Clothing Direct News

4 Ways to Stay Active While Working a Desk Job

So many of us spend most of our working lives being sedentary – Every. Single. Day. From the commute to work in the morning – spent sitting in our car or on public transport, to sitting behind our desk, to commuting home again on the train or in our cars before finally plonking ourselves down on the couch in front of the tv and then jumping into bed. Not a lot of time spent being active, is there?

While it is important to stay active while working a desk job, sometimes it’s hard to motivate ourselves when our days seem to drag on forever. Living a sedentary lifestyle can lead to all sorts of health problems – including obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression. The World Health Organisation advises that engaging in regular physical activity – specifically 150 minutes spread throughout the week – can help reduce your risk of being overweight or obese.

We’ve put together four ways that you can stay active while working in an office, so you can rack up 150 minutes each week!

 

1. Join a gym

*Cue internal groaning* Ok, ok we know – joining the gym usually only seems like a good idea when we want to make a new year’s resolution, or our pants feel a little bit tight, but joining a gym can actually be fun! Hear us out – signing up for a gym membership doesn’t always mean you have to go to walk aimlessly on a treadmill for hours, or to pump weights next to body builders (but hey, if that’s your cup of tea – go for it!) There are plenty of different options depending on which gym you sign up for, including group exercise classes, swimming, meditation, yoga, reformer pilates and so much more.

If you find a gym you like, you can also talk to the staff about working one on one or in a small group to do some personal training, where you will be able to work with a trainer who targets your specific needs, provide dietary advice and can help answer any questions you have.

If you’d rather give a presentation to a room full of serious board members than walk through the doors of a gym, try signing up with a friend or partner to make you feel a bit more comfortable.

 

2. Invest in a fit ball

Fit ball? More like SIT BALL! Investing in a fit ball for your desk instead of a normal office chair is a small way to keep your body active without you even realising and encourages something called “active sitting”. Sitting on a fit ball for up to 20 minutes a day can help to activate your core, improve your posture and increase your energy expenditure due to the ball prompting frequent position shifts.

However, while using these balls in place of an office chair can promote active sitting, experts warn against using a fit ball full time in the office. Body Smart Health Solutions advise that our postural muscles fatigue quickly, and most people have a maximum of up to 20 minutes before these muscles get too challenged. Once they are fatigued, many of us tend to slouch or recruit larger muscle groups for postural stability which can lead to dysfunctional muscle recruitment patterns being established. So while a fit ball is great for engaging different muscle groups, remember that it shouldn’t be a permanent alternative for a good office chair.

 

3. Walking meetings

In your Monday morning team meeting, why don’t you try taking it outside? Departmental brainstorming? Hit the pavement! For many corporate jobs (depending on your role) your day can often be moving from one desk to another as you shuffle between meetings. The next time you have a meeting, why not go for a walk and have it outside? Walking meetings are becoming increasingly popular within corporate environments, as they promote activity while still being productive at work. Besides this, the fresh air can sometimes spark some new ideas instead of the stale office air, as studies show that walking increases creative output by up to 60%.

It is important to note that if you are going to run a walking meeting, you will need to give your staff the heads up. There would be nothing worse than being told you have to walk around in 6-inch heels on a small outdoor trail, or not bringing a warm enough jacket on a windy day! Additionally, it pays to have an agenda written up beforehand, so you know exactly what you need to discuss during the meeting, and a plan on how you are going to take notes if needed. A great way is to take voice memos, or even record the whole session so you can listen back later.

 

4. Desk stretches and exercise breaks

A study done by Fitness Coach Nicole Crawford talks to the fact that even for desk workers who are doing an hour of exercise a day, this isn’t enough when the rest of your day is spent sitting at a desk, not moving. Depending on your job, it might not be fully feasible to get up every half an hour, but Nicole recommends that every 30 minutes of sitting needs to be combatted with 5 minutes of standing. Standing and stretching can be a better way to go too, as it allows you to stretch your muscles and shake out any tension you’ve been holding.

If you work with a small team, perhaps introducing a morning and afternoon 5-minute stretch can be a fun activity that you can all do together. It might feel a bit silly at first, but we promise the more frequently you do it, the better you’ll feel! You can also do other small exercises at work, such as leg raises at your desk, squats in the kitchen while waiting for the kettle to boil, calf raises up the stairs and choosing to take the stairs over the lift where you can – even if it’s only a few floors!

We spoke to Owner and Founder of Aptitude Fitness Centre, Sophie Froidevaux, about how to stay active at work and she has kindly shared her top tips:

Park further away from your office or train station so you can get some steps in to start the day.

If you have to take a long phone call, get up and walk around.

Utilise things such as stand-up desks, fit balls, moving meetings outside, or taking the stairs over the lift.

Get outside on your lunch break and get those steps up!

Take team meetings and team building events and make them physical or set up a step challenge in the office.

Set goals so you have something to work towards.

Keep exercise fun and enjoyable so you look forward to doing it.

We asked Sophie if she had any other advice for office workers. “Get a gym buddy and just go – you’ll never look back and will hold each other accountable. Gyms aren’t as intimidating as you think and if you are unfit – perfect. You’ll be exactly where you need to be.”

Sometimes it may seem tough to stay active while working a desk job, but while sedentary behaviour can soon become an unwanted pattern, it can just as easily be replaced by healthier, more active habits!


Five Things That Promote A Positive Workplace Culture

The average person spends up to a third of their life at work. This means that they probably see more of their co-workers than they do their own families. Most companies are often too preoccupied with putting on a happy face for their customers to ensure their employees are genuinely happy in their work and this can negatively affect productivity, work ethic, and social interactions between co-workers. So, wouldn’t it make sense to make the office a home away from home, full of people, who feel free to speak their mind and be more willing to contribute to the growth and innovation of the company?

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel in terms of your current office culture. If anything, a 180-degree switch-up would probably leave more people unsettled. Speak with your employees, find out what is working and look to enhance those aspects with some small changes. You’ll be amazed at the change you’ll see in your employees’ work ethic and productivity.

 

Here are five things that promote a positive office culture:

 

Think of your employees’ health

Unsurprisingly, it is pretty difficult for an unhealthy employee to contribute to a positive workplace culture. Employee wellness – physical, mental, emotional – has had a big role to play in recent years, so much so that it is unimaginable for a company to not have even a first aid kit on the premises, if not some special rates with a medical aid as part of the employees’ benefits. While not at the cost of the organisation’s professionalism, a company should encourage a healthy amount of self-care. For example, supply your employees with information on how to deal with anxiety or tricks for getting a full night’s sleep. Some organisations even go so far as to allow for employees to take the odd five-minute break to stretch their legs or get in a quick workout.

 

Give your employees a purpose

Meaning and purpose do more to inspire commitment and innovation in a working environment than almost any other factor. Now, more than ever, a great deal of job satisfaction hinges upon a work culture that is built around core values that are attractive to employees and which are expressed in a clear and compelling mission statement. A clear idea of how an employee’s efforts can make a positive impact on the organisation and its clients is guaranteed to motivate them to go the extra mile. When goals are positively reinforced by recognising employees’ achievements, they can have a noticeably positive impact on the attitudes of your colleagues.

 

Provide clear goals and incentives

Aside from the company’s overall mission statement and vision, a clear set of achievable goals for each team within the organisation can give individual employees a better idea of their priorities and where they can innovate and improve on already existing processes. These measurable performance indicators, along with a transparent policy on how to progress or be promoted within the organisation, will also ensure that all employees are treated equally and can benefit from healthy competition, which breeds new ideas and closer cooperation within the different teams or departments.

 

Encourage positive social connections

When it comes to forging healthy workplace connections, the right attitude is gratitude, so congratulate your employees on a job well done or thank them for going above and beyond on a project. Any work environment can get rushed and tensions can run high; it’s important to check those heated feelings before communicating with your colleagues, especially when you are called to give constructive criticism (“constructive” being the operative word). To really create an environment of comradery amongst your employees and team members, treat your colleagues to the occasional lunch, or do something special on a national celebration. Your company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy could include a work day once a year or once a month, on which colleagues commit to an act of community service.

 

Empower social initiators

Some people have a natural talent for bringing out the best in people, whether they are cheering up someone in a bad space or encouraging another person to pull out all the stops in a project. These are individuals, who best embody the ideals of your company’s mission statement. Identify them and encourage these employees to keep their colleagues feeling motivated and included.

 

Never underestimate the impact of a positive office culture. A warm, friendly and overall positive work environment can create a powerful sense of loyalty and ownership in your employees, driving them to dedicate more time and effort to the goals of the business. An effective leader recognises the importance of rewarding hard work by his or her employees by creating an environment where progress is celebrated, and teamwork grows innovation.


Getting Creative with Office Layout

Number 1 – Personalized spaces

This next tip is vastly dependant on the nature of your industry, the type of company you work for and if your office environment will allow these changes.

Many office layouts can be boring and not allow for much creativity. This can be remedied by allowing employees to customize their workspace, or customizing your own workspace.

Customization can involve things like family photos, different chairs, crazy colours, small toys, creative lightbulbs or any memorabilia that makes that person tick. After all, if an employee is comfortable, happy and in a creative space, they will be able to be more focused, less stressed and be more productive.

Number 2 – Quiet Spaces for Focused Work

Not everyone can do their best in an open office space or open floor plan setting. When the time comes to focus, some people may find that specific work spaces enable employees to get in the zone, focus and not be disturbed.

Certain rules can be put in place to let others know that the person or people in the quiet zone are there for a reason and are not to be disturbed. One could even put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door when it is closed, not only to warn others that the room is being used but that the people in the quiet zone can focus and work without worrying about being distracted.

Number 3 – Eat Right and Sleep Well

The final tip is one we have all heard…

Constant bad eating stresses the body and can often create large peaks and dips in a person’s energy levels. If you add a bad diet to lack of sleep, there are no rejuvenating effects for the body.

According to the CDC, an estimated 60 million Americans do not get sufficient sleep, which is a critical recovery period for the body. It is critical that a person get sufficient amount of sleep every night with no early morning interruptions if possible. This may be hard if you have young children but try and catch up during a lunch break or tea break with a short 15 to 20 minute power nap.


5 Proven Tips to Relieve Stress At Work

Many of us dream about a possibility of not having to work as hard as we do or being able to be free from the constant stress at work. Unless you have invented a product that has made you a millionaire or you have recently won the lottery, chances are you are needing to work a full day job like the rest of us.

Having said that, the workplace does not have to be a place of stress, worry and anxiety! There are proven methods and ways to decrease stress levels at work and to actually have a bit of fun!

It is possible and we are going to explore 7 of these helpful tips in this article.

Number 1 – Take a Deep Breath.

In a typical day, you spend 28,800 seconds at the office. That’s 480 minutes. Assuming you work the typical 8 hour day at the office, you have 28,800 seconds to get all your work done, stay on top of new projects and meetings, run errands, respond to emails, make phone calls, attend meetings, make sales, return customer calls, create new designs, make bookings and and and…. Stop. Take a breath.

If you took 10 seconds out of your 28,800 second day to stop what you are doing and take a deep breath, you may just find yourself focusing a lot more relaxed, calm and focused on the task at hand as well as being more efficient.

A recent study shows that by simply inhaling for five seconds, holding and exhaling in equal counts through the nose is similar to getting the calm and focus of a 90-minute yoga class in three minutes or less at your desk. That is an easy task with big results and definitely worth a try!

Number 2 – Eliminate Interruptions

If we are honest with ourselves, most of us are constantly bombarded throughout the day. This may be in the form of messages, emails, telephone calls, walk ins, texts, social media, that one irritating co-worker, last minute enquiries or those pressing deadlines. These all conspire to make todays employees more distracted than ever.

Now, you may not have control over the interruption itself but you are in control of how you handle it.
There are three ways you could handle these interruptions and choose how to react:

  1. Accept the interruption
  2. Cut it off
  3. Diagnose its importance and make a plan

As simple as these steps may sound, it is not easy to do in a stressful situation. It may be very helpful to have a ‘standardised’ response in order to acknowledge the situation and stay focused.

It is also very important to set standards or train those around you by answering email during certain time frames, setting up office hours to talk in person even closing the door when you need to focus.

There can be nothing wrong with escaping to a small office on your own in order to concentrate and get the job done.

Number 3 – Plan your day & schedule to be energized and focused

Many people go through the day using a “push, push, push” approach, thinking if we work the full eight to 10 hours, we’ll get more done. This is approach can be seen as working hard and not smart but in actual fact it has to be the perfect balance of both.

The ‘push, push, push’ headspace creates less productivity, stress levels that go up and you may find that you have very little energy left after work for your friends, family or social life.

It is advised to schedule breaks throughout the day to walk, stretch at your desk or do a breathing exercise. Tony Schwartz of the Energy Project conducted a study that has shown that if we have intense concentration for about 90 minutes, followed by a brief period of recovery, we can clear the build-up of stress and rejuvenate ourselves.

Neil Patel, a hugely successful entrepreneur and content marketer shared in an article that for him to write the amount of content he does and to ensure that it is of the quality standards that his audience has come to expect, he needs to completely block out all the noise and focus on the silence around him which helps him to concentrate.

Some people on the other hand may find escaping into their headphones a place of solace, peace and a place to be lost in their favourite music to truly focus on the tasks at hand.


Custom Clothing Influences First Impressions

We believe that corporate clothing and uniform are part of a company’s first impression. Whether it is day to day customer interaction, a work function or a new business pitch first impressions can either make or break a deal.

We explore some custom clothing ideas that incorporate branding and company logos that will promote brand awareness and put your company a step forward.

1 – Standing out from the crowds

Adding your own logo or company logo is now easier than ever with our custom clothing logo service, take a look at how you can drive brand awareness as well as look great!

The best ways to make yourself stand out from the rest is to choose quality uniform or corporate workwear. If you are providing your clients with corporate gifts in the form of custom or branded clothing, then they will need the best quality as the gift is an extension of the company’s quality and standards. If the quality does not fit up to your standards then it won’t stand up to your customers either.

2 – Hot Tips to Be the Best

1 – Create Your Brand Identity:

Have your logo or branding designed by a professional so that it brings out what your company really stands for. If you have a corporate identity, base it on the fonts, colours and styles of that so when people see the logo, they immediately know which company it belongs to.

2 – Be Unique:

Try think outside the box, don’t mimic competitors as you may end up pushing their brand unintentionally. Brainstorm with your team on what colours and styles speak to your brand best as well as what type of uniform or corporate apparel it will be going on to decide where the logo is best positioned.

3 – The Type of Logo:

At Clothing Direct there are 3 different ways to add your logo:

  • Embroidery – Best for a small logo and typically looks good on the pocket of shirts (polos), business shirts and jackets. It also looks nice on caps.
  • Digital Transfer – Also looks good small but is best suited for logos that have details and lots of colour. The design is printed on vinyl then is heat transferred to the garment. The technology has advanced over the last 10 years which means no flaking after a few washes.
  • Screen Printing – Is best for bulk orders (cost effective) and looks good on casual attire like t shirts. A good example is a sports team uniform.

Whether you are just starting out with customising your clothes, building a brand or are a seasoned brand ambassador, Clothing Direct Australia stock the widest range of the latest fashion apparel and uniforms. View and order online now!