By LeAnna J. Carey | Sep 25, 2012
Robin Sharma says that, “better awareness leads to better decisions, which leads to better results.” Not too many would argue with Sharma because success speaks for itself and he is absolutely right. Let me ask you - are you aware of your room temperature right now? Is it too warm, too cold? The temperature of your work place as an impact on your productivity, according to Fast Company, in reporting a study conducted by researchers at Cornell University.
The research discovered that employees who worked in cold temperatures were less productive and more likely to make errors in their work. Researchers adjusted an office thermostat and found that when the temperature was set to 68 degrees, employees committed 44 percent more errors and were less than half as productive as when it was set to a warmer 77 degrees. The theory behind the decline in productivity that when your body's temperature drops, more energy is expended trying to keep warm; energy that is diverted from concentration, creativity and insight.
The opposite in temperature settings is true for achieving a good nights sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. In their survey, they asked what makes for a good nights sleep and six in ten, rated on a 5 point scale, indicated that the following elements were important:
· Quiet room (74%)
· Dark room (73%)
· Cool room temperature (67%)
· Fresh air, free of allergens (63%), and/or
· Clean bedroom (62%).
Your productivity can be impacted before you even get into the office from a too warm thermostat setting the previous night. You get enough curve balls thrown at you daily, but temperature awareness is something that can be controlled.
By LeAnna J. Carey | Apr 05, 2011
Cicero said that the art of medicine is valuable to us because it is conducive to health, not because of its scientific interest. You have to admit, there is a great deal of wisdom packed into that statement and begs the question, where is medicine now and where does it need to go? With healthcare spending growing faster than inflation and national income [1], it would appear that we should focus on something more sustainable than treating disease, invasive procedures and writing prescriptions.
One area that is holding promise is Lifestyle Medicine where promoting a healthy lifestyle engages consumers in new levels of conversations with their physician. Lifestyle medicine is defined as the application of environmental, behavioral, medical and motivational principles to the management of lifestyle-related health problems in a clinical setting [2].
I recently, had the opportunity to discuss with author physician, Dr. Stuart Seale, MD and innovator physician, Dr. Virginia Gurley, MD, the importance of personal health choices, sleep, nutrition, and how personally rewarding it would be for both physician and patient to connect over the elements of integrative and lifestyle medicine. The discussion over what truly constitutes health and how this topic relates to the fundamental changes needed in our healthcare system coming from physicians is not only motivating, but a call to action for all of us in healthcare to look at our own health behaviors and willingness to be mindful for a healthier lifestyle. I hope that you enjoy this podcast where two physician thought-leaders are doing more that philosophizing, but leading the way in transforming the way we think about and create health.
By LeAnna J. Carey | Apr 14, 2011
The results of a new poll by the National Sleep Foundation reveal that teens are sleeping almost two hours less than they should. What is the toll that sleep deprivation is taking on today’s teens? NBC’s Chief Medical Editor Nancy Snyderman reports.