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Piala Inc, in Tokyo Gives 6 Extra Days Off to Non-smokers

To motivate employees to quit smoking, Piala Inc is giving more vacation days for non-smokers, saying the each "smoke breaks" take 15 minutes each and the non-smokers resent it.

One employee posted a message in the company suggestion box saying smoking breaks were causing problems. The CEO heard about this and decided to give non-smokers extra time off.

If you don't believe that smoking takes up that much time, do the math. Piala Inc is on the 29th floor, so it takes 15 minutes to wait for an elevator and go downstairs to smoke a cigarette, but let's assume that in the US, a cigarette break is only 10 minutes.

10 min, 4 cigarette breaks each day, comes to 3.33 hours a week. Multiply that by 48 weeks, if you don't count two weeks vacation and two weeks of various holidays each year, 159.84 hours. Divide by eight hours a day - average work day - and you arrive at 20 DAYS a year that a smoker is smoking and not working.

Smokers, if you say you only smoke two cigarettes a day during working hours, you are still working 10 fewer days a week than your workmates. (On top of that, in general, smokers get sick more often and take more sick days.)

Piala Inc. introduced the new policy in September and at least four of the 120 employees have been used this as an incentive to quit smoking. (Wouldn't you?) 30 non-smokers have taken advantage of the new program and have taken days off.

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

For fun, I’m posting a relaxation “spell” to help you de-stress this October 31, that will, presumably, help you for years to come.

No, I’m not a witch, but hypnosis can seem magical :-) (this spell is from https://magic-spells-and-potions.com/)

You will need :

fresh grass

lavender

rose petals

olive oil

white candle

cauldron (small) (an     essence burner would do it with small quantities of the ingredients)

your favourite quartz crystals

1 white candle

Mix the fresh grass, lavender and rose petals in the cauldron and add a touch of olive oil.

Place the crystals around the candle, light the candle.

Heat the olive oil, rose petals, lavender & grass. mix for approx. 5 minutes.

Inhale the scent through your nose and breathe out through your mouth, with your eyes closed and focussing on "calming and relaxing in, and stress and misery out'' as you do that.

Continue for about five minutes or until you really feel the stress melting away and deep calm returning.

For the final touch, turn to the candle when you are ready and say:

"All remaining (anger/stress/fear/sadness/etc) will now go,

from the inside to the outside, make it so."

Take 11 deep breaths as before and on the 12, blow out the candle.

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This is is from my friend, Alison Held Anderson, at www.HealthfulDirection.com:

Feeling stressed out?  Here's a tip to instantly calm down the nervous system:

Next time you feel tense, wrap your hands around a hot cup of coffee or tea.  Scientists say that when anxiety hits, the nervous system goes into an emergency response, sending blood away from the hands to the body's largest muscles, which leaves hands cold.  Simply warming them tells the nervous system everything is fine, restoring calm!  Let me know how this quick tip works for you!

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#12 of my 12 Stress Reducers That You May Not Have Thought of--

SEX!

Of course, I had to save this blog for the end.

Does sex reduce your stress level? Absolutely! For one thing, deep, relaxed type of breathing relaxes your body, releases tension, and reduces the stress you feel.  It's true that you can simply perform breathing exercises on your own and achieve stress management benefits, but combining the benefits of breathing exercises with the pleasure of sex can be so enjoyable, why not do both?

Another study examined participants’ blood pressure as a measure of their stress responses during public speaking or challenging math problems—situations that often elicit stress. It was found that those who had recently had intercourse tended to have lower baseline blood pressures and/or less of a blood pressure rise during stressful events.

Sexual activity releases endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin, all hormones that make you feel better. Oxytocin also appears to reduce stress responses, including anxiety. These effects have been seen in a number of species (like female prairie voles -- who knew?). With humans, foreplay, and even beforehand, these hormones are released from the brain and surge through your body. At orgasm, oxytocin (the "cuddle" hormone) peaks and studies show that this causes significantly less stress and a higher positive mood, even the next day. The studies also show that this sex/stress management connection works both ways, sex leads you to be in a calmer mood, and the good mood then creates a desire for more sex because you are feeling less stressed.

Yeah, it's all about reproductive biology and propagating the species. But who cares why YOU are doing it?

Solo sexperts, don't feel left out. Dopamine and oxytocin levels peak before and during an orgasm, whether with a partner or during masturbation.

So, go ahead.

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#11 of my 12 Stress Release Activities You May Not Have Thought of--

Sit near water, any kind of water.

To reinvigorate your body, and your mind, breathe in the energy of water. You can feel the energy of the water when you are near the sea, but you can feel this energy anywhere there is water, a river or a lake. No matter what your belief system is, the energy of water is healing and cleansing. There is more prana (the life force) near water; or there are negative ions near water. Ions are molecules that have acquired or lost, electrical charge. Rushing water creates negative charges to the oxygen molecules, and that's why it feels so good to be at the ocean or at a waterfall.

Allow yourself to sit and inhale this energy.

Find a place to sit and just gaze at the water. Focus on your breathing and let go of your thoughts. (Thinking depletes your prana! :-) ) As you gaze, notice the colors of the water. If it's sunny, see the sun dappled on the water -- the gold, white, silver light.

Breathe in the energy, the negative oxygen ions. And, if you will, breathe in the light. Feel it go into your nose, up into your sinuses, then into your head. You can close your eyes when you do this, but I urge you to do this with your eyes open. Just imagine seeing the colors of the sun on the water penetrate into your head, and then allow this energy to course through your body.

Every time you breathe in and out, let the negative ions energize your body and release exhausted ions, the ones that have lost their charge, out.

Breathing this way both energizes you and, helps you sleep better.

This may seem esoteric, but, really, you don't have to be a yogi to let this work. All you really need is water and an imagination. So give it a shot. After five or ten minutes, you will feel less like you are fighting an uphill battle and more relaxed.

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#10 of my 12 Stress Releases You May Not Have Thought Of -- Call a friend who makes you laugh

 Let your mind go back to a time you laughed with a friend or relative. Laughed really, really hard. What were you doing? What was making you laugh so hard? Even as you are thinking about it now, you are starting to smile.

Call or text this person and tell him/her that you are thinking of them and why. If that person can't pick up, no matter. Just leave a message about what you are remembering. If at all possible, this person will contact you and the two of you can laugh about it again, and much more.

As I started to write this blog yesterday, I remembered at time a roommate and I walked in Boston Common, laughing so much that concerned strangers were ready to call an ambulance! I sent her an email about it and a few hours later, she called me. The hysterics started all over again and I had to sit down in the supermarket.

It made my whole day. I'm blessed to have a bunch of those friends and relatives.

This blog post doesn't really need anything else.

So -- whether or not you are stressed right now, remember one of those laugh-until-it-hurts moments, and relive it. Then, share it.

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#9 of my 12 Stress Release Activities That You May Not Have Thought Of-- Spend 5 minutes looking at clouds

I'm totally serious about this. Snowflakes are not really unique, but clouds are. When you are watching clouds, you will never see the same cloud ever again. They move, they change color, they form and then disappear.

Just gaze at the sky and watch the subtle grays, silver and yellows ebb and flow. Every time you breathe and out, let your breath change forms of the clouds.

I'm all for looking at pictures in the clouds, but for just these five minutes, resist the temptation and put your conscious mind on the side. Let the clouds relax you by employing all of your senses. This is not as esoteric as you might think.

As you gaze at the clouds, imagine the sound they are making, the smell of the clouds, what the clouds are forming on your retina. Imagine the clouds entering your body by breathing the clouds into your nose. See them enter your body and fill your joints, up into your head and allow them to float all around your body, until you -- perhaps -- start to lift up into the sky.

You may be surprised how easily this is. Practice for a few days. Get out of your car and look up! Stare out the window.

If you don't have any clouds today, or if you are stuck in the office with no access to a window, spend a few minutes looking at videos of clouds.

I have included a few below, so that you will be able to "gaze at the clouds" not "search for clouds."

If you don't like the music, turn it off and imagine your own music or breathing -- and let the clouds fill your whole screen.

In five minutes, you will feel better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdeUCueLbwY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57GsJcYPvFQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwTnyRHEZSQ

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#8 of My 12 Stress Release Activities You May Not Have Thought Of--

DRAW!

When you are watching TV, waiting for the train, sitting on hold on the phone, take a pen or pencil and start drawing.

It doesn't have to look like anything! Make a design, play with color, turn the lines on your paper into railroad tracks, a garden fence or a jail. Don't THINK it. You're not doing this to create a masterpiece. You're doing it to reduce your stress and relax.

Listen to music and move your pen to the music; get out some of the stress in your mind by making slashing marks on your paper. Or let your pen make soft arcs to calm yourself down.

Imagine being in a place that you love -- the beach or a roaring fire on a snowy day -- and start sketching parts of it, a seagull or a marshmallow on a stick.

Let your conscious mind turn off, and let your subconscious take over. (This is the hypnotist in me talking.)

Angry about something? Draw your stomach ache or your headache. You're not drawing person or situation that is causing you stress, draw the FEELING.

Conflicted about a decision? Start drawing the emotions that are coming up.

Feel free to talk to yourself while you do this! Talk to your hand, talk to your pen, talk to the feeling in your stomach, or talk to the person who is causing the feeling.

Drawing can be so therapeutic when you don't worry about technique or an audience. Draw something huge or switch your media to finger paint :-).

If you have released the feelings, decide what to do with your drawing -- frame it? Save it for later? Burn it?

The choices are all yours.

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#7 of my 12 Stress Release Activities You May Not Have Thought Of-- Arrange Flowers -)

You can see that one of the themes of the 12 Stress Releases posts is that you shouldn't have to spend a lot of money to relax. I'm all for trips to a spa in Biarritz, but why wait?

Arrange some flowers! If you have time, grow them, or make them "wedding-worthy," but you don't have to and you don’t have to take a class. Just bring them in from outside, even if you already have houseplants. A little nature in your man-made house.

Take a walk with scissors in your hand and cut wildflowers along the road, like the ones I cut right before I wrote this blog. These little October flowers are weeds! I don't recommend stealing flowers from other gardens, which anger your neighbors and mess up your karma; but just look around. The walk will do you good, too.

When winter comes around, bring in holly and other plants with berries. (You don't need me to tell you not to bring wild berries into your house if you have little children or pets, do I?) If you are unable to walk for some wildflowers or the wildflowers are hibernating, spend a few bucks for some cheap flowers at the supermarket. Stick the flowers in a jar and add water.

They will cheer you up for a whole week, every time you look at them! If you forgot to buy flowers, put some lemons or apples in a glass bowl. Or arrange your green and red peppers in a vase and you have a centerpiece on your kitchen table.

It's all about bringing color and nature into your home.            

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We were awesome on this song!!

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#6 of My 12 Stress Release Activities You May Not Have Thought Of--

SING

I Googled "Health Benefits of Singing" and the first entry was Take Lessons.

Oy. You don't have to take lessons in order to enjoy singing. Singing is for everyone, so start with having fun.

Sing with the radio, sing in the shower, sing with your children, sing alone, sing with friends for the hell of it. You don't have to be good at it. (If you enjoy it and want to get better at it, by all means, take lessons. I took lessons for years and loved every single minute of it.)

Choir singers report that they feel feeling happier, less anxious and less depressed than the general population. Joining a group, creating music together, benefits your immune system and can lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Singing in a group, believe it or not, can reduce snoring! One study found that, when comparing singers with non-singers, the singers had a significantly lower severity of snoring. (You're exercising your throat muscles when you sing.)

For the introverts in the world, who complain that they are lonely, singing is the way to gently join the rest of the world.

So turn on a song you love on your IPhone and let those endorphins course through your body. You'll feel great!

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Humans are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent reason.” In case you’re wondering, the number of people who can survive on five hours of sleep or less without any impairment, expressed as a percent of the population and rounded to a whole number, is zero.

A really good article on Sleep. 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/24/why-lack-of-sleep-health-worst-enemy-matthew-walker-why-we-sleep?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Gmail

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#5 of My Stress Release Activities You May Not Have Thought Of -- Take a bath!

I know who you are, those people who are too "busy" to take a bath or say, "I don't like sitting in dirty water."

To you, I say, "Think again." Learn how to take a bath. A twenty-minute bath can help you relax, sleep, and let your cares float away. If you have a jacuzzi, great, but do not need one to have a great bath.

Warm water with epsom salts or a good smelling oil. How about bubbles?

Don't surf the net, don't read news.

Put your phone at least two feet away from the tub! You don't create more stress by dropping your phone in the bath.

Turn the lights down, turn on some music, read a book.

Or do what my British friend suggests, have a "jolly good Think."

Just BE.

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#4 of My 12 Stress Release Activities That You May Not Have Thought Of --

Cook or bake

Even if you believe you are not a good cook, relax. This isn't about being a great cook. It's about the feeling you have when you  have made something good for yourself or the people you care about. (If you do like cooking, you already know how soothing it is to cook, particularly when you are not rushed.)

Lots of food can be prepared in five to thirty minutes, like scrambled eggs. When it comes to reducing stress, I'm all about buying convenience items at the supermarket. Buy a box of muffin mix and add an egg and some water. In 45 minutes, you have muffins or cornbread.

Most comfort foods are easily thrown together and, believe it or not, easy to clean up from, too. Pudding, tortillas with cheese, a baked potato, or buy some frozen bread dough and bake it. They are all easy to make, and makes you feel better when you make it and eat it.

Not to mention, your house smells great now.

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#3  Go on a News Fast

For 24 hours, stay away from the news. ALL news. I'm not just talking about the nightly news, or All Things Considered. I mean stay away from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and any other social media.

Columbus Day, October 9, 2017 will be the perfect day to do this!

You don't need to know.

I'm sorry that Tom Petty had a heart attack, too, but, unless he's a personal friend, you and I did not need to know this immediately. You don't need to post your feelings about it on Facebook -and hear everyone's favorite Tom Petty song. It can wait twenty-four hours.

You do not have to check first thing in the morning to see if someone has dropped nukes during the night.  (You will find out.)

No news.

What do you do instead? Read a novel, play games with your kids, take the dog to the park, take a bath. This is a day to "do something you kept meaning to do, but haven't."

Instant media creates a lot of stress and anxiety.

Give yourself a break for one lousy day.

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#2 of my 12 Stress Release Activities You May Not Have Thought Of:

Have a manicure.

This goes for everyone -- men, women, and in between.

If you already get manicures, then you know why this is relaxing. Manicures offer you inexpensive Me Time.

For those of you who don't regularly get them, you are in for a treat.

I don't like the feeling of nail polish on my fingernails. (feels like I can't breathe) but the rest of the manicure is fantastic!

The technicians clean up your hands and make them healthier, no cuts, no hangnails. They soak your hands and then they massage your hands for about 10 minutes.

For people like me, who don't like nail polish, the nail technicians will buff your nails, that really does stimulate your nails and fingertips.

THEN- You get a 5-10 shoulder massage! All of this for about $15-20! (don't forget to tip)

During this 30 minute Me Time take the time to really enjoy it. Rather than checking Facebook or reading the news -- any news, even articles in fashion magazines where they are you always telling you what you should be eating, wearing, or doing. (Women's magazine writers are annoying busybodies and control freaks.)

Turn on music and/or gossip with the technicians. Or bring a friend and laugh together.

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12 Stress Reducers You May Not Have Thought Of -- #1 Dance!

I’m married to someone who doesn’t dance. I, on the other hand, love it! This first post is to inspire you to dance more, any time, any where.

I dance when no one is home, I dance if I’m with friends, I dance in the subway, if the music is good. Dance.

It’s fantastic exercise, gets your heart pumping and your lungs capacity is improved. You can lose weight, your muscles become more toned, and there are cardiovascular benefits of dancing and you can meet lots of fun people. Dancers love dancing. I’m not going to tell you how to dance, because it doesn’t matter.

Moving around to music is fun. No one cares if you are a good dancer, but even if you are shy about it, you can always do it alone. You don’t need a good partner; you don’t need a partner at all.

Next time you are feeling overwhelmed, turn on your favorite music. I’m partial to Motown, but if you love rap, tango or contra dance -- go for it!

Listening to music in the car? Dance while you are sitting! This is so much healthier than listening to the news. Drying your hair or your body after a shower? Dance with the towel. Waiting in line in a store? Stores all have music on, move to the music.

I repeat -- No one cares.

I don’t know of any physical activity that makes people look so happy. Dancers are always smiling and laughing while they are practicing, rehearsing and performing. Running doesn’t do that, neither does swimming or any other  exercise.

What else is so good for you and makes you smile?