Benefits From Volunteering That Isn’t Free Cookies

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Why do people volunteer? There are many different reasons, I choose to volunteer to donate blood because they have some of the best cookies ever. But some places (sadly) don’t have cookies so there must be other benefits. I took it upon myself to research the various reasons why people volunteer if it wasn’t for the free food and here is what I found:

You can make friends!

You might not make friends with salad, but you will make them when you volunteer. Not only are you doing good for other people or the environment, but you’re also benefiting yourself. Hanging out with like-minded people, doing an activity that helps others is the best way to connect.

It helps your mental health!

Volunteering can help your mental health, making you feel more grateful for what you have in your own life. It also helps build your self-confidence as you feel a sense of pride in helping your community.

Your bank account can grow!

Yes, volunteering, giving up your time for FREE can expand your bank account. Volunteering can teach you valuable skills that can be applied in the workforce and give you a great platform to network with industry professionals. Gaining experience in different fields can help further your career as you add new skills to your resume (and the fact that you volunteer).

It makes you fitter!

Volunteers tend to be more active, specifically older volunteers who walk much more than they would have before volunteering. Most volunteer positions have you standing up and moving about.

You will be happier!

Volunteering will make you happier, if not for all the reasons just listed then because your brain releases happy endorphins when you give back to others. Scientists have shown the more you give, the happier you are.

 

 

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How Does Increased Employee Engagement Translate into a Better Bottom Line?

98% of TDO riders said they felt engaged during the 2018 ride event, but exactly how does employee engagement lead to increased business success?

A review of the Gallup Studies regarding employee engagement and business performance found that employee turnover is reduced and productivity is increased when the employee feels that:

  • The employer cares about him/her

  • There is a strong mission/purpose

  • The organisation is a ‘friend’

  • The organisation is committed to quality

  • The organisation provides opportunities to learn and grow

What’s more, the Gallup Studies found a demonstrable relationship between employee engagement and business unit success. Business units at the 95th percentile of employee engagement improve their odds of success by 42% over the median business unit.

The Gallup data review allows us to extrapolate to attach dollar values to employee engagement by translating business unit success, customer satisfaction and employee turnover into hard costs.

Employee Engagement Translated into Dollars – For example – A 100 person business unit with $20 million in revenue:

 

It’s black and white! Employee engagement is great for everyone and your bottom line!

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#TakeTheStairs on #NoElevatorsDay

In the lead up to International No Elevators Day, we would like to discuss stairs! Don’t be alarmed, I’m not going to make you walk up any… yet (insert evil laugh). I know they seem terribly daunting, having to lift one leg up and then another – I’m exhausted just typing this. It’s just so much easier moving a few floors in a metal capsule suspended by some rope.

Oh, wait, no it’s not. Stairs have been around since 6000BC. Do you know how long elevators have been around? The answer is not much longer than the soup cans in your grandmother’s pantry. Elevators have only been around since the middle of the 19th century.

Did you also know there are great health benefits to taking the stairs instead of the elevator? It’s insane that physical exercise is good for you. By taking the stairs you’re burning more calories and building up your fitness. As for your mental health, exercise helps stress and anxiety, and helps you avoid Joe who always takes the elevator and doesn’t seem to know what deodorant is. It’s a win-win-win.

Now I understand that buildings have become much larger and you don’t want to waste half your day just to get into your office on the 20th floor. But… so many people who have access to stairs and only have to move a few levels up still choose to take the elevator.

Don’t worry though, I know you’re smart and you take the stairs because you understand the benefits of physical activity and care about your impact on the environment. Though maybe you know someone who still takes the silly, old elevator even though they run the risk of running into Joe. How do you help these people?

Studies have shown putting signs near elevators and stairs like ‘Don’t lose time, lose weight. Use the stairs’ and ‘Don’t waste time, trim your waistline. Take the stairs’ had a great impact. Other phrases to try are:

 

No time for activity. Your opportunity is now. #TakeTheStairs on #NoElevatorsDay

 

The entire world is climbing the stairs on #NoElevatorsDay How many stairs have you climbed today? #TakeTheStairs

 

There is no elevator to success – you have to #TakeTheStairs. Take that first step today on #NoElevatorsDay

 

If this doesn’t work though you can also try putting up a sign that the elevator is broken or that Joe stunk it up and now it’s shut down. Or tell them that it’s turned into a portal to Narnia and they’ll have to take the stairs (this one can backfire as employees may want to skip work and go to Narnia instead).

Now feel free to take the stairs and help us #quitthesit  #TakeTheStairs #NoElevatorsDay

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Solved: Keeping Healthy on the Holidays

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Problem: Keeping Healthy on the Holidays

Another holiday approaches, and though thankful for the break, it’s hard to keep a routine at what has turned into such a busy time of year. Luckily Easter doesn’t drag itself out as long as Christmas but it’s too easy to consume your body weight in food, particularly gloriously, sugary chocolates that seem to just be lying everywhere around the house.

So how do you keep up some sort of healthy routine when you feel like those chocolate bunnies in the fridge are staring you down saying ‘eat me, eat me’?

If you’re staying home for the break but don’t have much time in between family visiting and bathing your child for the millionth time because they have melted chocolate in their hair then try exer-cleaning. Yes, exer-cleaning, the cleaning version of jazz-ercise. You’re bound to be tidying up the house over this time so amp it up a bit and make it a workout. Try vacuuming your house that little bit faster or adding in a few squats while picking items up from the floor.

If your holiday involves some travelling, possibly some road tripping, make sure to take regular stops to stretch your legs. Walk around for five minutes or do some jumping jacks to get your blood pumping. Once you’ve reached your destination, try and walk everywhere you need to go if possible. Not only good for your health but you’ll notice things that would have been missed while driving.

Even with some little extra bursts of exercise, it can be hard to balance out your eating habits. So try out an Easter Egg Hunt: Squat Edition. Every time you go to pick up an egg, perform a proper squat or 5 if you feel so inclined.

Don’t let these holidays get the best of you, you don’t want to have to buy new work pants just after a few days off.

Status: Solved

 

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No Excuses: Event Leader, Mum and Runner

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Welcome to the No Excuses Series where different active lifestyles are explored to show there really is no excuse. In this interview, we speak with Helen, Event Leader for Tour de Office, mother of three and runner. 

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m the Event Leader for the Tour de Office Event, I work with a fantastic team to deliver the in-office cycling relay experience for companies around Australia. I work four days a week which gives me time to spend with my two young children.

What does a basic rundown of your day look like? 

I usually get jumped on by an energetic toddler or hear the unmistakable call of a waking baby around 5 am each day. We all head downstairs for a family breakfast and then depending on the season/light we’ll have a sneaky swim together, a walk outside or a dance party inside. It’s safe to say sitting down and eating a leisurely breakfast is a thing of the past. The positive is that I get my body moving from the moment I wake up, albeit involuntarily.

From there, its dressing and daycare drop off followed by a drive into work. I’m lucky to have a stand-up desk which helps to increase my time standing – and honestly does great things for my back and posture. Some work lends itself really well to walking and standing – like talking on the phone or creative thinking while I prefer to sit when I need to smash out a pile of written work or respond to emails. I take a small break for lunch and finish earlier in the afternoon so I can exercise outside and avoid the heat and strong sun. I’m lucky to work in an office on the Brisbane river so it’s easy to jump on to the riverside path and do a short run before heading out to pick up the kids.

The evening routine is pretty hectic with dinner, baths, books and bed so I usually fall at the same time as my children (sometimes mid-bed time story much to my 3-year-old’s disappointment). Then we do this all over again – cue 5 am wake up call!

How do you stay motivated and continue to do this (nearly) every day?

My children and husband motivate me. It is hard to sit on the sidelines when we are such an active family. I need my body to be strong and healthy so I can play with my children and have the energy to run the Tour de Office event!

What do you find the most challenging about keeping an active and healthy lifestyle?

As much as my children motivate me – they are also my biggest obstacle to keeping fit. Before them, I ran marathons and participated in loads of team sports in the evening. Now it is harder to find the time and freedom to head out for a 3-hour training run – and then give my body the necessary recovery.

Do you ever change it up?

I hope to soon – but this is a pretty standard routine. The weekends we start our Saturday with a local park run and include a family bike ride at one point.

What is your tip for others?

Find every opportunity to move – you don’t have to have a designated time or place. Once you start you can’t stop.

What is your favourite exercise?

Competitive sport! I lived in Canada for several years and loved playing ball hockey, while in Australia I grew up playing netball and touch football.

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Solved: Riding to Work

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Problem: Riding to work

Whether you already ride to work or want to ride to work there are daily stresses to this process. Riding to work is not as easy as it seems, and not just because you realise how unfit you are when you hit any sort of gradient. There are many challenges faced by riding a bike to work, especially in Australia where it gets hotter than a shirtless Hemsworth. You need to shower after your ride, you need a fresh change of clothes, maybe these need to be ironed. You also have to carry all of this in a bag on your back while you’re riding up a hill that you swore wasn’t there yesterday. And then after all this, where do you put your bike?

Maybe these are struggles you face now or the obstacles that stop you from riding to work. But no more I say. Here are some handy solutions to make your commute to work easier.

Travel lighter

Particularly if you’re working in cities, many offices have showering facilities for their workers. If you have a workstation you’re able to leave some clothes or toiletries at, do so.

Shop smart

No matter what you do, your clothes are bound to get wrinkled in your bag through their transportation. It’s also not a great idea to bring an iron with you to work or leave one in the workplace. Luckily there are so many business clothes that are wrinkle-free and will never have to bear the heat of an iron.

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Maybe your work doesn’t offer any sort of facility for use but there are ways to get around this. There are places like Cycle2City that offer all of these facilities in the heart of Brisbane to make riders lives easier (you can check them out here: http://cycle2city.com.au/ or check your city for similar services). It does cost a small amount but it’s less than what you would spend on public transport, and most definitely cheaper than a car.

So if you’re still um-ing and ah-ing, you can stop. Instead, you can get on your bike and start riding.

Status: SOLVED

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