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A Mindfulness Plan to Keep Remote Work Stress at Bay

A Mindfulness Plan to Keep Remote Work Stress at Bay

  • rs_ph_website

  • May 20, 2021

  • 11:13 am

  • 0 comments

No matter where you are in life, you can never go wrong with a well thought out plan. Whether it be your extensive travel itinerary to some far-flung country, or your grocery list for the week. Having a plan helps set the tone, helps you determine what is deemed as necessary or unnecessary and ultimately helps you reach your intended goal. 

As remote workers, we may ask ourselves, in what ways can having a plan benefit me holistically? We can all agree that even when working from home, the stress is still present. Now, what is the best way to formulate a plan that could aid you in achieving more mindfulness and less stress at work?

Mindfulness, what is it?

Mindfulness is being in the present. It is being aware of what is happening here and now. Mindfulness is reacting and interacting with the world in a state of consciousness that allows us to reach a level of calm regardless of the chaos. 

How does mindfulness help us manage stress better? Studies have shown that mindfulness is especially effective for reducing stress, anxiety and depression. By doing this, we help ourselves manage stress in ways that are calmer and more professional at work. 

Here is your one-week mindfulness plan that will change how you manage stress.

Monday: Pick an activity and be aware of it.

For discussion’s sake, let us use your first meal on Monday as your intentional awareness activity. Be aware of what you are eating, pay attention to the details, the colors, take note of the aroma, and how it tastes.  Tune out and be aware of your first Monday meal, have that delicious 20 minutes to yourself and learn the art of creating a peaceful thought bubble.

Tuesday: Sit Properly and Meditate

The next day, channel all your energy into sitting upright and properly. Focus on your breathing and be aware of how your posture contributes to the releasing of tension in your body. You sit, close your eyes, and focus your attention to your breathing while noticing thoughts, sensations, and feelings. Do this in an undisturbed place for 45 minutes and watch yourself feel more at ease afterwards. 

Wednesday: Do Mindful Yoga

Yoga is in the center of most mindfulness practices. Yogic mantras focus on the intentional movement of the body in poses that contract the muscles and facilitate deep breathing. Tune in to how your muscles contract, and keep in mind the rhythm of all your deep breathing. For people who aren’t used to tight and heavy yoga, flow yoga or stretch yoga would be a perfect choice, especially for night shift workers who just seek to wind down. 

Thursday: Practice Responding Versus Reacting

We have all been there. That sudden rush, and surge of anger or needing to be right. The uncontrollable urge to react with aversion or sadness to an event that doesn’t deserve our energy, but somehow manages to take it anyway. Instead of feeling this, do the S.T.O.P. method: Stop whatever you are doing, Take a deep breath, Observe your emotions, Plan your next steps then proceed. 

Friday: Practice Facing Emotions

Once we successfully manage to understand how to react, we can slowly face how we feel with kindness and compassion. Most people normally turn to distractions to avoid negative emotions but sitting in them and allowing yourself to feel these emotions without prejudice aids us in building emotional resilience and flexibility. Mindfully release yourself from doing anything when you feel sad, angry, frustrated, or disappointed. Sit properly, take a few deep breaths, ask yourself: “What can I do to show up for myself right now?” and think of whatever affirming statements you have, and say it repeatedly either out loud or silently in your head until the negative feelings calibrate better. 

Saturday: Practice Mindful Communication

By this time, we have experienced being able to respond versus react, sit in our emotions, and practice mindfulness methods to help us reach a more balanced state of being. Now, we can slowly work on communicating with others in a way that is more mindful. Learn to listen and observe each time you have a conversation with someone. Take note of their body language, their tone of voice, and the way they respond to you. Take a few seconds to sift through words that can be appropriate for the conversation, and really invest in the conversation and where it is going. 

Sunday: Practice Compassion

Compassion and being present, is the end-goal of mindfulness. Compassion for others, for all sentient beings, and compassion for yourself in moments of silence. Compassion as an offshoot of mindfulness is a powerful construct that aids a person in being centered even during chaos. This is a soft skill that is so important these days. 

Extra Activity: Plan this Into Your Schedule 

The above-mentioned steps were lifted and adapted from the 8-Week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Therapy Plan created by Dr. John Kabat-Zinn in the 1970S. The program was created and proven to reduce stress and develop ease during chaos for multiple individuals.  While the 8-week plan seems more comprehensive, we summarized them all into a seven-day mindfulness plan that is just as efficient. 

May is mental health awareness month and at Rocket Station, we place immense value in the mental health of every Rocketeer. This month, we will be tackling topics that delve deeply into mental health for the remote worker and the things we can do to aid in nourishing and caring for one’s mental health.   

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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.

How to Lead Towards Growth
While all individuals have their dreams and paths to take, there are a few common truths no matter the intended result. One of these is that leadership is important. It is many things. Leadership is a concept, an action, a goal, and of course; it is a requirement to achieve success whether you wish to be a business leader or a simple community volunteer.

Reaching Better Success By Finding The Right Values
Success, accomplishments, and consequent rewards are things every person and company strives for. However, it is easy to observe that not everyone manages to reach these goals. In the same way, not everyone who gets these goals are equally happy about the results. Why is this though? There are countless possible reasons, but a fundamental idea that is quickly forgotten and dismissed is having the correct values.

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Getting over Overthinking: Ways to Cut Negative Thinking Cycles

Getting over Overthinking: Ways to Cut Negative Thinking Cycles

  • rs_ph_website

  • May 19, 2021

  • 10:42 am

  • 0 comments

Negative thinking cycles are negative thoughts that stack on top of each other. Most people call it snowballing, we can call it a negative thought cycle. Why do we call it this? Because it never stops. You begin and end the day on a negative loop. Sounds scary, but research shows that majority of people have experienced this within their lifetime. So, if you are one of them you are not alone. 

Why should we care about this? Let me introduce you to the cognitive thought triangle, wherein it clearly states that your thoughts, affect your actions and your feelings causing you to either perform positively or negatively in whatever area you are part of

The good news is, there is a way to combat negative thinking loops. Even better news is that mindfulness and you are the key to controlling these negative thoughts from getting out of hand. 

Technique #1: Distanced Self Talk

In author Ethan Kross’ book Chatter, he discusses a phenomenon called distanced self-talk . Distanced self-talk is the act of speaking to yourself as if you were another person to best asses a situation.  For example in times of danger, a young person named Sam facing a threat can asses the situation by saying: “Okay Sam, what do you do if this person comes any closer?” it’s easier for the brain to think of solutions when we coach others instead of ourselves. To which Sam can reply in his head, “I’ll have to make a run for it after I hit him with my shoe.” 

In the lens of being a remote worker, when faced with a difficult client, you can revert to this technique to avoid an untoward reaction by saying, “Okay, self, how do we respond to this difficult concern?” and then you proceed. 

Technique #2: Count things to distract yourself.

If we have learned anything from mindfulness so far, it’s that it helps you stay in the present. Mindfulness can also help you manage a lot of anxious thoughts, by disrupting them through counting. Place all your focus and attention to mindfully counting things that are well within your reach. The number of pens in your pencil case, the number of beads on your bracelet, how about the letters you are reading now? 

You can even start listing down things that bring you joy to help disrupt the anxious thoughts and keep negativity at bay. 

Technique #3: Turn to familiar and lovely aromas

Aromatherapy helps soothe the mind and keeps negative thoughts at bay by means of association. Simply smelling your favorite comfort food also aids you in this endeavor. If you don’t have a particular favorite Lavender Oil helps in granting a sense of calm when anxious thoughts threaten to invade your mental space.

Technique #4: Get off social media or exercise mindful consumption of online content. 

An array of studies has discussed the depletion of mental health over social media usage. One way to counter this is to simply get off it. Set your phone on silent, delete the apps if you must or simply place your phone away when you feel like you are about to be swamped with so much negative chatter. 

Social media has become a double-edged sword, in one hand you have it as an efficient marketing tool for businesses, in the other, it offers a pernicious and suggestive view of how life unrealistically looks. Now, while some people cannot live without social media, the main essence is to be more mindful about what you consume from it.

Technique #5: Vent to someone who understands

Venting is an act of expressing one’s dissatisfaction over an occurrence, event, or a situation. You may resort to having a therapist, a friend, or a family member in processing whatever negative thought cycles you have. Whoever it may be, be sure to choose people who offer a safe environment for you to share and simply be. 

May is mental health awareness month and at Rocket Station, we place immense value in the mental health of every Rocketeer. This month, we will be tackling topics that delve deeply into mental health for the remote worker and the things we can do to aid in nourishing and caring for one’s mental health.   

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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.

How to Lead Towards Growth
While all individuals have their dreams and paths to take, there are a few common truths no matter the intended result. One of these is that leadership is important. It is many things. Leadership is a concept, an action, a goal, and of course; it is a requirement to achieve success whether you wish to be a business leader or a simple community volunteer.

Reaching Better Success By Finding The Right Values
Success, accomplishments, and consequent rewards are things every person and company strives for. However, it is easy to observe that not everyone manages to reach these goals. In the same way, not everyone who gets these goals are equally happy about the results. Why is this though? There are countless possible reasons, but a fundamental idea that is quickly forgotten and dismissed is having the correct values.

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Mindfully manage stress as you work from home with these easy tips

Mindfully manage stress as you work from home with these easy tips

  • rs_ph_website

  • May 18, 2021

  • 10:05 am

  • 0 comments

Stress at home, stress at work; these were the common problems found by most people who didn’t work remotely. Imagine, now, if you were experiencing stress at home AND stress at work WHILE working from home? It seems like such a challenge.

While remote work does have a lot of perks, it can, like almost every job, become stressful. The stress remote workers experience comes as a unique circumstance due to their set up at home. There isn’t much division with the stressors from home and work; so, some people may have a challenging time managing the that amount of stress.

Luckily, we have compiled easy tips to counter that problem:

Tip #1 Meditate Everyday

Pause and take time to meditate each day. While we’ve all heard how amazing meditation can be for managing stress, as individuals who work from home a 10–15-minute meditation schedule can seem a bit dreary, but it is worth it.

If your schedule cannot squeeze in that amount of time, focus on just one minute and, once you find time for one minute, you will end up putting more time for meditation once you see its cumulative effect on your stress level.

Tip #2: Rate Your Stress

As we have been taught to measure pain on a scale of 1-10, do so with assessing stress. What is your threshold? Have you reached your maximum level of stress tolerance? How far do we still have till we end up having negative thought loops? 

Knowing where you are at your stress level is a crucial way of keeping stress at bay. This is a mindful exercise to help you instill a sense of awareness that can catch and stop stress from progressing any further. There are plenty tools to help alleviate stress once you can rate it. 

Tip #3 Use Visualization When Needed

Picture your ultimate vacay when things in your day get cray. Taking yourself on a visual vacation may do more to help you manage stress than you may think. Why? Because as the chaos continues around you, you’ll allow yourself to re-center, even if it’s just for a moment or two. 

Tip #4: Get in a good Laugh

Age old knowledge says that laughter makes the best medicine. Research shows that it actually does help  calm down your body’s stress response, while also lowering heart rate and blood pressure. In order to combat stress, go forth and find meaningful ways to elicit laughter and all the happy hormones that come with it. 

Tip #5: Exercise

Exercise releases a lot of neurotransmitters that aids in alleviating one’s mood, more so if you’re exercising with nature. If you are looking for a fool-proof way to stop your negative thought cycles and reduce stress, a particularly good dose of endorphins can and will do the trick. 

So, we suggest you find time to get a breath of fresh air, get your heartbeat pumping and oxygen flowing into your brain as you release the stress and the sweat that goes with it.

Keep Your Stress at bay by controlling it from the onset.

Nowadays, it is easy for one to develop chronic stress patterns, even as remote workers. Managing stress is doable and fixable though especially when you are aware of the level of stress you are experiencing at that given time. 

Utilize these tips to become more intentional in managing stress and keeping the stress at bay. When we become more mindful of what we need and the signals our bodies are telling us, we can take care of ourselves better. This is one crucial steppingstone to simplifying our lives and letting stress go. 

May is mental health awareness month and at Rocket Station, we place immense value in the mental health of every Rocketeer. This month, we will be tackling topics that delve deeply into mental health for the remote worker and the things we can do to aid in nourishing and caring for one’s mental health.   

RELATED STORIES

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.

How to Lead Towards Growth
While all individuals have their dreams and paths to take, there are a few common truths no matter the intended result. One of these is that leadership is important. It is many things. Leadership is a concept, an action, a goal, and of course; it is a requirement to achieve success whether you wish to be a business leader or a simple community volunteer.

Reaching Better Success By Finding The Right Values
Success, accomplishments, and consequent rewards are things every person and company strives for. However, it is easy to observe that not everyone manages to reach these goals. In the same way, not everyone who gets these goals are equally happy about the results. Why is this though? There are countless possible reasons, but a fundamental idea that is quickly forgotten and dismissed is having the correct values.

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POST A COMMENT

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All Careers Health and Wellness

Meditative Tools for less stress while working from home

Meditative Tools for less stress while working from home

  • rs_ph_website

  • May 17, 2021

  • 9:51 am

  • 0 comments

We have all been at a point in our lives when we just want to rest. Part of resting is also quieting the mind. How else can we best achieve this than through meditation? Meditation has been an age-old practice used for centuries wherein one performs deep breathing in rhythmic pace and mentally says mantras that helps in focusing on stillness and in easing the mind of busy thoughts. Meditation is so effective, it was proven to lessen anxiety, aid in alleviating depression and even some physical ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), psoriasis, PTSD and many more. 

So for people working from home with an array of things to do, how does one set up a meditative routine especially when work and home come hand in hand? We simply adjust our environment and use tools to help us meditate effectively. Here are some tools that can be useful in our quest to quiet the mind: 

A Safe Undisturbed Space

Better to err on the side of care, but this goes without say: When meditating or accessing the art of mindfulness, one must first listen to their thoughts in complete stillness, away from all the hustle and bustle. Otherwise, you will not be able to focus on quieting your mind. So set a space that is dedicated to rest and relaxation, usually this is the place in your home that offers the most calming vibrations. Pick your spot and try to dedicate that to meditative practices.

Soothing Music

Music can help us ground ourselves well, use breathing techniques and even assist us with meditation. There have been multiple studies that favor the effect of music in the human stress response. It was found that cortisol levels (the higher cortisol levels the more stressed), of subjects were significantly lessened after listening to soothing music. You can find such music from YouTube, Spotify or Apple Music to help aid you in your meditative journey. 

Meditation Apps for Guided Meditation

Currently, with the demand of COVID-19 on us physically, mentally, emotionally, and even socially; we find ourselves looking to more remote ways of performing the right meditative techniques. Last year one of Apple’s Best Apps of the Year 2020 was Shine. Shine’s focus was to provide guided meditation and to calm anxiety. Something everyone needed during these times. For more mainstream and accessible options, YouTube and Spotify have multiple channels and playlists that offer a variety of guided meditations that can help in bringing you into the habit of meditating. 

Meditation Books

For those who prefer reading and knowing more about the science and processes of meditation, there are plenty of books that speak about mindfulness and meditation in the market. Here is a list from Good Trade that offers a list of mindfulness and meditation books for beginners.

Meditation Mala or Tibetan Singing Bowl

Meditation Malas and Tibetan Singing Bowls have been used by meditative practitioners for quite some time. Meditation Malas are energy balls formed into bracelets that bring positive energy when people need more calming sensations; they resemble prayer beads. Tibetan Singing Bowls are far from just musical instruments. They offer very faint, high-pitched sounds that are scientifically proven to induce the relaxation response, reduce stress, and potentially stress-related disease in the body. They are mostly found in many mindfulness workshops and are used by trained professionals to get the most out of meditation.

Scented Candles or Incense

Scented Candles and Incense have been attributed to relaxation in recent pop culture. Multiple studies have shown that non-animal tested, soy candles with relaxing scents aid in lessening fatigue, cortisol levels and promoting affective state of well-being. 

Greenery or Potted Greens 

Last month, we talked about green exercise and how merely brisk walking around nature on your way to work boosts your mood by 10-15% versus indoor exercise. The same can be applied to meditative practices. When trying to set up your meditation space, try to incorporate a view of nature, visual access to a small garden patch, some fresh air, or even just some potted greens. This can help ease the mind and bring forth a more relaxed and lighter environment for you to practice meditation.

May is mental health awareness month and at Rocket Station, we place immense value in the mental health of every Rocketeer. This month, we will be tackling topics that delve deeply into mental health for the remote worker and the things we can do to aid in nourishing and caring for one’s mental health.

RELATED STORIES

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.

How to Lead Towards Growth
While all individuals have their dreams and paths to take, there are a few common truths no matter the intended result. One of these is that leadership is important. It is many things. Leadership is a concept, an action, a goal, and of course; it is a requirement to achieve success whether you wish to be a business leader or a simple community volunteer.

Reaching Better Success By Finding The Right Values
Success, accomplishments, and consequent rewards are things every person and company strives for. However, it is easy to observe that not everyone manages to reach these goals. In the same way, not everyone who gets these goals are equally happy about the results. Why is this though? There are countless possible reasons, but a fundamental idea that is quickly forgotten and dismissed is having the correct values.

SHARE

POST A COMMENT

Categories
All Careers Health and Wellness

5 Health Benefits of Working From Home

5 Health Benefits of Working From Home

  • rs_ph_website

  • April 27, 2021

  • 2:02 am

  • 0 comments

Working from home has become the new normal. If you’re one of the individuals that were uprooted and transferred to working from the comforts of home, you’ll find that there are plenty of health benefits surrounding it.

In the advent of this sudden surge of people working from home, telecommunications, software processes and cloud applications have naturally been in demand. With new technology came a lot of opportunities and challenges; ultimately, changing the way people work.

While everyone did need to take a minute in setting up their virtual workspaces, the benefits of working from home had yet to be discovered by the mass majority. The daily meetings were now relegated to quick teleconference calls. You didn’t have to worry about what to wear any longer to work, or your daily commute. You can spend more time with your family or schedule in more time for yourself.

When managed well, remote work can accrue a lot of benefits in multiple ways, we are going to take it a notch higher and say it can even make people healthier and more centered and here is why: 

More access to healthy home cooked meals and preferred diets.

Gone are the out-of-office lunches in delicious restaurants that made people cheat a little in their diets. While working from home, you can control what you eat, and what you cook. The kitchen is, after all, just a room or two away. 

Less office politics. Less stress.

One of the key indicators from stress is a negative work culture that has a lot of office politics. While office politics will always be part of every organization, the fewer face-to-face interactions helps keep team mates out of the issue. The “out of sight, out of mind” principle applies here. This enables team mates to instead, focus on tasks and projects at hand without having to see or experience office politics happening in a face-to-face set up. Thereby, lessening stress and increasing productivity. 

More established boundaries.

Striking a more manageable work-life balance comes easier for people who work from home and this applies to how they set boundaries also with their personal and professional responsibilities. It’s easier to “turn off”, and tune out of work and are more able to focus on things that matter most outside of your workplace.

More “me” time or “family” time

While there will always be nuances to working from home and adjusting to the family, there is always an accepted idea that working from home is more favorable if you prefer having more time for your loved ones or simply just for yourself. This aids in contributing to the well-being of a team member greatly. 

More autonomy 

Working from home, aids in giving back to individuals one of their most valuable currencies: time. The autonomy to manage your schedule, such as when you eat, where and when you work in the day, when you meditate and manage meeting schedules help in providing that much needed balance that we all need to remain productive and motivated at work. 

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. 

RELATED STORIES

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.

How to Lead Towards Growth
While all individuals have their dreams and paths to take, there are a few common truths no matter the intended result. One of these is that leadership is important. It is many things. Leadership is a concept, an action, a goal, and of course; it is a requirement to achieve success whether you wish to be a business leader or a simple community volunteer.

Reaching Better Success By Finding The Right Values
Success, accomplishments, and consequent rewards are things every person and company strives for. However, it is easy to observe that not everyone manages to reach these goals. In the same way, not everyone who gets these goals are equally happy about the results. Why is this though? There are countless possible reasons, but a fundamental idea that is quickly forgotten and dismissed is having the correct values.

SHARE

POST A COMMENT

Categories
All Careers Health and Wellness

11 Nutrients That Keep Your Brain Sharp At Work

11 Nutrients That Keep Your Brain Sharp At Work

  • rs_ph_website

  • April 26, 2021

  • 2:24 am

  • 0 comments

Scrolling on social media and scanning the web for health and wellness tidbits is enlightening. In the advent of the internet, we are offered a wide variety of advice on how to eat, live and practice healthy lifestyles. We see both traditional and new-age ways of keeping yourself healthy and fit; so much so that we can be immensely overcome with knowledge. 

This experience is akin to a chef that has mastered one cuisine for the entirety of their life, only to find out that they need to master a new cuisine yet again, only with ingredients that are foreign to them. We understand this, which is why at Rocket Station, we want to help you keep things simple by bringing you back to the basics of nutrition. Because while there will always be new and exciting ways to keep our health on track, at the end of the day it boils down to the nutrients you put in your body.

Here we have an exhaustive list of the good brain nutrients you need to be in tip-top-shape for work. The following have been noted in journals and articles as the essential nutrients your brain needs to function soundly:

Omega-3 fatty acids

Where to find them: Fish (salmon), flax seeds, krill, chia, kiwi fruit, butternuts, walnuts

Omega-3 fatty acids have been studied to prevent the cognitive decay of the brain in mice. This has also proven to help stabilize mood and has worked in faster healing of rain injuries studied in rodents. 

Curcumin

Where to find them: Turmeric (curry spice)

Turmeric has a lot of beneficial effects for the body. On a cognitive level, it protects the brain from cognitive decay and aids in overall prevention of Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer. It is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. 

Flavonoids

Where to find them: Cocoa, green tea, Ginkgo tree, citrus fruits, wine (higher in red wine), dark chocolate

The famous dark chocolate and their siblings that carry flavonoids have a particularly good effect on boosting brain performance especially when coupled with exercise. They are powerful antioxidants that help remove the body of free radicals that can cause oxidative stress in the body.

B Vitamins

Where to find them: Various natural sources.

It has been proven that supplementation with vitamin B6, vitamin B12 or folate has positive effects on memory performance in women of various ages. The Vitamin B also helps in the repair of brain injury and the further improvement of cognitive functions, nerve health, energy levels, eyesight, and healthy appetite to name a few. 

Vitamin D

Where to find them: Fish liver, fatty fish, mushrooms, fortified products, milk, soy milk, cereal grains

Vitamin D has been proven to be extremely important in preserving the mind of the elderly. Vitamin D also helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, leading to better bones, teeth and muscles. 

Vitamin E

Where to find them: Asparagus, avocado, nuts, peanuts, olives, red palm oil, seeds, spinach, vegetable oils, wheatgerm

Vitamin E is proven to help the brain function clearly and effectively. It also the key in maintaining healthy immunity, healthy skin, and eyes.

Choline

Where to find them: Egg yolks, soy beef, chicken, veal, turkey liver, lettuce

In relation to the brain, dietary choline helps in prevention of seizures. It is also particularly important in improving one’s memory and cognition. It is also an essential nutrient for brain development. 

Combination of vitamins (C, E, carotene)

Where to find them: Vitamin C: citrus fruits, several plants and vegetables, calf, and beef liver. Vitamin E: see above.

Vitamin C and Vitamin E are well known antioxidants that span even beyond the brain. Vitamin C alone helps boost one’s immunity, aids in managing heart failure and liver disease, reduces uric disease and protects your memory as you age.

Calcium, zinc, selenium

Where to find them: Calcium: milk, coral. Zinc: oysters, a small amount in beans, nuts, almonds, whole grains, sunflower seeds. Selenium: nuts, cereals, meat, fish, eggs

Calcium, Zinc and Selenium have various effects on cognitive function. It was studied that lifetime low selenium level is associated with lower cognitive functions in humans. In relation to the brain as well, higher calcium and zinc can reduce cognitive decline especially in elderly humans. 

Copper

Where to find them: Oysters, beef/lamb liver, Brazil nuts, blackstrap molasses, cocoa, black pepper

Copper helps maintain healthy bones, blood vessels, nerves, and immune function, and it contributes to iron absorption. At a cognitive level, it was proven that patients with Alzheimer’s disease also lacked copper in their blood. 

Iron

Where to find them: Red meat, fish, poultry, lentils, beans

Iron has been known to stabilize healthy cognitive function in women. The reason being is that iron aids in carrying carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be exhaled out of the body, thus enabling the brain to function better with healthier oxygen levels. 

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.

RELATED STORIES

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.

How to Lead Towards Growth
While all individuals have their dreams and paths to take, there are a few common truths no matter the intended result. One of these is that leadership is important. It is many things. Leadership is a concept, an action, a goal, and of course; it is a requirement to achieve success whether you wish to be a business leader or a simple community volunteer.

Reaching Better Success By Finding The Right Values
Success, accomplishments, and consequent rewards are things every person and company strives for. However, it is easy to observe that not everyone manages to reach these goals. In the same way, not everyone who gets these goals are equally happy about the results. Why is this though? There are countless possible reasons, but a fundamental idea that is quickly forgotten and dismissed is having the correct values.

SHARE

POST A COMMENT

Categories
All Careers Health and Wellness

Adaptogens: Elixirs to help you adapt while working from home

Adaptogens: Elixirs to help you adapt while working from home

  • rs_ph_website

  • April 25, 2021

  • 2:48 am

  • 0 comments

Yoga, Ayurveda, vegetarian diets, and now adaptogens? Today, there exists a plethora of information on health and well-being, some are more practiced than most, and others have yet to be discussed more. Luckily for us, we will be discussing about something that can help you ease through remote work life efficiently: adaptogens. 

What are Adaptogens?

According to Integrative Medicine, adaptogens are phytochemicals, which are believed to stabilize physiological processes and encourage homeostasis in the body. Adaptogens are found in nature that help the body cope with physical and emotional stress and restores balance in the body. In essence, they help the body adapt, react, and get through stressful episodes. They are safe, non-toxic, and non-habit forming. Examples of adaptogens are: ashwaganda, Siberian ginseng and the like. 

How do adaptogens work?

Adaptogens help balance all the glands that are responsible in excreting hormones and neurotransmitters responsible for the stress response in humans. They somewhat bypass the stress response and helps the body cope with it better.

Effects of Adaptogens

The proper use of adaptogens have been proven to brighten one’s mood, have an anti-fatigue effect, have enhanced memory, focus and mental performance, and an overall improved stress response.  

Researchers have found they have several effects on the body such as (a) neuroprotective elements, (b) anti-fatigue properties (c) antidepressive effects and can (d) act as a stimulant for central nervous system. Research shows adaptogens can combat fatigue, enhance mental performance, ease depression and anxiety, and help you thrive rather than just muddle through.

Why do we need Adaptogens as Remote Workers?

Let us be honest, being stuck at home doing work has a lot of upsides and some downsides to it. For most of us, it is having to singularly dismiss the importance of keeping our health in check, because psychologically, by being at home, we feel safe and therefore, feel like there are lesser threats to our well-being. That rarely is the case though, as night shift remote workers, it’s incumbent upon us to be even more vigilant to protect out bodies from late nights of being awake, disrupted body clocks, and stressful interactions with clients. Here’s how adaptogens can help:

Balances Hormones

Improves Mood

Anti-fatigue Effect

Fights Physical and Mental Signs of Stress

Tweaks Hormone Production and Improves Physiological Stress Responset

Helps aid in relaxation

Improves Stress Response 

Boosts Resilience

List of Adaptogens for Your Perusal

Common adaptogens and the effects they have in the body

Ashwagandha: helps the body cope with stress on the daily. 

Astragalus root: to help reduce stress and aging 

Bacopa Monnieri: to protect the brain and improve memory and improve other aspects of cognitive function

Cordyceps: a mushroom that fights stress and helps balance hormones

Holy basil: to promotes relaxation

Licorice: to increase energy and endurance and help boost the immune system

Maca: to improve mood and increase energy

Reishi: helps us adapt to stress and improves sleep quality 

Rhodiola rosea: to lower anxiety, fatigue, and depression

Siberian ginseng: provides energy and help overcome exhaustion

Wild yam: helps regulate female hormone levels

In a Nutshell

Adaptogens prove to be effective and more importantly, safe and non-habit forming. It aids our bodies combat stress and so much more, and would prove beneficial to maintain health and well-being while working from home. 

 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

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Ayurveda and Yoga: The Tag Team in Workplace Well-being

Ayurveda and Yoga: The Tag Team in Workplace Well-being

  • rs_ph_website

  • April 24, 2021

  • 3:14 am

  • 0 comments

Consider how people have invested so much in self-care nowadays. We have facemasks, trip to the spas, massage chairs, delicious desserts, and luxurious baths, we seldomly remember that self-care is just as much for the mind and soul as it is for the body. While the advantages of getting into self-care habits proves to improve well-being and lower morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs, some studies have mentioned that the research efforts and modalities on self-care practices need to be further analyzed and assessed.

What is workplace well-being even?

The broader sense of well-being of an individual can be attributed to short term emotional state, level of health and happiness and long-term satisfaction in life. Couple well-being with the workplace and we get a highly delineated view of how crucial it is to mix well-being with where you work. Well-being at work is defined as an experience, which is influenced by factors, such as the internal culture and organizational ways of functioning, and by personal internal resources. Spending so much of our time at work and spending resources to become more productive at work makes the importance of well-being in the workplace a crucial ingredient to a productive and successful organization. Workplace health and well-being remain such a staunch issue internationally that a study stated that among the five domains encompassing overall well-being, career well-being is regarded as the most important for most people. 

Enter Yoga and Ayurveda. Yoga being a discipline of mind, body and spirit and Ayurveda a holistic medical practice using diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing. They are two ancient traditions originating from India that emphasize multidimensional and holistic well-being of all. 

How does Yoga and Ayurveda aid in our health?

A study explains the amazing benefits of yoga and Ayurveda stating that the yogic view of health and disease highlights that the root cause of physical ailments and disorders arises out of the mind. While Ayurveda meaning “life knowledge” in Sanskrit lays down the path of living that is directed by the three pursuits: praneshana (desire to lead a long healthy life), dhaneshana (desire to savor financial and material security), and paralokeshana (desire to attain happiness in the life hereafter). According to Ayurveda, health is a state of complete, balanced, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Both Yoga and Ayurveda emphasize on following a healthy lifestyle encompassing all spheres of life (physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. They place great importance on healthy activities such as exercises and Yoga practices, right thoughts, attitudes, and behavior to create and maintain good relationships. They also focus on healthy nourishing, and balanced and right recreational activities such as regulating action-speech-thoughts to maintain peace of mind and group activities to experience cohesion and collectivism where one loses one’s sense of individuality. The elements of a great workplace and a good team member can be seen in the elements Ayurveda and Yoga helps us practice.

How can we practice Yoga and Ayurveda at the Workplace?

There are plenty of ways to practice Yoga and Ayurveda. Uniquely, the situation that calls for workplace practice is unfamiliar with some. Here are some ways you can bring this tag-team into your work for a more balanced experience:

Meditation

Allot at least 10-15 minutes a day, whether it be during your lunch break or when you wake up first thing in the morning to meditate. Studies show that people who meditate are 10% happier than the average person.

Breathing Exercises

According to ayurvedic practices, deep breathing massages the internal organs, aids in releasing carbon dioxide, and increases oxygen to the brain. This will aid also in stress relief, and concentration for tasks in the workplace.

Pack on Heavy Lunch

Ayurveda focuses on eating a balanced diet with a mix of tastes. Practitioners recommend a heavy lunch and a light breakfast with fruits or oatmeal to kick start your day.

Target 7-9 hours of Sleep (take naps if you can’t!)

Make your environment conducive to sleep to aid in better body recovery, tissue repair, improved homeostasis, and brain restoration. You can do this by sleeping a set 7-9 hours and catching up with whatever lack of sleep you have by taking naps at work during breaktime. 

Avoid stress eating and eat balanced meals.

When there is an imbalance of the emotions and the mind, we are bound to make faulty decisions that will result to unhealthy eating habits. This is not helpful for practicing a balanced lifestyle. The goal is to nourish and balance so wait until you feel more centered before you decide to eat. 

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Health Hacks for the Remote Worker

Health Hacks for the Remote Worker

  • rs_ph_website

  • April 21, 2021

  • 4:24 am

  • 0 comments

Working remotely usually requires one to sit in front of a computer screen 8 hours a day, and while this has now become the new normal, there are a lot of detrimental effects to this health-wise. At Rocket Station, we are aware of all the advantages and disadvantages of working from home and seek to discuss ways we can make the lives of people easier. 

Develop your Sleep-Care Routine

Sleep irregularities are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and anxiety. By developing a consistent sleep routine, we lessen the chances of developing these ailments. So set your sleeping environment well. Keep the temperature cool. Have the room be completely dark, if you are on night shift and sleep in the mornings, make sure you have thick black out curtains to block out the sun. Make sure the room is devoid of noise and clear out any unnecessary clutter, clean bed sheets have also been proven to induce better sleep. 

Find time to be active

Various health and wellness sources state that all you need to keep active is to have 25 active minutes per day. Exercising relieves stress, helps in achieving better physical health and makes an individual more productive. Research suggests that exercise helps in increased levels of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins and regular practice is associated with improved mental and physical health.

Expose yourself to Nature

Exposing yourself to nature can aid in the overall alleviation of stress and improve a person’s mood. If you cannot go to nature, bring nature to you! Line your workout space with potted greens to help simulate the experience.

Plan your Meals Ahead 

It’s easy for us to just grab whatever is easy to eat when we’re at home such as all those delicious sweet or salty snacks. But if you want to stick to healthier habits, plan your meals in advance and intentionally add helpful ingredients that can combat stress and aid in rejuvenation of energy.

Protect Your Eyes from Blue Light

That harmful blue light from computer and cellphone screens makes it difficult to fall asleep because it tricks your body into believing it is the daytime due to the brightness of the screens. Not only does it affect sleep, it also deteriorates our eyes cumulatively. For night shift workers it is all too difficult to stay away from electronics or sleep in dark rooms if we sleep during sunrise. One way to help us is to stay away from blue light screens 2-3 hours before sleeping and if it is already daytime, use thick black out curtains for you to sleep better.

Set Intentional Time for Rest and Meditation

Learn to unplug, unload, destress and meditate. Meditation aids in clearing the mind, especially if coupled with deep breathing exercises. Allot at least 10-15 minutes a day, whether it be during your lunch break or when you wake up first thing in the morning to meditate. Studies show that people who meditate are 10% happier than the average person. 

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Sleep-care Practices for Night Shift Remote Workers

Sleep-care Practices for Night Shift Remote Workers

  • rs_ph_website

  • April 20, 2021

  • 4:34 am

  • 0 comments

Think about all the key benefits of having great sleep: better physical recovery, improved memory, more energy in the morning, better skin, and the list goes on. We can all agree that a good night’s sleep empowers the body to recover and lets you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day. Despite knowing all the benefits of sleep, are we truly placing emphasis on sleep-care? According to Sleep Foundation, Adults between 18 and 64 need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Adults over 65 need 7-8 hours. The CDC reports that only 1 in 3 adults do not get enough sleep. In fact a recent study says that the Philippines is the top 4 country in the world that lacks sleep.

As remote workers, one must question whether we place the right value on the quality of sleep. With the rising trend of “self-care” and indulgences indoors, we may forget that with self-care comes good quality sleep. 

Interesting Facts about Sleep

Did you know that we spend about 2 hours dreaming each time we sleep? Much of that has to do with the cycles of sleep we go through. Normally, a person goes through four to six sleep cycles and one of them is R.E.M. which takes up to 20-25% of sleep. We have light sleep, deep sleep, REM, and Awake Times that interchange between the cycles. During these sleep cycles our body temperature drops and so does our metabolism. Sleep aids in our circadian rhythm or our body clock, as for night shift workers this can pose as a challenge since there are plenty ways our sleep cycle can be disrupted because of our work schedule. 

Importance of Good Sleep

Sleep irregularities are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and anxiety. By developing a consistent sleep routine, we lessen the chances of developing these ailments. 

Dos and Don’ts for Developing A Healthy Sleep Routine

There are plenty of ways to practice Yoga and Ayurveda. Uniquely, the situation that calls for workplace practice is unfamiliar with some. Here are some ways you can bring this tag-team into your work for a more balanced experience:

DON’T bring technology to the bedroom. 

That harmful blue light from computer and cellphone screens makes it difficult to fall asleep because it tricks your body into believing it is the daytime due to the brightness of the screens. For night shift workers it is all too difficult to stay away from electronics or sleep in dark rooms if we sleep during sunrise. One way to help us is to stay away from blue light screens 2-3 hours before sleeping and if it is already daytime, use thick black out curtains for you to sleep better. 

DON’T drink caffeine near your sleep time.

Before your night shift take time to demarcate the time you want to go to sleep. Avoid drinking anything with caffeine at least 5 hours before your intended bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant, you will find that no matter how tired you are, having caffeine in your system will still keep your mind wide awake even while you sleep. 

DON’T drink alcohol before sleeping.

Drinking alcohol can affect your REM cycle and cause you to suddenly wake up in the middle of sleep. While alcohol does act oppositely from caffeine, it does affect the quality of our sleep drastically. After alcohol is metabolized, the sleep-inducing effects are reversed and give you quite a hard time trying to get through the night. 

DON’T go to bed hungry.

Going to bed hungry will only prompt you to wake up because of a noisy, empty stomach, grab a midnight or mid-sleep snack and end up having to stay awake longer just to digest the food. Always keep your tummy with enough fuel to go through the night without the incessant rumbling.

DO maintain a regular sleep schedule to Regulate your Circadian Rhythm. 

For night shift workers, it does not matter what time you sleep, it is the consistency of this set schedule that matters. You need to keep your sleeping patterns consistent to maintain a level of normalcy with your body clock. Maintaining one’s circadian rhythm (body clock) is crucial to overall health and brain performance. 

DO meditate.

Meditation before going to bed helps. It aids in clearing the mind, especially if coupled with deep breathing exercises.

DO set up your environment for sleep.

Set your sleeping environment well. Keep the temperature cool. Have the room be completely dark, if you are on night shift and sleep in the mornings, make sure you have thick black out curtains to block out the sun. Make sure the room is devoid of noise and clear out any unnecessary clutter, clean bed sheets has also been proven to induce better sleep. 

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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