Spirit Magazine - December 2013 - (Page 66)

Business energize Extended Stay Reimagined Being on top of your game requires energy. That's why Element offers everything you need to stay active and at your business best on the road. Discover all of the essentials of balanced travel. Book now for 20% off elementhotels.com ©2012-2013 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, Element and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its afﬁliates. For complete terms and conditions of this offer, please visit elementhotels.com Pennington Biomedical Research Center, "There's no doubt that wellness affects productivity. When you're physically active, you sleep better, have more energy, are in a better mood, are less likely to be sick, and are more likely to be at work." Exercise is also really good for clearing your head and keeping you sharp. Did you know that some scholars believe Einstein conceived of relativity while riding his bike? All of that physiological goodness can work for the rest of us, too. Williams says, "Often when I run or exercise, I have epiphanies. It's the time when all the stuff in my brain shifts down." But don't be disheartened if you can't squeeze in hours and hours of marathon training every week. Church says research shows even doing small things, like walking to lunch rather than sitting at your desk skipping a meal, can make people more productive. Unless you have a really progressive boss who invested in standing desks last year, you probably sit ... a lot. While most of our work demands it, Church says there is still a lot of benefit in simply "breaking up the bouts of prolonged sitting" by walking 50 feet every half hour or so. If we just muster what it takes to move, it's a win-win for our employers and us. "At this point, we can confidently say that a physically active person is more likely to be a productive employee," Church says. IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS In addition to the big stuff, there are many small things you can do throughout the day to increase professional productivity. If, like Williams (who, by the way, thinks of sleep "by the week and not by the night"), you keep occasional late nights, a catnap can help you control impulses and ignore distractions- two things that are really hard when you're sleep-deprived. Just tell your boss you're "going George Costanza." Maybe it will turn into a thing. A catnap can help you control impulses, something really hard to do when you're sleep-deprived. Just tell your boss you're "going George Costanza." Also, don't forget that lunch is more than just good times down at the commissary-it's actually energy you need to make smart decisions. Finally, be the master of your technology rather than vice versa. While it's a good practice to stay on top of email, doing it while writing a press release, answering sales calls, or meeting with a client is stressful and distracts you from completing anything well and in a timely manner. So, what does a productive day look like? For Williams, it's one that "hits every base-finalizing a few things at the opera, meeting deadlines, and doing the things my family needs me to do." According to the U.S. Department of Labor's American Time Use Survey, people with lives similar to Williams' spend more than a third of each day eking out a living. When you consider those eight-plus hours, you might as well make the most of them; you might as well make the effort to hit every base. Jill Coody Smits is an Austin, Texas- based journalist. Find her online at blueseedcommunications.com. http://www.elementhotels.com http://www.elementhotels.com http://www.blueseedcommunications.com http://www.elementhotels.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - December 2013

Spirit Magazine - December 2013
Contents
Gary's Greeting
Gary's Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Worlds
Your Pictures
Media Center
Spice up your drink repertoire
Eat Drink Sleep
Cook with chickpeas
Stay Overnight in Nashville
The Numbers
Make a Case for Paper Maps
Look out for Bigfoot
Plan Interplanetary Trek
Wise Guide
Co-opt Criticism
Business
Meet your New Favourite Travel Buddy
Provoke Productivity
Tales of a Tippling City
Rediscover Sin City
The Other Side of Vegas
Your Adventure In Albuquerque
Promotional Series: Spirit of Florida
Focus On: Health Resolutions
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Services
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The "If" List

Spirit Magazine - December 2013