Top Tips
Top Tips

Five Useful Tips For Keeping Your Office Green

Office environments can be brutal to the environment. With all the electricity being used for lights and computers, plus all the paper and office supplies going into the garbage every day, there certainly are a lot of environmental hazards. The good news is that cutting down on the environmental waste is very easy to do in offices.

1. Save Electricity

  • Instead of taking the elevator every day, use the stairs. Not only will you be saving energy, but you’ll also be getting your daily dose of exercise too!
  • Turn your lights off every time you leave your office or area, even if it’s only for ten minutes. The notion that you use more electricity turning lights on and off simply isn’t true. You use less electricity when you aren’t using it.
  • Use windows to their maximum capacity. Draw back the curtains and let all that natural light in! You might not even need to use a light at all.
  • Turning off your cell phone when it’s finished charging is another great way to save electricity. Leaving your phone turned on once it’s finished charging actually uses just as much electricity as when it’s charging.
  • During the summer months, close the blinds partially. This will keep the room from heating up and using more air conditioning.
  • Use only as much water and coffee grinds as you need for your office. If you’re the only drinking coffee, don’t make a whole pot.

2. Reduce Supplies

  • Keep track of how much paper and toner you use. Just keeping track of how much paper you’re wasting is sure to make you pay attention to it and reduce the number. Use any paper that can’t be used for scrap paper. Use it to take messages, write reminders, etc.
  • Instead of making copies of very large documents, email them or put the document together in a Power Point presentation.
  • When possible, read documents on the computer rather than printing them out.
  • Always use the “Print Preview” option before printing something out. This will let you see if there are mistakes in your document and save you from printing it out twice.
  • Email phone messages and other messages instead of writing them on paper.
  • Regularly update mailing lists and delete any that are out of date.
  • Don’t use fax cover sheets when you don’t absolutely have to.
  • Create business cards for departments rather than for individual people.
  • Use scrap paper that has writing on one side to create draft documents. Always make sure that all staples and paper clips have been removed.
  • Change printer settings so that “Draft” qualities are being printed rather than “Best.” This will reduce the amount of times you’ll need to print the document.

3. Share Stationery

  • Ask that reports be printed once and passed around the office for everyone to read instead of printing out a different report for every person.
  • Share supplies such as staplers, hole punches, etc. instead of buying each person their own.
  • Use labels that can be reused for sending out packages and then reuse the packages.
  • Use tape dispensers and pens that are refillable rather than buying new ones.

4. Recycle

  • Buy recycled paper products. Make sure that anything that will be going through a machine such as a printer or photocopier can handle high volumes of recycled paper. Also buy re manufactured toner rather than buying new.
  • Use recycling bins. Set a few up for paper, aluminum, and cardboard and place them throughout the office.
  • Use a reusable mug for your coffee instead of using a paper or plastic cup several times a day.
  • Car pool with a friend on the way to and from work or take the bus.

5. Pass It On

Tell your office that you’re going green and encourage everyone to join in!

Going green is especially important in today’s day and age when everyone’s worried about using up our resources and reducing consumption. Office spaces are one of the easiest places to go green, and maybe even save some overhead costs too!

 

Top Health Tips For Working in The Office

The biggest exertion you’re faced with is either flirting at the water cooler, or tackling a flight of stairs to break the day up and raise the heart beat. Here are some quick and easy tips to help unravel your hunched up body and stay limber, alert and working to your maximum capacity in the office or at home.

 

1. Water

We will start with the glaringly obvious; but it’s so important to keep hydrated at work for an active brain and replenished skin. It is often easy to think that you are hungry when you are in fact thirsty. Try to drink 4-6 glasses a day to ensure mobility.

 

2. Make a ‘health’ draw

While the Diet Coke commercial was glamorised by advertisers and sparsely clad men back in the day, it’s not going to help you out in the long term. Natural sugars in fruit and good carbohydrates will keep you full for longer and your brain alert. Try bags of dried fruit, Marmite rice cakes and non-salted peanuts.

 

3. Keep your blood flowing

Arms and legs act as pumps to push blood around the body so when you are sat at your desk blood from the body can flow to the feet. About every hour try to have a brief walk around the office or do some gentle stretching; this pumps blood back to the heart and brain to keep your mind alert and awake.

 

4. Fresh air

Lights, computers, servers and stereos, as well as people, all add to the overall temperature in an office; making it hot and stifling. If possible keep a window open near by, have plenty of green leafy plants around the office to recycle the carbon in the air and ensure that you leave your desk at lunch time, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.  With Facebook calling it’s easy to eat your lunch at your desk, while you watch what the rest of the   online world is doing. Go out side! Breathe in the air, look at the sky and you will come back ready to attack the afternoon’s schedule.

 

5. Laugh

It’s nothing new but has again featured in the press recently. Laughing is stress busting, releases serotonin and it’s great to see your colleagues smiling. While we are not in a position to suggest you spam the office, occasionally there is a ‘funny’ email worth sharing. Lighten the mood and spread a giggle.

 

6. Chair

Your chair at work is a piece of furniture that you spend most of your day in and is massively important to ensure that it’s ergonomically placed in relation to your desk, height, weight and various other factors relating to your work.

 

Top Health Tips For Keeping Trim Around The Office

A sedentary lifestyle in the office can add unwanted pounds to your body. Here are a few simple steps that can help you to lose weight without having to give up your job:

  • Instead of emailing to your colleagues, it would be more beneficial if you walked those extra steps to his cubicle. Though the steps will be few but eventually they will definitely make a big difference. Moreover, a face-to-face rendezvous always helps to build a better rapport.
  • Avoid high calorie snacks and tea or coffee from the office vending machine. Instead stack your drawer with healthy and nutritious snacks like nuts, seeds, raisins and other dry fruits. Other choices include fresh fruits, raw veggies, sachets of herbal teas and ordinary coffee. Drinking strong coffee also helps, since caffeine increases your metabolism. However, it should be black coffee, minus the cream and sugar.
  • Use a wireless headset to receive phone calls. This way you can also take a walk around the office premises at the same time. Make it a point to take a 5 minute brisk walk at regular intervals of 2 hours. By the end of the day, this will eventually add up to a 20 minute walk.
  • One of the simplest ways to shed extra pounds while working in the office is to drink ice cold water. This will boost the metabolism rate of your body, consequently helping you to burn additional 100 calories while you are just sitting in your office chair. You can add a zest of lemon or crushed strawberry for flavor. A few raspberries or even a slice of peach will make a refreshing drink. Instead of gulping down soda, fruit juices, iced teas, drink ample of water. Cutting down on aerated beverages can make a significant difference to your daily calorie count.
  • Yet another way to burn calories is to simply twirl a few times in your swivel chair. For every 60 rotations, you will burn about 50 calories. Merely standing can also help to burn calories. Always keep moving even when you are working at your desk. Doing squats and lunges for even a few minutes every five hours is enough to do the trick.
  • Instead of waiting for the elevator, use the stairs. Try to take double steps as this will force your muscles to work harder. You can also work your calf muscles by tip toeing around the office or even while standing at our desk. Merely spending as much as 10 minutes, walking up and down the stairs on a daily basis will help you to lose approximately 10 pounds a year.
  • Instead of having a high fat and rich carb lunch at your nearest fast food joint, it would be advisable if you packed your lunch at home. This way, not only will you be eating a healthy and well-balanced diet but also save considerable amount of time and money.

A stressful and deskbound lifestyle increases the fat in your body. Thus, irrespective of how busy you are, make it a point to take some time out for yourself.

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We know that finding, researching and choosing the right office furniture can be a difficult and stressful process. That’s why we developed our 5 top tips to choosing the best office furniture to optimise your workplace!

See our 5 simple steps to office furniture and workplace design >