Intelligent Design

Items that you use at least twice a day, such as a dictionary, thesaurus, or style handbook, should be within arm's reach or in a nearby drawer. Other items that you use less frequently may be stored in an adjacent drawer, or in a filing cabinet that's not in the way when you're working. Periodically consider different devices, such as computer trays, hanging lamps, and swivel mechanisms that could make you feel more comfortable and be more productive at your desk. Your work day is too important!

Stand for Health

A recent feature in Men's Health caught my eye, as I have been using a stand-up desk for the last 18 months:

Stand In The Place Where You Work: "Quit sitting down on the job. Australian scientists found that workers who log more than 6 hours of chair time a day are up to 68 percent more likely to be overweight than those who sit less. One solution: Ask HR for a stand-up desk. You burn one more calorie each minute when standing than when sitting. (Do the math.) Request denied? Create your own stand-up workstation: Place your monitor on a box, with the top of the screen at arm's length and at eye level, and elevate your keyboard so your elbows are bent 90 degrees. A bonus: Your posture will improve from standing instead of slumping."

Sleeping Less, Enjoying it Less?

According to Travelodge's 2007 sleep study, only 3 percent of professionals get eight hours of sleep every night of the working week. Company directors are the most sleep-deprived of all, with 8 percent getting under four hours of rest per night. The survey included more than 5,200 individuals from 30 different careers to discover more about how work affects rest.

Those in the travel industry, such as cabin crew and pilots, found it hardest to get to sleep: 86% struggled with sleepless nights. Teachers were the most likely to stay awake because they were worrying about their work (39%). Some 86% of those employed in public relations or marketing said they got enough sleep, but according to the study that might be because 95% of them said they fell asleep on the sofa once they got home in from work!

The top 10 most sleep-deprived professions are:

* Company directors (averaging 5.9 hours of sleep a night)
* Ambulance crew/paramedics (6 hours)
* Tradesmen (6 hours)
* Leisure and hospitality workers (6 hours)
* Police officers (6.1 hours)

* Factory workers (6.2 hours)
* Nurses (6.3 hours)
* Engineers (6.3 hours)
* Doctors (6.4 hours)
* Civil servants (6.4 hours)

Shorter Work Week

Here's a wonderful new blog, founded by Jeanette Watkins: Shorter Work Week on the web at www.shorterworkweek.blogspot.com. The blog offers some useful insights and information including links to "Take Back Your Time" and the "Work to Live Vacation."

Shrinking/Disappearing Offices

A recent article in BusinessWeek reveals that thirty percent of white-collar workers still have private offices, according to a poll of 9,300 people by office furniture maker Steelcase. However the typical office has shrunk. It was about 16 by 20 feet a few years ago; it's about 8 by 10 today.

So, 320 square feet versus 80 square feet. Where is the Breathing Space?

End of the Work Day

Do you sometimes get anxious in the late afternoon or as you make your way home at the end of the work day? "With emails, faxes, voice mail, "snail" mail, memos and reports, your boss, and your peers, in too many offices 4:45 p.m. can be as hectic as 9:15 a.m. Here are some tips for heading home with more energy and peace of mind:

* Each day, before you are about to leave, pause for a minute to acknowledge yourself for what you accomplished or did not accomplish. This simple mental exercise frees you to experience the rest of your day.

* Once inside your car or on the bus, consider that you are already "home." You don't have to wait until you are actually in the door and kicking off your shoes.

* If traffic is slow, stop off at a drug store or hardware store and get the household items you usually buy on Saturday.

* If you perpetually bring work home from the office, give yourself a break -- several times a week come home empty-handed.

Parkinson's Law Repealed

Are you a staunch believer in Parkinson's Law, you know the old saying that "Work expands so as to fill the time allotted for its completion?" Yet, do you know anyone who consistently
has unscheduled, free stretches? In a time-poor society, Parkinson's Law is meaningless for many of us. Today it's more accurate to say "Items competing for one's attention expand
so as to fill the time and hinder work allocated for completion." So, I hereby repeal Parkinson’s Law.

Meanwhile, if you find yourself continually battling the clock, especially at work, try clearing your desk or work area of everything except what you need to complete the one project before you. Also, hold all calls and mail until you complete the project at hand. And if you have to, leave the workplace when you need to finish something important and cannot tolerate interruptions.

Intelligent Design

Items that you use at least twice a day, such as a dictionary, thesaurus, or style handbook, should be within arm's reach or in a nearby drawer. Other items that you use less frequently may be stored in an adjacent drawer, or in a filing cabinet that's not in the way when you're working.

Periodically consider different devices, such as computer trays, hanging lamps, and swivel mechanisms that could make you feel more comfortable and be more productive at your desk. Your work day is too important!