If you have a formal office and you’re not comfortable grunting your way through a set of pushups or the other aggressive workplace exercises, let alone building your secret office mini-gym, but you still like the idea of Workrave and mini-breaks, there are still some great things you can do and nobody will even know […]
Office Workouts: Staying Healthy in Front of the Computer
Some researchers have recently recognized “sitting syndrome.” Otherwise known as “death by chair”, this set of health problems result from simply sitting too much. Meanwhile, as anyone who spends most of their day in front of a computer (like me) knows, even with good ergonomics, we develop aches and pains in the neck, shoulders, back and wrists. If we’re not careful, we also watch our gut grow.
Office Workouts for the Uninhibited
Micro-Breaks, Micro-Workouts and Healthy Computing
Is Stevia Safe? Is it Good for You?
Stevia is the newest sweetener on the market at the moment. Many times sweeter than sugar, that means that it is considered a zero-calorie sweetener. Stevia is an extract from the leaves of the stevia tree and therefore is considered a natural product. But does that mean it’s safe? A word about the word ‘natural’ […]
The Truth about Cinnamon, Metabolism and Weight Loss
Numerous weight loss articles and forum posts tout the virtues of cinnamon, commonly saying that it increases metabolism twenty fold and is therefore a useful supplement for weight loss. Sorry folks, but this is wrong on too many counts to count! That said, the research does show that cinnamon has beneficial effects on blood pressure […]
Social Proof (Weapons of Influence, part 3 of 3)
We all know birds of a feather flock together, but we’re often unaware of how frequently we flock with birds of our feather. Even when we say we are uninfluenced, the opinion and action of the crowd often get us to behave in ways we do not expect and can be used against us to influence our actions through the principle of social proof. (part 3 of 3 in the series on Weapons of Influence).
Commitment and Consistency (Weapons of Influence, part 2 of 3)
Consistency and Commitment are usually good things, but what about when underhanded marketers or other persuaders get us to subtly commit ourselves before we know what they’re after and then play on our desire to be consistent with our commitments? This is used against us every day. (Part 2 of 3 in the series on Weapons of Influence).
Reciprocation (Weapons of Influence, part 1 of 3)
Robert Cialdini’s book Influence discusses several “Weapons of Inflence”. This first part examines the power of reciprocation — our need to give back to someone who has given something to us — and how this is used to influence us every day in our buying decisions and in other areas. Parts 2 and 3 will look at social proof and comment and consistency.