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Geiger Employee Tips

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions

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New Year = New Focus

We are all looking forward to 2021 and saying goodbye to 2020. A new year always brings a sense of new beginnings and fresh opportunities, and this rings even truer this year.

With this in mind, now is the perfect time to begin planning for 2021 and getting those New Year’s Resolutions in place.

We have come up with our top 10 resolutions that can help you make 2021 a year to remember for all the right reasons. We have also got the ideal branded products for each one to help your clients and staff achieve their goals next year, while helping your brand make a greater impact.

1. Get Fit

Getting in shape is the most popular New Year’s Resolution of all – 47% of people say that they would like to exercise more in the new year. After our festive indulgences, we want to get back to feeling fresh and energised — and nothing beats exercise for that.

Keep track of your exercise with this activity tracker that counts your steps, distance covered, calories burned and records your sleeping pattern. The bracelet has a dynamic heart rate measuring function to improve your sport performance and a sensor to monitor your blood pressure and oxygen level.

2. Drink More Water

Often our working day can become so busy that we forget to do the most basic things, like drink enough water. Research has shown that even a body water loss of 1-2%, which is considered mild dehydration already, impairs cognitive performance and your general health. The NHS recommends that adults should drink around 1.2 litres of water a day.

We love this great selection of water bottles from our Impact collection where 2% of every bottle sold is donated to Water.org to change lives with safe water.

3. Eat Healthier

Improving our diets is one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions every year. But when you are having a hectic day, it’s very easy to skip lunch or grab whatever snacks you can on-the-go.

Preparation is key. A lunchbox can help you ensure that you have got healthy choices to hand. By preparing your meals at home, you can save time and money and take control of your diet!

This particular lunchbox is eco-friendly too as it’s made from bamboo and polypropylene.

4. Support charities and social causes

A little extra awareness in your choices can go a long way. This stylishly designed bag works with any outfit and is large enough to carry all your daily necessities.

It is made from recycled water bottles and it supports Plastic Bank: a social enterprise headquartered in Canada which aims to clean up plastic waste from our oceans while providing valuable opportunities for impoverished communities.

5. Get Organised

Staying on top of things can help minimise stress, keep our energies focused, and keep us feeling positive.

If getting organised and staying organised is on your list for 2021, then writing things down in a diary and/or on a calendar is a great starting place. Branded calendars and diaries also make very welcome gifts that guarantee year-round brand exposure!

6. Think more eco

It’s more important than ever to do our bit for the environment and this doesn’t have to be difficult. Every day, millions of plastic bottles are thrown away.

Thanks to growing demand, there are eco alternatives for so many everyday items such as this umbrella, made from 5 recycled PET bottles. Furthermore, umbrellas generate over 1,100 impressions over their lifetime, providing excellent exposure for your brand!

7. Read More or Listen to Audiobooks

Reading does marvellous things for your brain – it increases your vocabulary and comprehension, helps to prevent age-related cognitive decline and increases your ability to empathise. It can also reduce stress, and help you sleep better. Whatever your interest is, there is a book about it!

While we cannot always find the time to read, audiobooks are a great way to get the benefits of literature. Wear a pair of headphones during your exercise, or maybe connect to a Bluetooth speaker, and you can listen to anything from your favourite autobiography to Stephen Fry narrating Harry Potter.

8. Explore New Hobbies

Is there a hobby or pursuit you have always been interested in but never quite found the time to explore?

2021 is the year to go for it!  Interested in trying your hand at arts, cooking or a new sport?

Alternatively, why not improve your chess game with this set? This way you can improve your work-life balance, especially if working from home makes it hard to you to find that fine line.

9. Organise Your Mind

The increased awareness about mental health and wellbeing in recent years has been most welcome. Benefit from the clarity that calming and organising your mind brings, whatever your line of work. Journaling is an increasingly popular way of finding that clarity. This branded journal can help you to get your thoughts down on paper and get things off your chest. You might also uncover a great idea to take your brand to the next level.

10. Spend Less Time on Your Phone

We often find ourselves glued to our phones, even without meaning to. It starts with checking your email, then checking your LinkedIn and before you know it, you have been scrolling for an hour through your Instagram feed.

It is recommended that we spend no more than two hours per day on our phones, but even average users are scrolling for nearly five hours per day. A phone safe is a unique and brilliant way of getting screen-time down.

Making New Year’s Resolutions is easy, keeping them is hard. Around 80% of people give up on their resolutions, often within the first few weeks. Always focus on the positive outcome, remembering why you have made this commitment to yourself. The longer you stick with it, the more natural it will become. You will soon wonder how you have ever managed to get through the day with only 6 hours of sleep and 2 glasses of water!

And whatever your resolutions are, best of luck from #GeigerUKteam!

How To Find The Right Work-Life Balance When WFH

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Even before the Covid-19 outbreak, we lived in an Always-On culture – technology has allowed us to work anytime anywhere.

As many employees continue to work from home, significantly during Mental Health Awareness Week 2020, it seems more important than ever to find the right work-life balance.
We’ve put together a few relevant tips on how to find and maintain that important line between work and life during the prolonged working from home period.
Frame
1. Set aside a space dedicated just for work 
This will help you get in the zone and, more importantly, will help you to switch off at the end of the day.
 If possible, find a space with lots of natural light to improve morale and productivity.
Give your workspace a personal touch to make it your own. A green plant gives an instant uplift or you could even frame a photo of your favourite colleagues!
cafetiere
2. Get ready for work
Follow your usual morning routine – make some tea or coffee and have breakfast.
Get dresses for your working day. 
Many of us do cheat and wear tracksuit bottoms – but that’s ok, it’s important to feel comfortable too!

noise cancelling headphones

3. Communication is key

Stay in touch with your colleagues throughout the day – there is no substitute for seeing each other’s faces! 
There is a myriad of tools available to help you communicate with your team – for example at GeigerBTC we use Microsoft Teams and GoTo Meetings. We also hold a weekly company-wide video chat every Friday afternoon, where we catch up about the week and have a little bit of office banter that we all miss while working from home!
calendar pod
4. Create a routine and stick to it
Write a plan or your to-do-list either the day before or every morning.
Set your goals for the day, week or month ahead. Put your work away at the end of the day, especially if your workspace is a shared space in your home.
It’s also important to set working hours and stick to them, especially if you have children at home. 
tea and coffee set
5. Take breaks throughout the day and do not skip lunch
Step away from your laptop, make a cup of tea, clear your head, and recharge.
Pop out for some fresh air, check on your children or pets, or make a call to check-in with your friends and family. Make sure to stretch regularly, here is a great guide.
snacks
6. Look after your physical health and eat well
It’s important to stay active while we are at home and take outdoor exercise if you can. There are so many fantastic apps and online videos that will allow you to exercise from your living room too.
Eat healthily, choose healthy snacks rather than salty, sugary and high-fat options. Maintain a healthy, balanced diet, drink lots of water, and of course, allow yourself the occasional treat.
And, most importantly, don’t forget your mental health
Make time for mindfulness. Try your best to be patient and positive, and focus on here and now. Identify your triggers and have a plan on how to deal with them, there’s a myriad of techniques available. For example, use the ‘CALM’ technique by assigning each letter to something that makes you feel better and calmer (i.e. C for chocolate, A for art, L for lakes, M for mum).
Meditation can help you to keep focus and perspective in changing times, whilst reading can be your biggest escape and companion. Explore the many apps that are available for both meditation and reading, or why not join a virtual book club!
Remember, we are stronger together!
Even though we are separated in our homes right now, the advances in technology allow us to stay connected to each other in ways we couldn’t even imagine 20 years ago!
Make sure to regularly check in with your colleagues. Feeling lonely or isolated is very common these days – a simple call to say hello can make a huge difference.
Take a creative approach to find your own work/life balance. It’s important for your health, attitude and productivity. 
As employers, investing in an employee well-being strategy can help teams feel connected and valued during these difficult days. Sending your staff a gift is the perfect way to show you care about them.