Because breathing is an unconscious, automatic function, you probably don’t give it much thought.
After all, you are still alive, so you must be breathing correctly, right?
In reality, the way we breath has a significant impact on our general health and wellbeing.
​Nobody teaches us the right way to breathe when we are young, so we often develop bad habits.
However, it is possible to retrain ourselves to breathe better.
Read on to learn why it’s important to breathe correctly, and how something as simple as a chair massage can help you...

​With Mental Health Awareness Week approaching in September, so we thought there was no better time to examine the effects massage can have on your mental health.
The link between physical and mental health is well-known. After all, it is impossible to have one without the other.
Stress can have a huge impact on both aspects of our wellbeing, and the workplace is, for most people, the most stressful part of our lives.
Finding healthy coping strategies for dealing with stress can help us deal with both physical and mental issues. While most of us know that massage is fantastic for a broad range of physical problems, science also proves that regular massage has impressive effects on our mental health.
Scheduling a regular workplace massage into your month can help transform your body, mind, and productivity. Here’s why...

Some people find it hard to picture getting a massage at work.
This is often because their idea of the traditional concept of a massage doesn’t match with a
​workplace activity.
If you can’t quite picture the break room or supply closet being transformed into an essential-oil scented haven with meditation music pumping out of the walls, we don’t blame you.
Fortunately, that isn’t what massage at work is all about. While it is still a relaxing, de-stressing experience, it is more about offering targeted therapy for specific workplace issues.
No hot stones, no getting naked under a sheet and no elevator music playing in the background.
So how exactly does it work if you opt to get a massage at work? We will explain it all here, so you know what to expect.
 
Don’t Expect A Spa Experience
Although we are not knocking a relaxing spa-type massage complete with robes, candles, and petal-filled baths, this isn’t quite what a massage at work is all about. The purpose is to relax your muscles, not put you to sleep completely!
Your business will designate a massage area where the therapist/s can set up their massage chair, away from the comings and goings of the work space. You won’t be required to remove any items of clothing. Work massages are over the clothes only, focusing on the neck, shoulders, arms, fingers and back.
Rather than lying down, you will be seated in a specially designed chair, which you will sit in back-to-front. For comfort, you will be leaning forward slightly, and will place your head through a comfortably cushioned hole.

​Often, unless we have a debilitating injury, many of us consider going for a massage a bit of a frivolous luxury. Perhaps it is only reserved only for girls’ nights and special occasions.
​Massage is not always an immediate thought. Especially not massage at work!
However, growing evidence proves that regular massage offers many incredible health benefits. Health benefits that can really help you out at work. They range from reducing stress and depression to boosting the immune system and providing pain relief.
But what about Corporate Massage? How does that work?
Corporate massage isn’t just for those with injuries, aches and pains, or specific job descriptions.
Here’s how any employee (or employer!) can benefit from regular workplace massages.

​With the arrival of winter comes the arrival of cravings for nice, warm comfort food.

It can be hard to tempt yourself with a green salad or a sandwich for lunch when the weather is cold and you want to warm up, or you feel a bit miserable in general and everyone around you seem to be sick.

So, you reach for a nice, hot lunch instead. Plenty of carbs and fats to make you feel satisfied, warm and content. For a short period of time, anyway. Instant gratification and all that.
​
So, can this warm comfort food affect your performance at work?
Let’s look into whether your diet can impact your productivity at work, and which are the right lunchtime foods to reach for to keep you alert all afternoon.
 
Can Your Diet Impact Your Productivity?
Healthy eating is often linked to general health and even weight loss, but it is not often considered in terms of productivity. 

Are you feeling pain as you sit at your desk right now?
Unless you just kicked your toe against the desk leg, chances are, you could be experiencing OOS.

Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS) is one of the most common occupational health problems in the world. Also known as Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), the term covers a range of musculo-skeletal problems.
OOS can be debilitating, and treatment is often ongoing. Many people suffering from one will need to be off work for extended periods. This of course impacts both workplaces and employees.
However, there are ways to help prevent and manage these conditions.
To help you work smartly and safely, let’s look at what causes OOS, how to diagnose and treat it, and most importantly, how to prevent it.

​What is OOS?
OOS can range greatly, but overall, they involve damage to muscles, ligaments or tendons throughout the body. Caused by repetitive movements or sustained awkward body positions, you will most often find the upper body is affected. That includes the forearms and elbows, wrists and hands, neck and shoulders - particularly in an office environment.
Examples of OOS include tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tennis elbow, although there are many more.

​Is stress affecting you and the people you work with? You are not alone. The World Health Organization called job stress a World Wide Epidemic. 
Stress in the work place is one of the most common areas of stress in our lives. Even if we love our jobs, stress is an inevitable part of day-to-day performance and impacts both employers and employees alike. Everyone is susceptible because stress is an individual’s perception of the load they carry, no matter your role in your workplace. Stress is good like that, in that it doesn’t discriminate.

And the stress isn’t just physiological, it is physical as well. Hours spent in front of a computer screen starts playing havoc with your posture. Muscles starts to fatigue and causing pain, which is the nervous system reacting to the way you sit. Trigger points (taught band of muscle that can refer pain to various parts of the body) starts to form, headaches become more frequent and intense and pain starts to spread to different areas of the body. Let's face it, pain is exhausting and spreads into all areas of your life. Just because you leave work doesn't mean you leave the pain behind.

In New Zealand, OSH (Occupational Health and Safety) defines workplace stress as: The result of the interaction between a person and their work environment. According to research, one-third of workers report high levels of stress, and one quarter regards their job as the number one factor of stress in their lives.
Finances is a constant worry, office politics is another as is the actual workload along with constant deadlines.  According to a survey by Bill Wilkerson (CEO of the Global Business and Economics Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health) the Number One stressor in the workplace is: Lack of Control – having no control over the participation or the outcome of the work.

Stress in the workplace is costly too. High staff turnovers, more sick days, less productivity and lowered staff moral are all costly contributing factors for a company. For the staff there are medical bills, prescriptions, sick days used up and struggling to cope in general life, etc.

​For some people, Christmas is truly the most wonderful time of the year and they can’t wait to put up that Christmas tree in the office foyer and wear a Santa hat to the office. But for a large percentage of the population, the holiday season can also be a source of stress and pressure that can impact your health and productivity in a major way.
There has been lots of research completed over the last few decades that has highlighted the festive season can cause a spike in depression, anxiety and stress. This is as people struggle to juggle the responsibilities of family life and end of year work pressure.
It is no secret that you start to feel more work-related pressure during December. There are lots of things that cause it - how to balance holiday events and work obligations, an increased workload with the pressing end of year deadline, and fewer people on deck to help out.
So what can you do about it?

Build A Culture Of Kindness And Support
Just like any community you are involved with, life is a lot more pleasant if people treat each other with kindness, consideration and respect. While not everyone can (or should) share the same opinion or always agree, differences should be tolerated and disagreements resolved openly and honestly.
By cultivating a culture of kindness and openness from the top down and having a zero-tolerance bullying and harassment policy, you are creating a safe space where people are comfortable to be themselves and express their opinions in a healthy way.
 
Celebrate And Appreciate Success
Every employee wants to feel valued and appreciated for the role they play within your team. Maintain a positive vibe by celebrating success - both small wins and big milestones. If one person played an important role, ensure they are thanked and recognized, but also take the opportunity to appreciate the team as a whole.
Rewards can be as simple as writing a personalized thank you note or saying thanks in person, or as elaborate as shouting everyone a shared lunch or team dinner. Reward and recognition are huge motivators which can boost morale and encourage positive collaboration.

​Spring is in the air and the thoughts of cold weather are being pushed firmly to the back of your mind as the sun is starting to shine. For all but the most avid lover of winter, this means better moods, more motivation to get out of bed in the morning and an added spring in your step.
But how does the warmer weather impact life in the office?
What does it mean for office productivity?
Are office workers more productive and efficient during the summer months? Or, do you get more work done during winter, when there’s nothing but rain and grey skies awaiting outside?
Let’s explore when you are likely to be most productive.

Temptation and Distraction
Some studies have shown that warmer weather can lower employee productivity by as much as 20% and increase distraction by a whopping 45%.
This is understandable if you are sitting in an air-conditioned office with the blue sky shining in through the large windows. Especially if you can see people out enjoying the sunshine. It can be easy to daydream and lose focus if you are longing to head to the beach.
However, you can turn this temptation around to your business’ benefit. Other studies have proven that reducing employee work hours during summer provides a marked increase in productivity. Rather than finding “busywork” to pass the time until 5 o'clock rolls around, cutting the day short and offering the reward of an early knock off can encourage people to be efficient, getting more work done than they would have otherwise.

Increased Energy
Although rainy, winter weather doesn’t usually have your employees desperate to run out into the cold, it can reduce energy levels and decrease productivity. Everyone knows that rainy days are perfect for sleeping - the sound of rain on the roof is relaxing and signals nap time for many of us. Sleepiness is so helpful for being alert and on the ball.
On the flip side, sunshine provides us with energy. It wakes up the brain and gets those synapses firing. Even if you are in an office out of the sun, you are still exposed to the energy boost on the way to work and during breaks, so it is still effective.