power company to conduct an audit. During this process, a qualified energy professional will come to your property and evaluate how your home uses energy and where waste might be taking place. The auditor might suggest having your hot water tank cleaned of sediment, your ducts cleaned, and which rooms might benefit from new windows and doors.
8. Make Willing Financial Sacrifices
Your savings cannot grow unless you make a conscious effort to contribute to them each pay period. This will probably require several sacrifices on your part, but you might find skipping that expensive latte or saying no to a new outfit is well worth it as you watch your savings increase. Remember, you do not have to deny yourself all the time and live on the bare minimum when it comes to growing your savings, but making financial sacrifices a few times a month can go a long way.
Building your savings account without making risky investment choices can be a challenge. However, when you take steps to revise your budget and spend more wisely, you might see your nest egg grow by leaps and bounds.
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If you’ve been trying to get your finances in order lately, you may be looking for the best way to see credit score to help you gauge your current creditworthiness. Your credit score might not cross your mind often, but these three numbers are essentially a distillation of your history of handling borrowed money and can have a bigger effect in your everyday life than you might think. From determining what types of loans you qualify for to impacting your insurance rates, phone plans and even rental apartment, your credit score can be surprisingly meaningful in a number of ways. If it’s been a while since you’ve checked your score or worked towards improving it, it’s important to keep a number of key facts in mind about the importance of your credit score and what you can do to raise it over time.
1. It Affects the Loans You Qualify For
If you’re planning on applying for a major loan soon, you should be aware that having poor credit could disqualify you for certain loans. In some scenarios, you may be able to qualify but could get stuck with higher interest rates and worse repayment terms than if you had a higher score. For example, if you’re planning to purchase a home in the near future and will need to apply for a mortgage, your credit score may affect such factors as how much of a mortgage you’ll be able to take out and the interest rate for paying it back. This could potentially add up to paying tens of thousands of dollars more over the years, so improving your score before applying could potentially save you a significant amount of money in the long run.
2. It Could Affect Which Apartments You Can Rent
Even if you’re not planning to purchase a home, having a less-than-ideal credit score can affect the apartments you may be able to rent. Many landlords require a credit check before agreeing to lease their property, and some many use it as a way to filter out possible tenants and decide to whom they want to give the rental contract. Besides potentially keeping you out of a place you wanted, a poor credit score could also result in being asked for higher up-front rental deposits, again costing you more money than if you had a higher score.
3. It Could Impact Your Insurance
It may surprise you to learn that your credit score can actually affect your insurance costs. Insurers will sometimes use credit checks as a way of figuring out how much to charge since they use it as a measure of risk. A poor score could mean higher rates, which could potentially translate to hundreds more in costs per year.
4. It Could Prevent You From Getting a Better Phone Plan
Another unexpected way your credit score can impact your everyday life is that a poor score could keep you from getting a better phone plan. Mobile deals advertised on television, for instance, usually require credit scores above a certain threshold in order to qualify. A bad score could mean you won’t be able to get a better deal. Additionally, some carriers won’t grant you a contract at all, instead leaving you with only a pay-as-you-go option.
5. It Could Keep You From Getting a Car
Finally, if you don’t have good credit, you may find it difficult to finance a car. Auto loan rates often depend on a credit check, which means a better score can translate into access to the car loan you want. Without good credit, you may not be able to afford the vehicle you have your eye on.
Whether you’re planning to purchase a home and need a mortgage or just want to qualify for better car insurance rates, having a good credit score can make a big difference in your everyday life. While it can be easy for your credit score to slip through the cracks when you have other things on your plate, keeping up with your score and trying to improve it over time can help open new opportunities to you. If you’re trying to sort out your finances and boost your score, keep these important facts in mind and you’ll be well on your way to a stronger financial future before you know it.
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Were you one of the 49% of British workers who worked from home during lockdown? If so, you might not be heading back into the office just yet.
For some workers, moving to home turf to do the day job has been a largely positive experience. However, for others, this shift has had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing, causing stress levels to rise and an increase in feelings of isolation – and these feelings are nothing new.
According to a 2017 study by the United Nations, which looked at 15 countries including the UK, US, and India, 41% of employees who mostly worked from home said they were highly stressed. And in his 2014 report, ‘Wat als we Nieuw gaan Werken?’ (What if we Start Working New?’), Belgium-based academic, Henrik Delagrange found that there is a higher risk of burnout for those who work longer hours remotely.
While the stats are negative here, there are ways to find the balance. If we’re feeling overwhelmed while working from home, here are some ways to handle those stressful feelings.
Have something to look forward to
When did you last book a holiday? Lockdown has meant that many of us aren’t taking the holidays we usually would, but it’s important to have a break, even if you’ve not got anything planned.
It can be easy to not take any breaks while you’re getting through your daily to-do list. But walking away from your computer and doing something unconnected for 10 minutes can help you switch off for a while. By doing this, you are resetting your mind and you may find that you’re able to focus on what you’re working on in a more productive way.
Set a schedule
We’re connected to work 24/7, thanks to technology. This makes it increasingly difficult to switch off our computer when the working day is over.
However, if you’re finding that your work life is creeping into your downtime, it might be worth setting yourself a schedule – and sticking to it. Decide on what you’ll be doing at 9am, 11am, and after lunch so that you have tasks to do and a rough time to complete them by and this will allow you to methodically get through your to-do list and give you the chance to plan ahead for the rest of the week.
Download an app
There are lots of mindfulness apps that are available right now, and, while they’re all slightly different, their common aim is to help you feel calmer and less stressed. Calm, Headspace, and Aura are just some of the apps that are available on iOS and Android devices, and as they’re designed for your phone, you can take them with you and access them when you need a break or are starting to feel overwhelmed.
Speak to someone
If you’re finding things tough, speak to colleagues or, if you feel you need to let your manager know, arrange a meeting with them. Your manager should be able to offer some advice or point you in the direction of support services.
Should you feel that you need professional support, there are lots of services to help. Mind has a lot of resources online that can help you take the steps to manage stress.
Working from home doesn’t have to have a negative impact on your wellbeing. It’s important to know that you’re not alone.
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