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...

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.

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. 

It might come as a surprise to learn that what you eat can directly impact how productive you are at work. In fact, those with unhealthy diets are 66% more likely to lose focus during the day, causing their productivity to plummet.
But, how can your diet have anything to with how well you work on a computer, a piece of machinery, or on the shop floor?
Well, the simple answer is that when your body is not getting the right fuel, it does not run at full capacity. That encompasses all the parts of your body, including your mind.
If you do not have a diet that provides you with the energy you need then, you may end up feeling fatigued and irritable with decreased motivation and a reduced ability to think clearly and work effectively.
So, what can you do about it?
 
Healthy Diet = Productivity
The simple answer is to improve your diet.
Instead of reaching for a chocolate bar for afternoon tea, try a piece of fruit instead along some nuts. Or a protein shake, perhaps. Why not try some Greek yogurt with mixed berries?  

The refined sugar in sweet treats might give you the energy hit you need at the time. But eating them on a regular basis can create a dangerous habit. Once the sugar high of the chocolate bar wears off, your blood sugar plummets quickly. It can leave you feeling lethargic and craving more sugar. So, you reach for another sweet treat…
Suddenly a cycle of sugar high to sugar crash and sugar high starts to form. It is no good for your productivity (let alone your health) as those low periods will be full of distraction and brain fog.

Also, be mindful of your caffeine intake. Many of us fuel our days with coffee. But, it can create the same cycle of high and low that sugar does. Best to limit your coffee and energy drink consumption to a small amount per day. Remember, everything in moderation, including moderation...

Refined carbs can also shrink your productivity levels. Even though carbohydrates are an integral part of a healthy diet, refined carb-laden meals can leave you feeling sluggish. Try to avoid bread or pasta heavy meals during work hours.

So, what are the right foods to eat then?
 
Productivity Boosting Foods
A healthy balanced diet is a good start for boosting your productivity. That means plenty of each nutrient group - protein, carbs, good fats, water, vitamins and minerals. Maintaining these kinds of eating habits can reduce your stress levels, allow you to be physically and mentally active, improve your brain function, and have a positive impact on cell development in the brain.

There are certain nutrients that work better to boost your productivity, so try to incorporate these into your daily meals…
Folates: usually found in veggies and greens, these can boost your brain function (cooked veggie leftovers for lunch?)
Omega-3: these fatty acids are also great brain food and can be found in oily fish, walnuts and flax seed (think tinned salmon and tuna).
Vitamin C: snacking on berries and citrus fruits will keep you alert (or squeeze some lemon in water and kill two birds with one stone so to speak (= vitamin c + drinking water), although as a bird lover that is a horrible saying and we do not believe in killing birds, let me be the first to tell you that!)
Vitamin E: found in foods like nuts and in vegetable oils, this vitamin supports your immune function as well as your brain power (think more walnuts, almonds (no, not the chocolate ones, although the dark chocolate is pretty healthy, right?) and brazil nuts and so forth.

Bonus tip: 3 top tips why eggs are good for you:

• They contain all the amino acids (building blocks of proteins) that we need and hence are called a complete protein food
• They also are a great source of  vitamins A and B12 and minerals like selenium, zinc and iron
• The great protein eggs provide helps keep us feeling fuller for longer (satiety) which helps to manage cravings for snack foods that may be high in salt and saturated fat

 
Eggs contain cholesterol. They used to have a bad rep as it was thought that cholesterol containing foods caused high blood cholesterol. It has been found though that the cause of high cholesterol is more to do with the saturated fat we eat rather than dietary cholesterol. Nowadays days eggs can be eaten every day of the week unless there is a problem with heart disease where it is recommended to have no more than 6 eggs a week (from Stephanie Mount - BSc Human Nutrition - Food for thought nutrition).

If this sounds complicated (it shouldn’t be, it is just food after all), plan your meals the night before!

If you find yourself unable to get through your tasks during the day, your diet could be to blame. Have a look at what you are eating throughout the day and try to substitute in some healthy alternatives.

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.
I am going to bring something else into the mix as well, something we are calling the Repetitive Zoom syndrome (or RZS? It's a bit of a mouthful but I haven't had a lot of time to think this over. Maybe we call it REZ syndrome). This may not be an official medical term you will hear at the doctor's office, but hey, we know it is real! 
REZ syndrome is a relatively new phenomenon that has developed as a result of uncomfortable home and office working conditions. With fluctuating Alert Levels we couldn't meet our team or clients in person, so Zoom became the answer. Suddenly, we're are working from kitchen tables, with laptops on our knees on the couch, or on desks that has no ergonomic set up. Technically the 'REZ syndrome' is part of the same OOS definition of course, which is what we are focusing on below. 

There are however ways to help prevent and manage these conditions.
To help you work smartly and safely, let’s look at what causes OOS (and the newly minted REZ syndrome), 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.

​Finally, the dreary winter days are coming to an end. You only have to step outside to see the signs - the sun is shining a little bit more and daffodils are starting to poke out of the soil.
It’s time to snap out of the winter funk and come out of hibernation.
Spring is the perfect time of year to clear away the things that aren’t working for you and kick start some new work habits. As nice as it is to have a spring clean at home, it is your workplaces and work life that tend to pile on the stress. So, think of spring as your mid-year new beginning and pick up some fresh habits to make your work life more productive and less stressful.
Here’s how...