Posts tagged Surroundings
Easy Exercises for the Office
Sep 23rd
Here are some easy exercises you can do, whether you are at home working on your computer, at the office in your cubicle. As long as you are indoors, you can apply these exercises. These exercises are simple to follow and you will get a great workout if you do them. Running to the gym may not be an option for you. So it would be ideal to do workouts right from where you are and using your surroundings, especially if you are bogged down in an office.
Here are some office exercises for you:
1. The hand pump
Stick your hands out in front of you and squeeze your hands, then release. Repeat this process rapidly to get a good workout for your hands and forearms.
2. The Wall Sit
Lean against the wall and slide on down until you are in a “sitting” position, pushing yourself against the wall. Hold that position to get a good burn in your legs. You can also do the hand pumps I explained earlier as well while sitting against the wall. That way you can work out two different muscles at the same time.
3.Jumping Jacks
This simple yet effective exercise can be done anywhere, around your house or in your cubicle. Doing this for a minute straight will definitely get you tired and your heart pumping as well.
4.The Desk Push
You can lean over a table or a desk with your hands placed on it and push up off the desk to work your chest and arms.
5.The March in Place
Standing in place you can count in cadence and move yourself in place. Swing your arms a little too to work your arms. It is not difficult to do and it will get your body moving.
Seek What You Want to Find
Sep 21st
There is much truth in the idea that we tend to find what we are looking for. When we plant ideas in our mind about things we want in life, even subtly, the brain goes to work screening our intake and highlighting the things that we seek. In previous articles, I have referred to this as our reticular activating system; the mechanism that unconsciously brings to focus things that might have gone unnoticed had they not been “preprogrammed” by a desire to be on the lookout for such things. If that is the case, in varying situations, is it possible to choose what we find?
To illustrate this idea, try this experiment. Take a look at your surroundings; even better if they are somewhat unfamiliar. Ask yourself, “what do I see that is brown?” Take a minute to note everything that is brown. Next, close your eyes, and try to recall everything that is… green. Chances are, you’ll easily remember the brown, but will likely be unable to recall much green in the surroundings. You found what you were looking for but didn’t see anything else.
Our minds tend to work that way even when we aren’t doing experiments. What if we made a conscious choice to look for what we wanted to find? Would we find more of it? What if we really tried to concentrate on the things we’d like more of. Maybe more peace, maybe better relationships, maybe just more good in general.
As parents, we are often quick to find the flaws in our children (and each other). Sometimes the blunders and the teenage attitudes seem bigger than anything else. What if we decided to only look for the things they do right, the things that make them special, the pretty features, the cute way they walk or talk, their sense of humor, their talents? If we deliberately made it a point to look only for those things, would the negatives be less obvious?
Of course we have to guide; we have to discipline, and there are things we can’t ignore. As a public school teacher in Nashville, I am well aware of this side of the coin. However, when we pick our battles and consciously focus on what we want to find, we can pretty much choose our outlook and gain a little control over the “small stuff”.
Seek and ye shall find.
