An L&P Work Furniture adjustable desk.
The simple act of standing up
Last year, I converted my desk at work into a standing desk and because I do almost all my work on a computer, I’m now standing for 6-7 hours a day. At first, I thought I might regret my decision as my feet and back ached for a couple weeks, but I slowly got used to it and now have come to enjoy it. In this article, a leading UK medical consultant says the benefits of standing during the day are numerous, and the act is more practical than trying to incorporate “moderate” activity for 30 minutes into your daily routine. Simply standing for three hours a day can add years to your life by fighting heart disease and decreasing the risk of certain cancers. Sure, I sometimes have to reconsider my shoe choices (or stand barefoot), but I’ve noticed that I feel healthier just by standing all day. It’s a pretty easy change that makes a pretty big difference.
“Stand Up for Three Hours and Live Two Years Longer,” Says Top UK Medical Consultant – The Independent
Another healthy dose of writing advice
When I come across an article about grammar or writing, I can’t resist it. And this one touches on a topic I think is extremely important – how people present themselves in professional emails. Your email writing style says a lot about you and, if you’re making the mistakes outlined in this article, what you’re saying is not good. Some things to avoid include: using emojis, making errant typos, adding too many personal details, and asking questions you should already know the answer to.
The 12 Most Common Email Mistakes Professionals Make – Business Insider
As a writer, grammar is a subject near and dear to my heart. And my heart breaks every time I log onto Facebook and see the blatant destruction of the English language. This pain intensifies when I see egregious grammar mistakes in professional emails. How we write is a reflection of who we are. But who can remember all those pesky grammar rules we learned in school? For some of us, that was quite a while ago. Never fear – this article contains a grammar cheat sheet with everything from the basics (their, there, and they’re) to the more difficult (lay and lie). There’s also a fun cartoon to illustrate why the Oxford comma is important (and although the author declares herself “team OC,” she fails to use the OC anywhere in her article…tsk tsk).
Shela here again, filling in for Paul and talking about girl power. I’ve been lucky enough not to have faced any gender discrimination in my relatively short time in the work force. But I know it’s out there and it’s still a problem for many women, especially those trying to climb the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, changing minds takes time. It’s a real bummer, but there are things women can do to help effect change.
I’m Shela Bannasch, filling in for my boss Paul M. Johnson while he is attending the