Bringing Value to Your Employer

No matter how high up in the company you may be, it is imperative to be constantly able to add value to the company. You will be able to have a higher salary, be given opportunities to advance, and have your position be protected when time get tougher. First of all, simply meeting expectations will not be enough for you to get ahead. There are questions that you can ask yourself to honestly see just how valuable you may be to your employer. They are as follows:

1. Am I consistent in my attendance, my work, and my results?

2. Am I improving each year?

3. Am I moving forward with purpose and not resting on my past accomplishments?

4. Am I spending most of my time at work with top performers?

5. Have I recently added to my job description on my own initiative?

6. Do I set goals for myself beyond the ones my supervisor sets?

7. Do I regularly ask for feedback on my performance from my boss and my peers?

8. Does my performance compare favorably with my peers?

9. Do I collaborate well with others and have good professional relationships?

This might be what it really boils down to, whether you are in software development or in the marketing department of your company. Use the questions to evaluate yourself and create a plan for improvement. 

Phone Separation Anxiety

Do you suffer from it? Apparently being away from your phone can lead to "physiological anxiety" and "poor cognitive performance." These are the results of a new study done by the University of Missouri. The findings suggest that when people do not have their phones but see them and hear them while not being about to answer them will cause anxiety. Of course, the phones did not ring when they were with the person so there are some limitations to this assessment of our relationship with phone services. On the whole, this study at least identifies the type of questions that we should be asking ourselves when we are constantly looking at our phones. Not to mention the feelings we get when the battery is running low and there is no charger in sight. What were we doing three decades ago when this was not even a question? How did we survive?

Taking Steps to Improve Your Health

First of all, if you work in an environment where there is a lot of sitting at a desk, get a standing desk. Yes, they are affordable and if anyone says anything trying to be smart, you can always come back with the fact that sitting can significantly shorten life and there is nothing funny about that. I mean we are talking about developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancers. If the standing desk is not an option, you could use mobile or business applications that remind you to get up and walk around. As you are walking around, remember to take a stroll outside because it will boost your mood as well as start all those creative juices flowing. Also, try to work next to a window during the day. It will help your body regulate its internal clock. Keeping things in a natural light, place a plant in the living room or your desk. the color green can be beneficial to keeping stress down and creativity up.

Google Glass Competitors

Google's approach with Glass was to provide the wearer with what it called "glanceable" information, shown on a virtual screen just above the right eye. By building Glass this way, Google was making a clear statement: it's for ultra-convenient and hands-free access to very specific information such as news and updates and sharing using internet phones and other communication services. Glass is intended to complement the moment you're experiencing, not take you out of it. What if that is not what people are looking for? Augmented reality and by extension, virtual reality, might be something that people are looking for according to several trends. Epson's Moverio glasses change the game and the whole screen can be a digital display. The glasses run at $700 but the bulk and the cord that is attached to the side makes it something that needs a lot of improvements if more people are going to be wearing it. Also, I think that the middle ground between reality and virtual reality that we call augmented reality is just hype. We like both sides of the spectrum, not the middle.

Holiday Stress

It can get to the best of us. Your go-to meditation mobile applications can even be utterly useless. One of the best things that you can do for that stress is to take thirty minutes to meditate or just sit quietly and focus on breathing. You might say that you do not have time to spare around the holidays but if you think about the time spent in front of the TV, you should be able to find some time to relax. When you feel yourself getting stressed out, stop breathe deeply and notice how your body is feeling. Notice if you have tension or discomfort anywhere. What emotions are you feeling? The simple act of stopping and acknowledging those feelings is often enough to diffuse them. Sometimes they are like wild cats that just do not want the attention and run away. Physical activity is also something that is very important when it comes to getting rid of stress. Just take a quick walk around the block without any media in front of you or in your ears. It will do you a world of good.

Using the Hardwired to Fight Stress

Our biological stress responses have not really changed that much since the caveman days. Our environments, on the other hand, changed many times over. In the wild, there was a fight or flight response to stress and then one of the actions was taken which negated all those stress hormones and helped you return to normal. When you are sitting in on a video conference and are stressing out over the idiot babbling in front of you, punching your screen would not be the advisable way to handle the stress. There are things that we can do to work with the way that we are supposed to handle stress. You could get your heart rate up using at least a minute of intense activity. All it takes is a minute. Try jumping jacks or running up some stairs. You should also eat regularly to keep your sugar levels from dropping. Even it you are running from meeting to meeting, you still cannot skip a meal. At least try a granola bar to hold you over.

Hack Sleep

In the business world, if you are able to function on little sleep, it is seen as somewhat of an accomplishment. Studies by the CDC show that sleep deprivation costs businesses about $63 billion in lost productivity each year. The approach to this is to optimize sleep. Many large companies are investing in rooms where employees can catch some shuteye during the day. All it takes is a 10-20 minute nap to increase alertness and productivity for the next several hours. There needs to be the culture that sleep is not for wimps and that people should not feel that they are not doing their part. It is especially important for those people that are sitting in from of a screen with a software development project or an Excel spreadsheet that has no end. In addition to the rooms, there should also be lighting changes. Blue toned white lights can increase alertness and productivity so they should only be in the working part of the office.