Life Archives - Page 55 of 56

The 6 Coolest Offices in the World

I always love to take a look at how other people work. Perhaps I am a bit voyeuristic but I love seeing some cool workplaces.

The 6 coolest offices in the world

Here are six offices that I reckon are the coolest in the world. Each one of them has something unique about it.

1. The Oval Office

The Oval Office

I love the Oval Office because it symbolizes so much for the people of America and the world. I am also quite sure there would be a lot of cool tunnels and secret doors in there which I would love to explore.

2. Shoemoney’s Office

Shoemoney's Office

In case you don’t know him, Shoemoney is an internet mogul who is rich as hell. He recently showed his readers his new office which is complete with a few nice computer screens, a nice wooden desk and a bloody massive TV with an Xbox hooked up. Awesome. The great thing about Shoemoney is that he hasn’t forgotten who he is. He is extremely helpful to everyone who meets him and is known as being a bit of a nice guy.

3. Al Gore’s Office

Al Gore's Office

Okay so this office might not be the coolest in the world in terms of looks but it has one redeeming quality; it is saving the world. It is here that Al Gore does his work for the environment and no doubt all those papers are studies and other facts that he will use to help curb global warming.

I have a question though – are all those screens saving power?

4. Open Space

Open Space Office

I have no idea where this office is but I love it. I love space and these open windows make you feel like you are a part of the view. Obviously this is the office of some high powered executive.

5. Euschwanstein Castle Office Germany

Castle Office in Germany
Photo credit.

Imagine working in a castle. Imagine having an office that is bigger than your entire house. Imagine being able to kick a football in your office and not being able to hit the roof. I’m pretty sure a few of history’s royals would have been able to do that. Here is one I love in Germany.

6. Google

Google Office
Photo credit.

Working at Google is a pretty sweet deal. Rumor has it that you can spend a lot of your time on your own projects and you can bring in a lot of toys and gadgets from home! I love the organic and spontaneous feel of this office. Working in a comfortable place like this would really make work seem less like work.

What do you like in an office

So now I’d love to hear from you what you like in an office. Do you like a big open office like the kings of old or do you like a modern office like you might find at Google?

Avoiding Distraction: 10 Ways to Stay Focused at Work

I write this article sitting in a busy internet cafe. I am struggling to stay focused with all the distractions going on around me. Television blaring, music on the radio, beautiful women and all the distractions (Facebook) that are on the net itself.

So how can we avoid distraction and stay focused at work?

10 Ways to stay focused at work

1. Develop a firm resolve
The first thing you need to do is take a few moments to develop a firm conviction that what you are doing needs to be done and you cannot waste any time. I tend to waste the most time when I have nothing particularly pressing due so I feel like I can do it later. Develop a firm resolve that you need to work now.

2. Break the procrastination habit
Leading on from number one you need to fight the habit you have built up over the years to let your mind tell you it is okay to do it later. Sometimes we complain that we are distracted but in actual fact we are just procrastinating. Make sure you know the difference.

3. Set a goal
Each day you should set yourself several goals. A goal does not just have to be something that takes years to achieve – a goal is any ambition that you set to a timeline. If you want to get a work report done by the end of the day you need to set yourself that goal and write it down on paper. Written down goals are somehow more powerful.

4. Be strong
When a stunning woman walks past it is easy to do what everyone else does and stare. However, who does that really help? It doesn’t help you get your work done. It doesn’t satisfy your sexual urges (it makes them worse!) so it would just be better not to look up. Remind yourself that you are in control of your mind and be strong.

5. Be a rock, not a tree
I once heard someone describe an influencial political leader like this:

“Mr. X is not a tree. He is a rock. He doesn’t get blown around by the wind.”

It is important to understand the wisdom of this. It is important for you not to get blown around by all the external events that are taking place all the time. This goes for work, love, happiness, etc. If you allow the things outside of your mind to take hold of you it will not be long before you have lost control of your life. Be like the rock.

6. Relax
Sometimes when we are too tight and stressed we find it difficult to achieve any sort of focus. When your mind is tight it will be taken away by anything that enters the senses. For this reason it is important to stay loose and relaxed. When we are relaxed we are more able to work with our mind. Our thoughts will be clearer and we will have more control over them.

7. Disconnect the internet
If you really need to get some work done it is often a good idea to turn off the internet for an hour or so. Make sure you have everything you need and then just switch it off for a specific amount of time. When we have distractions easily available to is we will often fall victim to them. Identify what distracts you and then get rid of it if you start to feel tempted.

8. Avoid the coffee
Coffee makes us jittery and anxious. It is very hard to stay focussed when you have had a few cups of coffee as your body will simply not let your mind sit still for two seconds. If you need to drink while you are trying to stay concentrated it is better to drink green tea, water, milk or something that has a relaxing effect.

However, sleepiness can also be a distraction in which case you should check out the tips in this post on waking yourself up at work.

9. Close the door
One of the most simple yet powerful things you can do is simply close the door. People will not feel as obliged to “stop by” if the door is closed. Of course those that intended to come and see you will still do so, but this who are just walking past will not stop in. Don’t always have it closed, however, as this will dilute the potency of the message. I keep my door closed only when I am actively working.

10. Find a deep motivation
When I was in India I learned the importance of having a correct motivation. The old buddhist master used to say that when you have a correct motivation you will be more able to accomplish tasks in a meaningful way and you will be less likely to lose your way because the motivation really means something.

The best motivation you can develop is one that is focussed on helping others. If you apply this motivation to whatever you do your life will work out and become a very meaningful journey.

“As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery… we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.” – His Holiness the Dalai Lama

top image: photo credit: DeusXFlorida

5 Ways to Make Your Office Space Happier

photo Cemetery Belle

For years I worked at home in a drab little office that looked and felt dark. At the suggestion of a friend I took some steps to spice up my office space in almost immediately I felt happier and more relaxed at work. This post will show you how you can make your office space at home or work a lot happier.

5 Ways to make your office space happier

1. Natural light
One of the first things you can do is make your work room brighter with natural light. It is a good idea to set your desk up in a position where the sun coming through the window doesn’t shine onto your screen or onto your eyes. That way you can have the blinds open all day and work in a bright and fresh environment.

Humans need sun to be happy. The Vitamin D that we produce after coming in contact with certain types of UV Rays is very important in combating depression. Make sure your office is getting some sun into it.

2. Green plants
Something else that you need is plant. Having a bit of greenery makes us feel like we aren’t so separated from nature and gives us something to look after. As you have to water a plant you will feel proud as it grows and this will induce a sense of happiness every time that you look at it.

3. Auspicious pictures
In Eastern philosophy the use of imagery is very important. For example, in the bedroom the Chinese like to place lots of “pairs”. This is seen as creating an “auspicious” environment for your love life and helping to remind you that someone else is in the room too.

In the office you should place relaxing pictures and pictures of wealth. Take a look at the traditional Tibetan image of longevity and happiness.

Image of Longevity

Place a picture like this as well as pictures of things that you want to achieve in your office.

4. Place your desk away from the doorway
One thing I noticed when I was doing my final year law exams is that I studied a lot better when I was away from the doorway. In the old days I had my back to the doorway and struggled to concentrate. These days, however, I have my desk at the back of the room where I can look out the window and at the door. This gives me a sense of security as I can see what is going on all the time.

5. Play classical music
Scientific studies have shown that over time classical music can help increase your intelligence as well as relaxing you more than any other music. I like to stream the radio off of my local Classical Music Radio station so that it is playing on my computer most of the day.

photo credit: nickfyson

However, listening to music while you are studying is actually counterproductive. You will retain less information than if you studied in silence.

Some of my favorite classical music to listen to during the day is:

– Vivaldi
– Bach
– Beethoven; and
– Mozart

Does anyone have any other tips to share?

How to Get Excited About Going to Work Again

photo dipster1

Remember when you first started your job? You were thrilled with the work, stimulated by the people and just couldn’t wait to get there? Well… you can feel that again.

How to get excited about going to work again

I want to go through some simple techniques that you can use to get excited about work. They might not work for everyone but they should serve as inspiration for you to develop your own techniques.

1. Shift the focus to others

“Build your reputation by helping other people build theirs.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo

One of the best things I ever learned about work was when I was the Himalayas and I was having a cup of tea with a buddhist monk. He asked me what I did for a living and I told him that I was working as a cleaner while I worked my way through college. He asked me whether I enjoyed it and I said “not really”. After a while he said something that changed the way I looked at work forever:

“The worst thing you can do is go to work for money. When you walk to work you could think that you are going there to benefit everyone you encounter. When you are working you should think that every action you perform is for the benefit of others. That way, if you do that well, you will go home at the end of the day feeling content and happy.”

I tried this pretty seriously. I would keep my mind on benefitting others. When I cleaned the windows I would think “May all beings have clarity” and when I swept the floor I would think “May all beings be free from obstacles”. After a while my work became a meditation on helping others and I enjoyed it.

2. Connect with the people at your work
The worst thing you can do at work is make enemies with your work mates or boss. If you do that your work will be hell and you will think about it all day long. Recently my girlfriend’s work changed owners and within a few months everyone was depressed and angry. I watched it happen as if in slow motion – each day the workers hated the boss more and more and in doing so became more and more unhappy. They thought that by talking about him and pointing out his faults it would make them feel better – it didn’t. It just made them feel worse.

The funny thing was that the only worker that was happy was the one that made the effort to make friends with the boss even though he was a bit weird. It worked wonders.

The people at your work can become your best friends if you put the effort in. You see them everyday and you will have lots of things to talk about as the office is such a busy place. Try and make the effort and be the “bigger” person. You will be glad you did.

3. Become mindful
Mindfulness really is one of the keys to being happy. If you live a mindful life you live a life in the moment. A lot of stress, depression and unhappiness comes from thinking about the past and the future and not resting in the present.

Staying mindful at work means that you should stay focussed on your work without letting your mind wander to other things. How many time are you sitting at work thinking about being somewhere else? If you’re anything like me – most of the time! However, if we can bring the focus back to our work we will be much happier people.

4. Challenge yourself everyday

“Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” – General George S. Patton

One of the best ways to bring the excitement back into your work is to set challenges for yourself on a regular basis. They could be simply ones like trying to get more work done than you did yesterday or they could be more long term ones like trying to work your way up into a new position. If you have a challenge like this you will be more focussed and driven.

5. Be thankful for the opportunity
One of the great things I learned when traveling in the slums of India is how damn good my life was back in Australia. I had health, wealth and education. I could quit my job today and probably find a new one by tomorrow. I have all the opportunities in the world.

One way to really shift your mind is to remember all the opportunities that you have in the job you are in. It will help you become excited about what you have as opposed to stressing about what you don’t have.

An Eye for an Eye: What Gandhi Can Teach You About a Happy Workplace

On my first trip to India I encountered the man called Mahatma Gandhi. This man is everywhere in India. He has streets, buildings and airports named after him. There are posters of him in cafes and police stations.

I wondered who he was and why he was so popular and I began to study his life-story. I soon realized that he was going to change my life exactly as he had for the people of India. The man was truly incredible and he has a few things to teach you about your workplace.

So who was Gandhi

Before I tell you how this great man can help you have a happier work life I thought it would be good to take a brief look at who he was and what he stood for.

Mahatma Gandhi was born in India on the second of October 1869. He is considered the father of India because he helped free the Indian’s from British rule through the principles of non-violence, tolerance and compassion. He inspired movements of human and civil rights all across the world.

His early life was spent studying to be a barrister which he simply hated. He was married by 13 in a family made arranged marriage. He learned about vegetarianism and non-harming from his parents and relatives. At 18 he moved to London to study Law. Before he left he vowed to his mother that he would avoid meat and alcohol.

He later spent time in South Africa where he suffered many acts of violence, racism and bigotry. It was here he developed and worked for civil rights for Indians as well as developing his own ideas about justice and truth.

He worked for decades in India working for increased rights for Indians and independence from Britain. In everything he did or stood for he stressed compassion, truth and non-violence.

He was finally murdered by a religious extremist on his nightly walk in New Delhi.

To get a full picture of his amazingly inspiring life you should read his autobiography which will without a doubt have an amazing impact on your own life.

What Gandhi can teach you about happiness at work

So many of Gandhi’s teachings and life stories can be applied to our own lives and can help us find meaning and strength. Gandhi endured a lot of hardships and if we study those hardships we can derive the same truth from them that he did.

1. Making mistakes

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” – Gandhi

It is important to realize that it is okay to make mistakes at work. We learn from mistakes and these mistakes make us better workers. No historically great person has ever achieved greatness without making mistakes. If you worry about mistakes and errors you will stress yourself out.

2. Understanding

“Hate the sin, love the sinner.” – Gandhi

One of Gandhi’s most important lessons was that of tolerance and understanding. Throughout our lives we will be in workplaces with people we really don’t like. We will be part of arguments and we will be pushed to take sides in political arguments.

Gandhi urges us to look at the sin and not the person. The next time someone yells at you at work it is important to develop love for that person as opposed to hating them. Realize that the person who is doing the yelling is unhappy and that is why they feel the need to yell.

3. Arrogance

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.” – Gandhi

People do not like being around arrogant people. It is particularly annoying when you have to work with them all day. We have all worked on a project with a team of people where someone is trying to run the show and putting down everyone’s ideas.

Your work will be a lot happier if you take on a humble personality. You will be more popular and people will be more likely to listen to your ideas. You will also learn a lot about yourself.

4. Forgiveness

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” – Gandhi

Often times you will be involved in arguments at work and things will get heated. Or, you might be out for Friday night drinks with everyone from the office and someone says something offensive while they are drunk off their tits. It is in these times that you need to learn to forgive. Being the bigger person in situations like these allows the tension to dissipate and you will be able to get on with your work in a happy and stress free manner.

5. Becoming a leader

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – Gandhi

photo credit: Rev. Santino
This quote is probably the most famous thing that Gandhi ever said. It has inspired millions of people worldwide to do something significant with their lives by instigating changes.

At work you need to be the change you want to see in the workplace. If you are sick of inter-office politics you need to refuse to participate. If you are sick of seeing people get bullied or victimized you need to stand up and say that you won’t be a part of it. Whatever change you might want it is important that you stand up and do it instead of waiting around for others to act.

6. Grudges

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” – Gandhi

Do not seek to get revenge. If someone gets promoted past you there is no point in holding it against that person. They are not to blame. You yourself are to blame for having unrealistic expectations.

This quote from Gandhi shows us how poisonous thoughts of revenge and retaliation can be. It is important that we strive to solve workplace problems with compassion and peace.

7. Being truthful

“A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.” – Gandhi

Sometimes we say things just to please people. Sometimes we think that a white lie is better than the truth because it will help us avoid a nasty situation. But these situations are where we need to step up and be honest. 9 times out of 10 that white lie will come back to bite us in the butt as we are not being true to the other person, or to ourselves.

8. Peace at work

“Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.” – Gandhi

We must understand that true happiness comes from mastering one’s thoughts and mind. It does not mater what is going on around you, if you have mastered your mind you will not be affected. If, however, you have not mastered your mind you will always be blown around by the winds of change in the workplace. Even a slight discomfort can ruin your whole day. Strive to find peace from within.

11 Ways to Fix Your Workplace Depression

Do you ever sit in your chair at work and wonder what the hell is going on with your life? Do you ever feel so depressed at work you just want to get up and leave and never come back? If you have ever had depression at work then this post is for you.

Depression at work or just depression?

The first thing you need to look at is whether you are depressed only when you are at work or whether you are depressed in general. The reason you need to establish this is because if you are only depressed at work there are certain things you can do to change that scenario while you are at work. However, if you workplace depression continues when you go home and long into the night then chances are you have an illness.

IMPORTANT – Depression is an illness that can be treated. Do not be afraid of depression. Seek help as soon as you feel like it is becoming a problem. It will not last for long if you start working with it.

This post is dealing only with depression at work. However, there will be some overlap.

How to avoid depression at the office

Here are steps you can take to help fix depression at the office.

1. Understand impermanence
An important step to treating workplace depression is to realize that work is impermanent. Stress is impermanent. Deadlines are impermanent. Once you understand that these things will not last forever you will feel less stressed and depressed about the future. The next time you feel depressed at work take a deep breath and say to yourself: “This feeling will not last forever…” and then get on with your work.

2. Chuck out the heavy lunches
Quite often I feel depressed after a heavy lunch where I have had lots of fat. Saturated fat in particular is really bad for your mind and makes you feel weighed down and sad. In my travels to the Himalayas I was told by some buddhist monks that you should avoid meat, eggs, garlic and other “heavy” foods when you need to think for a long time. Perhaps save those foods for dinner time.

3. Drop the coffee like a bad habit
We all drink coffee to make ourselves feel more awake and alert. However, coffee is causing a lot of people a lot of problems. It is well documented that coffee will make you anxious and depressed if you have too much of it. It causes all sorts of spikes in your body and mind and will leave you feeling pretty down. Drop it like its hot!

4. Drink green tea
Green tea is an ancient Chinese drink that has some amazing health benefits. One of those benefits is an increased sense of well-being and happiness. This might have something to do with the antioxidants or it might be something else. Whatever it is green tea has worked wonders for my happiness.

5. Understand the mind
One thing you need to understand that is more important than anything else is that all depression is in your mind. It is not caused by anything external. We might think that depression is caused by the jerk of a boss in our office but it is actually caused by our inability to deal with that jerk. Depression is in the mind. Happiness is in the mind. And we control our mind. Make sure that you start working with your mind.

6. Meditate
One thing you can do to understand your mind better is meditate. Meditation has been used for thousands of years to help human beings reach their full potential. But I know all of my readers aren’t into the Eastern philosophy so let me just tell you that meditation has been scientifically shown to decrease depression even more than antidepressants.

photo credit: Symic

Here is a simple meditation for the next time you feel depressed. Sit up straight in your chair and close your eyes. Start breathing through your nose slowly. Try and brings the breath all the way down into your stomach. Once you have focussed yourself in this way I want you to gently look at the depression. Where is it? Where does it stay? Where does it come from? Does it have a shape? Does it have a color? Don’t judge it; just look at it. When you do this again and again you will see that the depression has no substantial reality. It does not exist. It has no power over you.

This is meditation.

7. Think about serving other people
When you get into a career there is a big temptation to start thinking about yourself and no one else. However, this is a good way to make yourself depressed. Why? Because depression comes from losing sight of what is important and feeling like you are never going to be happy. Here is an old buddhist saying:

“All the suffering in the world comes from wanting happiness for one’s self. All the happiness in the world comes from wanting happiness for others.” – Shantideva

If you are feeling depressed it is a good idea to start focussing on other people and how you can serve them with your work. It might be something small like smiling at your colleague or it might be something bigger like getting your work to sponsor some charity. Think about how you can serve others and the depression will diffuse.

8. Eat fruit throughout the day
It is a good idea to start snacking on fruit throughout the day. Fruit is full of all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that the human body and mind need to be healthy. If you can get your diet on track you are half way towards making your depression go away. Fruit is one of the best things you can add to your diet – no one is eating enough of it.

9. Get outside in the sun
If you are anything like me you will spend way too much time in the dark in front of the computer screen. This is bad news. The human body needs sun to be happy. Vitamin D comes from the sun and this helps your body produce a chemical that makes you feel joyous and happy.

To get enough sun at work makes sure you:

– Eat your lunch in the sun
– Take phone calls on a chordless phone and go outside in the sun
– Walk to work or to the bus stop

Simple little things like this should be enough to get the sun you need. Remember to be careful about UV rays though. Too much sun will give you skin cancer!

10. Drink water
People are not drinking enough water. Water needs to be an integral part of your day; especially if you are feeling depressed. It cleans out toxins and impurities and helps your organs process all the junk. Depression is always related to your diet and your body’s function so drinking water and getting your diet clean is a very important step. If your office doesn’t already have an office water cooler, it’s time to request one!

11. Smile, at random
Smiling has been scientifically shown to trigger a chemical response in the human body. What this means is that the physical action of smiling will cause you to feel happier even if you have nothing to smile about! Try smiling more often and see how it changes your mind.