With January coming to a close and New Year resolutions starting to lose momentum it can be hard to continue with the well intentioned goals you set yourself at the beginning of the year. This is a bit off the normal topics of the site, but I think it is important for industry we are in
Apps I have found apps a great incentive.
I am currently using the free version of
Map Draw to track the runs I do, I then email the map to my friend to show off! For my never ending todo list I love using
Epic Win. This app turns your todo list into a RPG game.
Seinfeld's Productivity Secret Credit has to go to Lifehacker for this great tip. Stick up as many calanders as you need and write the goal on top. Each day put a X if completed. The idea is not to brake the chain and it works!
Here is the article How Seinfeld's Productivity Secret Fixed My Procrastination Problem
Get Up Having a few small breaks and walking around (not disturbing anybody) during the day is recommended by everybody but it is tough to do. I set reminders on the computer to pop up using great apps like
Workrave and
Coffee Break.
Lunch It is so easy to eat at your desk, but get out for at least half an hour. It is easy to get 'blinded' by what you are working. I am actually writing this post in a park near the office. Get some fresh air .
Posture I wanted to improve my posture at my desk and I also wondered why was I getting so tired from sitting at a desk. Some people suggested that getting tired is not always due to mental fatigue. If you sit awkwardly at your desk it can make your muscles tense. If you stay in the same position for a long time tensed all day this can make you tired. The solution sounds quite easy, just take a moment to notice how you are sitting and relax.
Getting Moving I was interested to see how much I was moving daily, the recommended amount per day is 10,000 steps. I bought a pedometer (I am sure there are apps) and I now aim to beat the previous days steps. This encourages me to jog in the mornings and take the steps instead of the evaluators. I am currently averaging 10,461 steps per day.
Join a Club I highly recommend joining a sports club, it is a great motivator to get moving and release some stress after work. I play Squash twice a week with a colleague, I have found it is great motivation to have somebody to go with and not to let them down. It always seems harder to let some body else down other than yourself. Being in another country I thought it could be difficult to find and join a club but it was surprising easy and if I can do it here then so can you.
Move Your Bin This is a great one, move your bin away from your desk so you have to move. This also gets the steps on the pedometer up!
Water Bottles I have been doing for a while now, I have two 1 litre bottles. One in the fridge and one on the desk. The task is just to get through them in the day. If I have not finished one by lunch time it's time to speed up.
Take the Stairs Where I live there are a lot of steps to get to work. There are public lifts and escalators which I used for a long time. But since September I have been taking the stairs and I feel much fitter. It does get easier!
Park Further Away If you drive then you can park further away to get some more exercise and you may also save some money in parking costs.
