Author: Harry Beck

What is an example of innovation for creativity? A lot of people have been confined to working from home due to COVID-19. Working from home looked like a dream to many people, until they actually had to do it. There are many challenges involved in work from home as well. This is why it could not have been possible if there wasn’t any technology present. The presence of technology has made it easier for people to manage their office chores by sitting at their homes. So, how can the people handle this situation more creatively? What is an example of innovation for creativity for them? Continue reading to find out how to implement smart technology while working from home.

4 Innovations for Working from Home

Get a Good Internet Connection

Want to work from home smoothly without any interruptions? You need to have a good internet connection for it. You can get an adaptive Wi-Fi system as well that is much more innovative and creative than the previous mesh Wi-Fi system. It lets you allocate the bandwidth according to your needs and requirements. It lets you allocate the internet speed according to the devices’ requirements. In this way, you will be able to ensure that heavy devices such as laptops and PCs get the most from the internet connection.

Get a VPN Service

Want to protect your privacy and increase work security while working from home? You need to have a VPN for it. Working from home is impossible without a VPN. It is the most important technology needed to work from home as it provides a secure connection to the workers through public connections. Even though you have a secure internet connection, a VPN lets you encrypt your work data to provide you more security. This is why you need to get yourself a VPN connection as well.

Get a Good Backup System

Almost all of the offices have backup software installed in their workplace to ensure that their data is not lost. So, if you are working from home, you should have a good backup system for your office data as well. It is because keeping data safe is a challenge these days. This is why you need to have a backup solution at your disposal for the protection of your data. Apart from this, you can also have a secondary backup system in addition to your primary backup system as well.

Get a Good Video Calling Software

If you are working from home, you need to hold meetings and communicate with other employees and your managers as well. This is why you need to have good video calling software that can serve your needs and purpose. Face to face meetings is essential for every business. So, select the best video calling software when you are forced to work from home.

What is an example of innovation while working from home is a vast concept and many things can be included in it. But, if you want some technology-based creative ideas, you can always refer to the above-mentioned ideas.

Nationalistic sentiments are rising these days. Countries are seriously looking at security and national threats to their well being.

Presently, TikTok has joined politics and it is facing challenges by being banned in a lot of countries as a result of issues related to privacy. This is not a usual situation where a simple stunt would stop the entire challenge, right now there are different reasons these countries want to ban TikTok.

There was a period where the trouble for social media platforms simply meant not enough users, social media platforms like MySpace, Friendster, Orkut, and Google+ can tell you what they have suffered. But TikTok was owned by the Chinese (unless Oracle bought it recently), and its future has been thrown into gear because they don’t know if these countries would place an outright ban on them or not because of their privacy concerns.

However, recently, the U.S. lifted its ban on TikTok.

What countries have to say about the ban on TikTok?

The Ministry of Information and Electronics Technology in India has placed a blanket ban on about 59 mobile apps that were made from Chinese companies. And they stated it was engaged in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of the state and public order.

In the U.S. ,Donald Trump and his government have been threatening to get rid of TikTok from when they accused the platform of stating the information of U.S. citizens to the Chinese. This also followed China’s establishment of Hong Kong’s cleaning the national security law. The platform announced it would leave the market of Hong Kong in a few days.

David Mayo stated that if you ban digital apps using an analog method, you simply make that digital thing bigger. Mayo is the chief operating officer at ADNA Global. TikTok might face a little fall off, but soon, it’ll rise to its peak until the next thing comes along.

It would take a lot of people to look at TikTok as a Chinese object before it’ll fail and not be seen as viable by its users. This does not matter and no one cares who created this brand. Some might call TikTok a global brand made from China. To most of its users, they don’t like those that are trying to kill off and ban TikTok. And we’re talking about millions of people here.

How plausible can TikTok get banned in these countries?

Trevor Long, the editor of EFTM.com and a tech commentator, notes that app developers like TikTok can do little to control how governments react to its usage or availability in any country, other than to attempt to influence the thinking of governments about the relative privacy and security of the app.

Some governments in our world are trying to put on restrictions on the constituents that are related to the apps people in their countries can and cannot make complete and total use of. This means that even though there is a ban on this mobile app, you can’t go to everyone and stop them from making use of the app. Trying to stop its growth would not work at all then.

Technology has always played a huge role in shaping our lives. In earlier times when technology was not this advanced, most of the things were done manually, which required human labor. Now, in this 21^st century, almost everything can be done easily and quickly thanks to the great advancements in technology.

People are no longer following the conservative methods of doing work and are taking full advantage of this growing technology. If we compare our lives and our lifestyles with those of the people in the past century, we will know how massively and tremendously our lives have changed, all because of growth in technology. It has been playing a huge role in altering our behaviors, as well as our thoughts.

3 Ways Technology Can Help You Work Out at Home

Similarly, technology has played a huge role in changing the fitness lifestyle of the people. Earlier the only option people had when it came to fitness was to join a gym and use dumbbells and machines.  Now, however, things have changed. Let us now discuss the ways technology can help you work out at home.

Online Workout Routines

Technology and the advancements have made things so much easier for everyone. People have busy routines, and it is very hard for them to take out the time everyday and travel all the way to the gym. However, technology comes to the rescue. One no longer has to go to the gym, as the online streaming workout routines as well as thousands of work out applications have made it very easy for people to stay at home and work out at any time of the day.

These streaming online workout routines (often found on workout video from YouTube and other sites) are very effective and easy to follow, and many strongly believe that the results are very promising too. This has to be one of the greatest ways to work out at home, especially for people who are beginners at this or usually need a trainer at the gym.

Fitbit

For those who do not know what that is, Fitbit is a fitness tracker, which helps one track his or her activity levels. This is also a technology which is very motivating for those who want to stay fit. It is beneficial for nearly all ages, whether it is a teen who wants to keep a track of his or her activity levels or an adult, it works best for almost all age groups!

Smart Watches

Smart watches for workouts are a more fashionable choice of keeping a track of your daily steps and calories. Fitness trackers, as well as smart watches play a major role in motivating as well as tracking how active the person has been all day. There are so many options – from the Apple Watch to the Samsung Galaxy Watch and beyond.

Also Try Supplements

Supplements now also play a huge role in making our bodies fit for workouts. Bluebonnet for instance, these supplements help give the mass and energy to the body which is required for staying fit, full and healthy.

Post workout muscle pain is a real thing, in order to avoid muscle breakdown, Bluebonnet ‘s Extreme Edge Post Workout Muscle Rebuilding Stack is the best thing, especially for people who enjoy heavy body building and want to prevent the after effects of a heavy workout session at home. 

These techy equipment help a person be reminded of their activity levels. People tend to be forgetful but these gadgets are a great way of keeping up people’s drive for fitness.

COVID-19 has affected the world tremendously. It came and caused a disruption in not only in one country, but globally. It started from China and has affected the entire world within just a few months. This pandemic brought an economic recession with it as well, and countries that were flourishing a few months prior to it are now facing a tremendous fallout in their economy, which can easily take up to five to six years to fall back in place.

Apart from that, this makes us realize how a pandemic like coronavirus has changed our lives forever. In order to minimize the cases, people are advised to follow strict SOPs, which involve staying at home most of the time and isolating themselves. Schools have been closed, dining in is no longer allowed in restaurants, retail shopping has been minimized, and theatres have been closed for indefinite periods of time too. Some tend to believe that these are just temporary precautions, while some believe that this will be the new normal, including wearing masks, avoiding human contact, and practicing social distancing.

All of this makes us wonder, how will businesses operate now? The businesses affected most are in the retail, food, entertainment, travel, and the education industries. Coronavirus is a shock to our world, and our economies were not ready for it. It is safe to say that the lives we had before the virus were completely different. Even when the curve will flatten, we will not just bounce back to our old lives; instead some changes brought by the pandemic are here to stay and will be the new normal.

Let us now see how coronavirus has changed businesses permanently:

Working from Home

To avoid human contact and to help stop the spread of the virus, organizations all around the world have started operating from home. Working from home has become the new normal, and it is here to stay. Before working remotely was a choice but now it has become a necessity.

It might have its own set of disadvantages, but employees and the employers need to learn such new competencies to cater to this lifestyle. Organizations now have to invest more and more on online platforms for making communication and collaboration easy and feasible.

Organizations have now realized, thanks to the pandemic, that employees can be equally productive at home, which is a much cost-effective method of running a business. Working from home enables social distancing and is one thing which will be practiced for a long time into the future.

Online Shopping

Social distancing is the key. Now every business which required human contact or required people to gather together all at once will be changed for good. Similar is the case with store shopping. It is safe to say that store shopping is now being replaced with online shopping, as it promotes social distancing. Ecommerce has been popular for a while now, but the increase in online shopping on sites like Amazon makes it harder for smaller retail stores to survive. That’s why Facebook is introducing Facebook Shop, an app through the Commerce Manager tool.

Less Dining In

All those working and operating in the food industry know that things have changed. Any food business which does not have good delivery services will be doomed, as dining in will be reduced, and delivery services will hit new heights. So apps like Uber Eats will flourish, while local businesses that don’t offer delivery or take-out services will likely die.

Schools and Universities

Similarly, the education industry has been seeing some changes too. Physical classes are now being shifted to virtual classes where students use platforms like Skype or Zoom to take online classes.

Change is never easy but let us face it, our lives will not just bounce back to how they were. COVID-19 has brought some rapid changes in our lifestyles, and these changes are here to stay.

Have you been a sufferer of gossiping and wondered “Is a no gossip policy legal?” Gossip can have several meanings. To a few, it alludes spiteful discussions about someone’s life in their absence. Some think of it as simply false stories, while according to others, it can incorporate honest comments with a negative slant. Many people consider gossip to be any discussion of an individual’s or organization’s matters, regardless of whether they are work-related or personal, harmless or hostile.

Gossiping at Workplace is a No-No

Gossiping at the workplace is a common problem faced by the employer and employees these days. It is a type of casual or informal correspondence among employees concentrated on the private, individual, and delicate issues of others.

Gossiping at the workplace is considered negative worldwide, since it can present lies and offensive statements that can disturb the working environment and cause issues in personal and workplace relationships. Although workplace gossip does not necessarily have to be entirely negative, Peter Vajda, who is an expert in human development, has declared gossiping at work as cruel because it tends to hurt or attack other’s feelings.

How Can Gossiping at Work Be Dangerous?

Workplace gossiping can turn out to be fairly dangerous if the teller of the gossip has a prominent significance over the recipient of the gossip. Some common dangers of gossiping at the workplace are given out below.

·       It can damage the company’s culture.

·       It may oppose the formal communication of the organization.

·       It may create a feeling of resentment among employees.

·       The productivity of the company may be hampered.

Is a No Gossip Policy Legal in the Workplace?

To answer the question is a no gossip policy legal, it is not possible to ban it entirely! According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), forbidding gossiping in the workplace is an idea that might seem unenforceable. The reason for it being impossible is that there are many topics in an organization that are not related to work on which an employee is allowed to talk. This may incorporate pay, working hours, or working conditions. Thus, an employer who tries to stop his workers to discuss these things may be violating Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act that defines the rights of the workers.

How to Avoid Gossiping in the Workplace

Although gossiping at work cannot be totally prohibited, managers can play a great role in reducing it. They can set an example by not taking part in it and shutting it out on different occasions. Some other ways to avoid it are given out below.

·       Highlight the importance of respecting others’ personal life.

·       Communicate regularly with your employees to minimize gossiping.

·       Be available to your employees all the time.

·       Give out specific guidelines to avoid gossiping at work in the company handbook.

·       Survey your employees regularly.

Now that you have got the answer to your question, “Is a no gossip policy legal?,” you should know that you cannot completely ban gossiping in your workplace, but you can definitely try to avoid it as much as possible.

It would not come as a surprise that speaking in public (also known as glossophobia) is the biggest fear for a large number of people. Many of us experience some degree of anxiety when we need to talk before a gathering. This speech anxiety can go from a little sentiment to an almost dreadful attack on the nerves.

The levels of anxiety can be different for different people. A few speakers will report almost no nervousness while talking; whereas others will admit that they are horrified at the idea of talking out in public. Jerry Seinfeld once jokingly said that a normal person would rather prefer being in the casket instead of giving the eulogy. This explains how much people fear talking in front of a gathering.

Causes of Speech Anxiety

Each person has their own reasons when it comes to the causes of speech anxiety. They may fear speaking in public due to any traumatic past event that they had to face when they were young or simply because of a lack of confidence. Thus, any of the reasons may lead to speech anxiety.

Sometimes, you wouldn’t even know that a person is suffering from this disorder because you would never hear them speaking in public. This is why you closely need to observe a person to know what are the signs of speech anxiety to help them overcome this fear.

The Signs Of Speech Anxiety

Do you want to know what are the signs of speech anxiety? The signs of speech anxiety may vary according to different people. Generally speaking, a person facing this form of anxiety may feel shattered and devastated because of low self-esteem. They might even start sweating profusely because of all the nervousness. As a result, these people may completely avoid speaking in public gatherings or even attending them!

We have classified the signs of speech anxiety in three broad categories below.

Physical Signs

A person might face several physical symptoms while speaking in public, such as nausea, excessive sweating, trembling, increased heartbeat, shortness of breathing, tightening of muscles, and dry mouth. These symptoms occur due to the adrenalin rush in the body making it even more difficult for them to speak in public.

Verbal Signs

The verbal symptoms faced during speech anxiety can get very difficult to control. They can even occur due to some of the physical symptoms as well. For example, trembling would lead to a squeaky voice. The voice of the person may reflect nervousness, stuttering, or they may start speaking fast just to end the whole dreadful presentation or interaction.

Non-Verbal Signs

A person suffering from speech anxiety disorder would reflect multiple non-verbal signs if we look carefully. The occurrence of these signs makes it more difficult for them to address large gatherings. Some common signs include avoiding eye contact, frequent pacing, and fidgeting.

Now that we have found out what are the signs of speech anxiety, we need to look closely for these signs in people around us. If we identify anyone facing them, we should do our best to boost up their morale to help them gain the confidence to speak in public.

Sleep is an important part of every human being’s life. Many people are facing the issue of restless sleep due to mental or physical health problems. This can be really harmful to one’s health, and they can face more medical unless they get proper sleep. The following are some natural remedies for restless sleep which can help you overcome this.

5 Natural Remedies for Restless Sleep

1.  Exercise

You must engage yourself doing exercises for at least 20 minutes a day to keep yourself physically fit. This can also boost your energy level and keep your mind active. People who exercise daily face fewer symptoms of restless sleep, anxiety, depression, or stress. Exercise is one of the best natural remedies for restless sleep. This remedy can be easily followed by people having sleep disorders to have a good night’s rest. Choose the right time of exercise that suits your body.

2.  Try Warm Water Bath

After a long tiring day, your body needs some relaxation, and giving yourself a warm water bath will help you in sleeping well. It will induce sleep and relax your mind. According to a study people who take a warm water bath are less likely to have insomnia and can sleep well.

3.  Drink 

Drinking doesn’t mean you drink alcohol; you should try drinking milk with honey as this will calm your mind and help you rest. Milk is another great natural remedy to cure your restless sleep disorder. It helps you in sleeping quickly. If you don’t like drinking milk at bedtime, you can try green tea, passionflower tea, herbal tea, or chamomile tea as well. Refrain from coffee, as the caffeine can do the opposite of inducing sleep and keep you awake. Also be sure to stay hydrated with enough water.

4.  Massage

If you are feeling anxiety, depression, or stress you should try to give your body a massage before sleeping. This activity of yours can help you deal with any kind of pain and gives your mind relaxation. Treating sore muscles after a tiring day can help you to sleep properly. You can do it by yourself with a massager or go to a professional for it. If your skin is sensitive, consult the doctor before using any massage oils. You’ll notice a great change in your sleep after taking a massage.

5.  Comfortable Environment

This is an important part that many people tend to overlook. Make sure the sleeping environment is relaxing and comfortable. Turn off any lights or lamps that may be left on. Set the room temperature at a moderate level and use comfortable pillows and an eye mask. These small things can affect your sleep and help you rest a lot better.

Sleep is crucial to live a healthy and fun-filled life without any stress and worries. These natural remedies for restless sleep can help you with your sleeping disorder.In addition, proper nutrition is important in keeping you healthy. Professional Supplement Center is a store that provides high-quality supplements that help you sleep better and maintain a healthy mood. You can try Terry Naturally’s AnxioCalm to get relief from pain, anxiety, depression, nervousness, and stress by calming your body and mind.

Are you planning to set up a home office? Well, that surely will be something really exciting. This is because you will need to search for some best online office supplies. And as there are different ideas and styles, you must be looking for something new, trendy, and unique. You’ll require a desk, chair, and a computer to set up a home office from scratch.

The most amazing thing about these best online office supplies is that they make working, planning, and organizing your space easy for you. Here are some of the coolest and best online office supplies to make working from home interesting for you.

4 Best Online Office Supplies

Memo Notebook

Your desk definitely requires a memo notebook as an instant solution. This is because noting down important points will always be a part of your work. So you need an organizer that will help you document the important information and then accomplish the tasks accordingly. You never know when an idea will pop into your mind. So a memo notebook will always be your best friend. It is small in size and handy enough to even carry with you every time.

Twist Ballpoint Pen by Faber Castle Ondoro

It is definitely true that a Faber Castle Ondoro pen is an expensive one, but you will never regret working with it. This is because handwritten work will always be important no matter how advanced the technology is. This gorgeously designed and a high quality pen will always help you create notes or write an official letter in the most presentable way.

Desktop Plant

Having planters on your office desk is a great way to re-energize your mind and to always give a fresh environment. So to make your desk look neat, a desktop plant is the best solution. You can even feel energized with the pleasant presence of the planter in the room.

Artist’s Sketchbook by Leda

Sometimes a notebook does not serve enough for accomplishing your business activities. You can always get an Artist’s Sketchbook by Leda Art Supply. This sketchbook is designed in a way that has a more professional look and can be perfectly used by a creative designer. It is flat and water resistant. So here is no need for wasting pages on pages to show something while sketching. You can simply use Leda for expressing your ideas through sketches using the water paint feature.

So what are you waiting for now? Get these best online office supplies for your home office and make your work as much productive as you can. 

We all know that communication is extremely important for us to survive in this world. No matter if the communication is verbal or nonverbal, it will always be essential for us to express our feelings and ideas with each other. We do not realize this, but 93% of our communication is actually nonverbal. And 55% of that is considered to be through facial expressions, gestures, and posture. Even our voice is a part of nonverbal communication. You can now imagine the importance of nonverbal communication.

There is no doubt that nonverbal communication has made it highly convenient for us to deliver our ideas and thoughts more accurately. So if you are wondering what are the 5 functions of a nonverbal communication, make sure to read this article in detail.

We are sure you might be a little confused about what are the 5 functions of a nonverbal communication. This is because nonverbal communication is definitely a lot more than just expressions, feelings, thoughts, ideas, etc. If you talk about nonverbal communication in the workplace, then it really helps to express ideas in a presentable way. So let’s discuss 5 functions of nonverbal communication.

5 Functions of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Reinforcement

Reinforcement is a function of nonverbal communication. It tells the frequency or the amount of redundancy made to the behavior that precedes to a situation. For instance, a simple thank you from a child brings a smile on a parent’s face. Or whenever you say a “Hi” or a “Bye,” you automatically raise your hand to make an action. Even when you dislike anything you eat, you will immediately make a facial expression. So reinforcement is actually your gestures, expressions, and the movement of your body that is influenced through a verbal communication.

Nonverbal Substitution

A nonverbal substitution substitutes the message that has to be delivered verbally. This means that it is mostly the facial expression or the body movement that helps to deliver the message and the feelings. So if you want to say “Hi,” you will just wave your hand without actually speaking. Or you can just give a smile to the person. So it is all about body movements and facial expressions that express the nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal Contradiction

When a message that you want to convey is contradicted through actions, it is called a nonverbal communication. This means that the listener negates your message through a nonverbal communication. For instance, if you asked a person how he or she is feeling, and he/she replies by just looking down and shrugging his shoulders. One can easily tell that he or she is not feeling well.

Nonverbal Accentuation

Your tone of voice is also a function of nonverbal communication. So if any verbal message is delivered by speaking in an accent, then this is nonverbal accentuation. For example, you speak in a loud tone with wide open eyes. This highlights the intensity of the message.

Nonverbal Repetition

Nonverbal repetition means to repeat the verbal communication to highlight the strength in the message.

We are sure your stress about knowing about what the 5 functions of nonverbal communication has released. You can now follow these functions in your workplace and deliver your ideas in a more presentable way.

If you are a regular user of energy drinks, then you definitely need to reconsider them! Although energy drinks do claim to give you an energy booster, the effects are short-lived, and they will leave you feeling more exhausted than before. There are many healthy alternatives which you can use instead of an energy drink. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

5 Healthy Alternatives to Energy Drinks

1. Protein Shakes

One of the common reasons for weariness and exhaustion is the absence of protein in your diet. You can use a top-notch protein shake instead of energy drinks, as it can help your body in meeting its nutritional requirements. However, your body will not get its required nutrient intake just by simply mixing a protein powder into a shake. Carbohydrates are required for this purpose. Proteins convert these carbohydrates into energy, which can be then consumed by our body. For a long-lasting energy boost, you can include organic products, such as wheat germ and fruits to your shake with 10 grams of protein from a powder.

2. Green Tea

Green tea contains less caffeine than a proportional volume of coffee, while giving numerous medical advantages including less danger of cancer and heart diseases. This is what makes green tea a healthy substitute to energy drinks. Apart from this, green tea also improves mental health and performance. Also, these organic teas taste much better and have a lot of low levels of pesticides.

3. Yerba Mate

Yerba mate originates from the holly tree. While the preparation process is similar to that of any normal tea, numerous specialists have concluded that it is considerably more beneficial than them. Apart from the caffeine, it also has antioxidants and other substances, which when put together, make it a superb choice for a healthy energy booster. You can brew the mate just as strong as a coffee, but unlike a coffee, it is not addictive.

4. Energy Capsules

Energy capsules are another alternative which you can take instead of energy drinks. They contain non-glandular ingredients which are important for your adrenal health and also help in reducing stress. Professional Supplement Center is an online store that provides high quality vitamins and energy supplement capsules.

One of their top products is ExcitaPlus by NeuroScience, which you can use instead of energy drinks as it provides adrenal and energy support extra strength which your body needs and helps your mind in tackling stress and be more focused.

5. Water

One of the main reasons due to which we feel drop in our energy is dehydration. It is because when we are dehydrated, the metabolic reactions in our body starts to slow down which makes us feel more tired and exhausted. This is why you need to keep your body hydrated by drinking a lot of water!

Although energy drinks do provide you with a much-needed energy boost that you are looking for, they contain many harmful ingredients such as caffeine and carbohydrates. This is why you need to switch yourself to these healthy alternatives.