Tag: Productivity

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Recreation is Important and Here’s Why

Recreation is Important and Here’s Why

  • rs_ph_website

  • August 10, 2021

  • 7:38 pm

  • 0 comments

Having fun and enjoying life is what everyone wants. However, when duty calls, we sometimes need to place our hobbies in the background and make sure we finish what is more pressing at the moment. With work sometimes taking a huge chunk of the mental load, it can be difficult to justify a few hours of recreation.

Luckily, with a little bit of unlearning and relearning, we no longer need to justify the urge to place in a few hours of writing a short piece of fiction or finishing our favorite puzzle books, as new information shows that recreation deserves a spot in our busy schedules and here’s why:

Recreation Leads to Socialization

It’s no secret that finding people with the same interests is an absolute joy. Tackling similar topics of conversation makes an environment that’s far more welcoming to new friendships. This brings in a positive effect not only on our social health but even on our professions. Creating new networks of individuals you get along with is a healthy step towards a brighter career. In fact, networking is one of the core skills an aspiring worker needs to have. With that in mind, go and engage in your hobbies and be loud with it! Perhaps you’ll find a new friend that can share in your joy, and even teach you a few new things.

Happiness Boosts Productivity

With more scientific evidence coming out year after year, it’s not a surprise that finding enjoyment can increase a professional’s performance dramatically. Work becomes easier to attend to when you are experiencing mental wellbeing as an offshoot of doing recreational activities. It’s easier to find and maintain focus, and to drive stress and burnout away. Recreational activities can become a good source of important fun and relaxation that we all need to stay positively engaged. Hobbies that provide us entertainment value become anchors that keep us steady despite challenges in the workplace. If you’re finding yourself jumping from thought to thought at your desk, maybe it’s time to pick up a pastime to motivate yourself to push further.

Engaging in Hobbies Improves Physical Health

Many of us find ourselves in the unhealthy position of sitting in front of a computer for several hours. While we can mitigate some of the effects of long hours at our workspaces using standing desks, fidgets, and a few stretches, nothing beats having dedicated time away from your work. Physical hobbies such as exercising and engaging in sports offer a surefire way to keep your body in shape. Activities outside physical work aren’t exempt from having a few key health benefits as well. Simple leisurely pastimes help maintain optimal blood pressure and reduce the chances of other diseases by cutting down the stress we might feel. A healthier body can only mean good things, ranging from less downtime at work, to gaining security with an illness-free future.

Having a Pastime can Sharpen the Mind

Plenty of recreational activities require a significant amount of undivided attention. Chess, reading, writing, and many more interests require critical thinking and analytical abilities. Even a fairly new hobby such as playing video games provides a great cognitive challenge to its players. Constantly being subjected to these mental exercises allow for steady growth in multiple important skills. Aside from the aforementioned skills earlier, problem-solving and quick decision-making are also boosted by engaging in hobbies. Sports and physical exercises are also shown to provide positive effects on the mind. The benefits come naturally as we participate in these pastimes for our own fun.

About Rocket Station: Rocket Station prides itself in nurturing top talents in order to give the best possible service to its clients. With this in mind, Rocket Station works to ensure that its remote workers have a good work-life balance to truly reach their full potential. If you’d like to know more about how we enhance lives and better businesses, then sign up for our mailing list!

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ISO Certification Announcement
Rocket Station is a company founded on the promise of exceeding expectations. Our culture drives us to set new standards, especially in our industry of providing virtual assistance and innovative business process solutions. While it’s easy for us to stay back and maintain our course, that’s just not the Rocketeer way.

Our Commitment to Excellence and Security: Rocket Station is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 Compliant!
Rocket Station is a company founded on the promise of exceeding expectations. Our culture drives us to set new standards, especially in our industry of providing virtual assistance and innovative business process solutions. While it’s easy for us to stay back and maintain our course, that’s just not the Rocketeer way.

5 Ways to Better Motivate Yourself
There’s not a single person around that doesn’t go through slumps at work. It’s a naturally occurring event for the average worker that may result from stress, exhaustion, or other factors. However, that doesn’t mean we just step back and accept these episodes of lower productivity and overall happiness. These are the times when we need to step up even more to motivate ourselves.

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Why Taking a Break is Taking Two Steps Forward

Why Taking a Break is Taking Two Steps Forward

  • rs_ph_website

  • August 5, 2021

  • 7:25 pm

  • 0 comments

Being fixated on work is a trait that plenty of workers unknowingly possess. This is ever-present in a world that’s moving faster every day. We begin to harbor the desire to catch up to the many things in front of us. This nature is contagious, as seeing others doing things that seem productive makes us crave more things to do.

While it is true that hard work can be immensely beneficial and rewarding, it is not a one-stop solution. Working at a hundred percent all the time is very inviting of stress and burnout.

According to a psychological journal by Doctor Claudia Newbegin, work-related stress is one of the leading causes of lost productivity in the office. The question is; what should we do in the face of such pressing issues to both our personal health and the stability of our workplaces?

The answer is incredibly simple:

Taking a break is certainly something a lot of people can take for granted. However, this is a luxury for some. For others, it is fear that stops them from taking pauses. The thought of being left behind or potentially losing a job to take a break intimidates workers into more work. This form of work addiction is why information regarding the advantages of rest is important for both workers and the people who manage them. Leaders must know how to balance business targets with their staff’s needs.

While being unengaged in a task may seem unproductive in the workplace, proper guidance turns short breaks into a meaningful and beneficial practice for the business. Stretching deadlines to accommodate rest periods have shown results ending in better quality work, in record time. Giving people a breather allows them to reorient themselves and brings forward the best of their abilities.

People who don’t take breaks have significantly less cognitive performance than those who do. Being burnt out is like being a bucket with a hole. You can still carry water, but you’ll be doing it less efficiently, and you’ll also drench the people trying to carry you. After all, when one person stops functioning at his peak, someone will have to pick up the slack, thus affecting the whole group.

Aside from having better general performance, resting helps a person’s decision-making process immensely. Some of us have probably had the chance to hear the words “Sleep on it” once when we needed to make an important decision. There is a reason for these words. Getting adequate sleep, or taking short power naps greatly improve critical thinking skills. Therefore, leaders need to take a step back as much as their employees do.

The office also needs a significant amount of creativity. This is regardless of the industry as creativity comes in many forms. It can be in the form of an out-of-the-box solution, or perhaps even a history-changing development. The human mind can come up with the greatest things as long as we allow it to. This is why it is important to make sure that our brains are in the best possible conditions at all times. This of course holds true not just in the workplace, but in other areas of our lives.

As much as work is important, we must never forget about our personal commitments. Taking a breather lets us enjoy the fruits of our labor, and enjoy what the world has to offer. It provides us with a healthy time with our loved ones, and to pursue hobbies that we may end up neglecting. Our well-being and the well-being of others is something we must never take for granted.

Breaks offer us a healthier life physically and mentally. It also gives us opportunities to take care of ourselves emotionally. While the first points mentioned above state ways it can give you a leg up for your next promotion, let us not forget that achieving happiness away from your office desk is also a big step forward.

About Rocket Station: Rocket Station prides itself in nurturing top talents in order to give the best possible service to its clients. With this in mind, Rocket Station works to ensure that its remote workers have a good work-life balance to truly reach their full potential. If you’d like to know more about how we enhance lives and better businesses, then sign up for our mailing list!

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ISO Certification Announcement
Rocket Station is a company founded on the promise of exceeding expectations. Our culture drives us to set new standards, especially in our industry of providing virtual assistance and innovative business process solutions. While it’s easy for us to stay back and maintain our course, that’s just not the Rocketeer way.

Our Commitment to Excellence and Security: Rocket Station is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 Compliant!
Rocket Station is a company founded on the promise of exceeding expectations. Our culture drives us to set new standards, especially in our industry of providing virtual assistance and innovative business process solutions. While it’s easy for us to stay back and maintain our course, that’s just not the Rocketeer way.

5 Ways to Better Motivate Yourself
There’s not a single person around that doesn’t go through slumps at work. It’s a naturally occurring event for the average worker that may result from stress, exhaustion, or other factors. However, that doesn’t mean we just step back and accept these episodes of lower productivity and overall happiness. These are the times when we need to step up even more to motivate ourselves.

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All Careers Health and Wellness

The D.O.S.E. of hormones you need to stay productive at work

The D.O.S.E. of hormones you need to stay productive at work

  • rs_ph_website

  • April 19, 2021

  • 4:47 am

  • 0 comments

Last month, we had talked about what makes a positive work culture, how it can build better teams and enhance productivity. In this article, we will discuss a little more into detail about the science behind all that positive energy, and how you can harness it from your body to get yourself more productive at work.

I am talking about the Happy Hormones of the body. They are collectively abbreviated as DOSE ־ Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins; hormones produced by various glands in our bodies and the brain. They all have specific functions that contribute to a person’s mood, feelings of love or trust, relief of stress or pain, and sense of well-being. All of which are good, positive feelings that, in turn, contribute to positive work culture. 

Here is how you can get your daily DOSE of hormones and what they do to make you better at your job, and in life overall:

Dopamine 

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is produced by our bodies. It is known as the “reward-chemical” hormone. It induces feelings of accomplishment and excitement like the feelings we get when we receive something new such as a gift, or try something pleasant for the first time, or achieve something we have been working hard on. In essence, it has a huge role on how we feel the sensation of pleasure. Dopamine excites our brain cells and helps us focus, think, and plan. It helps us strive, focus, and find things interesting. 

Oxytocin 

You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you are close to someone you love and trust? Or maybe that jump you feel when someone you care about hugs you? That feeling is not just a feeling, that is a neurotransmitter that is working hard behind the scenes. Oxytocin is better known as the “love hormone”. It is released when people bond socially, thus influencing social behavior. It is the chemical behind human trust, empathy and relationship building. 

Serotonin

If you have the “love hormone” you also need something to balance it. Enter Serotonin, our “mood stabilizer” that one person in the family that holds everyone together. That one teammate that is always level-headed, devoid of stress and excellent at managing crises. Yes, that is Serotonin. Why is serotonin so special? Because serotonin plays a major role in regulating our mood. Individuals with high levels of serotonin are peaceful and calm by nature, open and clear-minded, and are socially dominant. When we lack serotonin, it makes us anxious, depressed, and aggressive, it can even lower our self-esteem and lower our mood as a result. It is the precursor to melatonin, the neurotransmitter that allows us to sleep.

Endorphins 

The favorite hormone of Elle Woods in the movie Legally Blonde, and she did make a very charming point when she mentioned that Endorphins make us happy. They are after all “Pain killer hormones” whose main function is to decrease feelings of pain and stress. They are released during exercise to cope with the discomfort of physical exercise. They also trigger a positive feeling which leads to intense happiness –this is what Elle Woods was talking about. This feeling is often described as ‘runner’s high’. Endorphins help to alleviate anxiety and depression as they are released in response to a pain.

Okay, we need to get our daily D.O.S.E., how? 

We can best aid our body in producing our daily D.O.S.E. of hormones in healthy amounts. A study conducted in 2018 by Ghosh et al., states that the happy hormones in our bodies can be produced naturally by performing certain behaviors or simply experiencing positive life events.

Complete tasks and create to-do lists.

Hormone: Dopamine

Research suggests that dopamine levels are increased when we finish a task or reach a goal. This is primarily because the brain releases dopamine as soon as we acknowledge that any task at hand is completed. When we have small tasks and hit them one by one, we also get small dosages of dopamine which makes us feel good. Thus, breaking down larger goals into smaller tasks proves strategically effective in staying motivated at a certain project and task at hand. Our brains have a feeling of satisfaction when we cross out tasks in to-do lists. This activity of checking the to-do list off after finishing the tasks brings in a sense of accomplishment, can help to increase the dopamine levels, ultimately generating happiness. 

Experience new things and engage in creative pursuits.

Hormone: Dopamine

Dopamine production is triggered when an individual finds something new and exciting in front of them. This increase of dopamine levels can be achieved doing creative hobbies that need an individual to focus. At work, we can do this by giving team members new projects that will push them to use their innovative capabilities. You can also boost dopamine levels by having fun events and creative workshops that encourage these activities. 

Cultivate positivity.

Hormone: Serotonin

Stay positive, remember happy events, practice optimism, and recite affirmations. Staying positive is the key to better performance, overall health, and well-being. Optimism is associated with the healthy structure and functioning of the brain, it also helps increase serotonin levels. At the workplace, there can be a display of photos that show happy memories of past achievements, get-togethers, off-sites, office celebrations at important places in the offices such as receptions, meeting rooms, general work areas and digitally through wallpapers.

Get social!

Hormone: Serotonin and Oxytocin  

Make time for social interactions, to increase social dominance. Now, when we say social dominance, we do not mean dominance per se, we mean being more assertive in a social and work type of scope that triggers positive social connections. Social connectivity triggers the release of oxytocin. Our role in social circles may also influence the serotonin levels. These actions help build trust and feelings of reliance which we need if we plan on working together as a team. 

Celebrate wins at work.

Hormone: Dopamine

Celebrating wins enhances dopamine in our systems. At the workplace, it is therefore important that we create opportunities to celebrate small winnings, do a victory celebration, cut a cake, and send a congratulatory email. These create a sense of fulfilment, bring positive energy, and motivates the team to get up and go for the next achievement.

Handshake and hugs

Hormone: Oxytocin

When connecting with friends and colleagues at work, it is important to maintain eye contact while speaking and firmly shaking hands while greeting. Back at home, cuddling a pet also generates a higher level of oxytocin. These activities generate trust, and trust is the highest form of motivation which makes an individual happy.

Practice charity

Hormone: Endorphins

Those who engage in acts of giving reach a state of euphoria which psychologists term as ‘helper’s high’ and emphasizes that giving produces more endorphins in the brain. Organizations can achieve this by gifting their teammates for special occasions such as birthdays, on special and personal achievements, year-end event gifts, tenure awards, or by participating in charity work. Special events that engage teammates to socialize and gift also work in achieving this such as having a “Secret Santa” during Christmas and raffle prizes. 

Laugh

Hormones: Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphins 

Organizations should encourage humor at work. At the workplace, there can be several fun events or a humor board with intelligent and tasteful jokes (after review) posted for people to laugh and quip about. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and in more ways than one, it is. 

Cultivate an attitude of gratitude across the organization.

Hormone: Dopamine and Serotonin 

The expression of gratitude releases dopamine that makes us feel good. It was also found that when we reflect on or write down the positive situations or experiences that we encounter in our life, the brain releases serotonin and, as serotonin enhances our mood, we start feeling happy. Organizations can do this, like Rocket Station and promote appreciation posts across common communication feeds. There can also be “Appreciation Weeks” where the cultivation of gratitude is enhanced. 

Get adequate exposure to sunlight. 

Hormone: Serotonin

The expression of gratitude releases dopamine that makes us feel good. It was also found that when we reflect on or write down the positive situations or experiences that we encounter in our life, the brain releases serotonin and, as serotonin enhances our mood, we start feeling happy. Organizations can do this, like Rocket Station and promote appreciation posts across common communication feeds. There can also be “Appreciation Weeks” where the cultivation of gratitude is enhanced. 

Exercise and meditation at workplace

Hormone: Dopamine, Serotonin and Endorphins

Exercising relieves stress, helps in achieving better physical health and makes an individual more productive. Meditation is the practice of concentrating, focusing inward and letting our thoughts float. Research suggests that meditation and exercise help in increased levels of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins and regular practice is associated with improved mental and physical health. At the workplace, this can all be practiced by having a place for teammates to work out, such as an at-work gym or physical area. Meditation practices can also be achieved at work by having yoga classes or fun at-work meditation seminars and events coupled with aromatherapy and soothing music. 

At Rocket Station, we place value in the health and wellness of each teammate and seek to empower them to lead a healthy lifestyle. This April, join our community by signing up in our newsletter to read more interesting articles about health and wellness and how it can help you at work. 

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Rocket Station is a company founded on the promise of exceeding expectations. Our culture drives us to set new standards, especially in our industry of providing virtual assistance and innovative business process solutions. While it’s easy for us to stay back and maintain our course, that’s just not the Rocketeer way.

Our Commitment to Excellence and Security: Rocket Station is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 Compliant!
Rocket Station is a company founded on the promise of exceeding expectations. Our culture drives us to set new standards, especially in our industry of providing virtual assistance and innovative business process solutions. While it’s easy for us to stay back and maintain our course, that’s just not the Rocketeer way.

5 Ways to Better Motivate Yourself
There’s not a single person around that doesn’t go through slumps at work. It’s a naturally occurring event for the average worker that may result from stress, exhaustion, or other factors. However, that doesn’t mean we just step back and accept these episodes of lower productivity and overall happiness. These are the times when we need to step up even more to motivate ourselves.

SHARE

POST A COMMENT

Categories
All Careers Health and Wellness

Why developing work friendships is good for your productivity

Why developing work friendships is good for your productivity

  • rs_ph_website

  • February 28, 2021

  • 5:53 pm

  • 0 comments

Since time in memorial, it was widely believed that developing close friendships at work were more detrimental than productive. People always advised against getting into business with a friend as it could “ruin” the relationship. They would say that getting into business with a friend is bad for business, and to some extent, for friends turned business partners it has been challenging indeed. However, it was studied that friendships that start as business contacts and develop into a close friendship are less nuanced and more beneficial.

A study done in the University of Seoul in South Korea back in 2006 stated that the positive potential for both individuals and the organization of having friendships at work may override the negative aspects. Workplace friendship is mainly categorized as boss and subordinate relationships. It was suggested that workplace friendships develop positive workplace attitudes with more emphasis on the quality of the friendship versus the opportunity behind it. The study emphasized the importance of workplace friendship to increase the positive work attitudes and performance of team members.

These cornerstone research initiatives paved the way to a more inclusive and less boxed-in view of the leader-follower dynamic.

Enter the year 2021, where these theories are put into practice and we see more vibrant and engaged companies like Rocket Station popping up. LinkedIn has chimed in with publishing multiple workplace articles pushing the need, not want, but the need of having a close friend at work if you desire to be productive. They ran a study that suggested that having a work BFF improves a team member’s overall happiness. People who feel less connected to their colleagues tend to feel less productive.

Here is how you can start developing closer relationships with the people you want to be friends with at work based on LinkedIn’s Relationships @Work study:

SHOW GENUINE INTEREST IN THEIR LIVES.

Be engaged—sincerely engaged about the things they care about outside of work. Take time to listen actively and show interest in what they share. An insider tip to achieve this is to maintain eye contact, put down your phone and do affirmative nods while absorbing the details they share with you. Most of the time, people respond to great listeners with more trust than great talkers.

BE MINDFUL OF THEIR SCHEDULE

In LinkedIn’s study, it shows that teammates get very rattled when unprecedented actions and tasks are done to disrupt their work schedule. They’ll more likely see you as a nuisance to their productivity versus someone who will actually aid them at work. Find ways to be mindful of their schedule by sending over a message to ask if they are free first and try to find ways to connect with each other at your shared down time.

GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

This comes as a no-brainer, but believe it or not, some people are indifferent to giving thanks and appreciation to others not because they do not want to, but because they don’t know how to. So, practice by seeing little positive things that they do and start saying thank you for these things. Give them praise for a job well done and be thankful for their contributions no matter how small by verbalizing it.

BOND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE

Find time to bond in an environment that isn’t at the office. You can bond with each other by messaging or just doing quick video calls if meeting outside the office for coffee or doing errands together is too much of a stretch for now. The goal is to see your teammate in the lens of normalcy. You get to know them outside of work and see that deep down inside, they are just like you, someone trying to earn a living and finding a place to belong too.

This February, Rocket Station places emphasis on the relationships that build us and make us the people we are today. If you like the articles you have read so far, feel free to sign up in our newsletter to receive updates on more articles like this.

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Rocket Station is a company founded on the promise of exceeding expectations. Our culture drives us to set new standards, especially in our industry of providing virtual assistance and innovative business process solutions. While it’s easy for us to stay back and maintain our course, that’s just not the Rocketeer way.

Our Commitment to Excellence and Security: Rocket Station is ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 Compliant!
Rocket Station is a company founded on the promise of exceeding expectations. Our culture drives us to set new standards, especially in our industry of providing virtual assistance and innovative business process solutions. While it’s easy for us to stay back and maintain our course, that’s just not the Rocketeer way.

5 Ways to Better Motivate Yourself
There’s not a single person around that doesn’t go through slumps at work. It’s a naturally occurring event for the average worker that may result from stress, exhaustion, or other factors. However, that doesn’t mean we just step back and accept these episodes of lower productivity and overall happiness. These are the times when we need to step up even more to motivate ourselves.

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