Natural Sunlight

Natural Sunlight vs. Physical & Mental Health

Modern people have limitation in their living environment and lifestyle besides rest and sleep. A lot of daily activities have been conducted in indoor. Therefore, there is not much opportunity that they could fully expose to natural sunlight. Even if they have the opportunity to go outside, some people will try to block the sun in various ways due to the deviation concept.

Sunshine is the survival of all organisms on earth and also, the most basic and most important growth condition.

All our nutrient intakes, minerals and vitamins have their own unique energy absorption spectrum. Natural light has a red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet balanced and complete wavelength and energy. It can penetrate human skin, go into the human body, interact and response with various chemicals and minerals. It also assists the essential nutrient of the body's synthesis as well as different types of waste decomposition and excreted. Therefore, the sun not only a key influence for plant growth; it also is quite decisive to human health.

Positive Function of Sunlight on Health

The modern science findings show that the natural sunlight would increase human body's oxygen absorption, decreased heartbeat rate, accelerate the skin's metabolism, regulates immune system, even improve the muscle energy. At the same time the whole spectrum of light source also has sterilization function. In 1980, the scientist has proven in one study, that the whole spectrum of natural sunlight or artificial light can treat jaundice as the specific wavelength in the light can transform bilirubin in the blood into harmless substance. Besides, medical expert always advice us that sunbathing helps in calcium absorption. This is due to the absorption of calcium in human body mainly depending on Vitamin D.

The body must use ultraviolet from the sun to the skin to synthesis Vitamin D3 and combine the calcium absorption in small intestinal. The calcium absorption rate will be affected if body lack of Vitamin D; even though if you consume much calcium to the body; it will not help in bone growth.

Therefore, the natural sunlight is a big help for the growth of children’s’ skeletal muscle and the prevention of osteoporosis in middle-aged elderly.

Sunlight will also directly affect human’s health in psychology and emotional. When the light is sufficient (like during the day), the brain will produce serotonin which make people more energetic, cheerful; but in the night, when less light go into the eyes, the serotonin will turn into melatonin which make people more quite and easily to sleep. Therefore, it is important to maintain a normal day-and-night natural light exposure rhythm in order to get enough sleep and keeping mentally healthy.

Meanwhile, the experts also found that human biological clock, endocrine and physiological rhythm disorder will happen if we lack of exposure to sunlight. In serious cases, it is more likely to lead to mood disorders, or even may also become depressed.

Blood Pressure: Up and Low ~Easy to get a stroke

You must take preventive care and do not try to ignore if your blood pressure going up and low very often. Seeking early treatment reduces the risk of stroke.

The latest study from Oxford University, United Kingdom shows, people who have high and low blood pressure often are more likely to get a stroke. Their risk is three times higher than those who have stable hypertension. A heart specialist from Hong Kong said, if you experience fluctuating blood pressure very frequent, please do not try to ignore. Seek early treatment from the doctor or professional in order to reduce the risk in getting a stroke.

A latest study in Oxford University has defined a new index for blood pressure stability. The new index is to provide convenience in reminding those who have unstable blood pressure. The study specified that patients who are categorized under “stable hypertension”, the risk for them in having stroke is 4.5%, however for “unstable hypertension” patients, their risk is 13.7%. This shows that if the blood pressure is unstable, the risk in getting stroke as compare to stable hypertension is three times higher.

Seek Early Treatment If Blood Pressure Fluctuated

Heart Specialist (Hong Kong) said, if you experience the situation where the blood pressure fluctuated very frequent, you must seek early treatment and should also taking some medicine that have a longer period of drug efficiency.

Medical doctor, hypertension patients are getting younger and younger these days, and some are even above 80 among all his patients. The main reason behind are not having sufficient rest and sleep and high work pressure.

Taking A Walk Helps Lower Blood Pressure

According to doctor, taking a 30 minutes walk every or every alternate day, or you can split it into three sessions, each session is about 10 minutes, can lower blood pressure. During the walk, try to take in deep breathes, leave the mind in peace and just concentrate in the breathing (inhale and exhale). In the other hand, for hypertension patients, the exercise must be conducted in progressive mode. They should start the exercise with a good warm up and try not to go into extreme exercises. During the exercise, when they could feel the body could totally accept the exercise rhythm; then they could further move the exercise to the next level. They should always keep in mind not to stress the body too hard. In addition, he also mentioned that besides exercise, they should maintain light diet, have more fruits and vegetables, avoid eating salty; also always maintain the peace of mind, should not be too anxious or nervous at all time and avoid too much emotional changes that might affect the blood pressure raise.

Allow your “Second Home” be comfortable and healthy

Office workers spend 70,000 hours in office throughout their life. Office has become the place we visited the most in our life is we are aware. Office is much more like our “second home” in fact. However, have we paid much attention to know if the home is healthy for living? The individual health and enterprise’s effectiveness are related closely. In workplace, we not only want to create a healthy “macro- environment” but also we want to create a healthy “micro-environment”.

The first thing we need to do is to open up windows for air ventilation in the office. This is the best way in purifying air. As an advice from the professionals, the workplace should commit in opening windows more than twice a day, and every time is more than 15 minutes. This could improve air purifying and humidity.

Secondly, the quantity of printers, photocopy machines, faxes should be as little as possible before committing in work performance in the office. One of the options is to put them on the walk way, a separate room or somewhere with good air ventilation. Do not put them on the desk or closely to the office workers.

Cleaning Rubbish on Desk Promptly

Third, do not keep rubbish or trash at workplace. Try to dispose any rubbish when you discover them. Papers are most likely in contaminating dust or dirt; try to clean out the unused promptly.

Fourth, it will be good to put greens and plants which could purify the environment. The best thing to do is to ensure every person has a pot of small green plants, and there is a pot of big-leafed plant for every 5 person.

Fifth, there should be a mutual understanding from people in the office to put the mobile into silent mode, lower and soften the voice volume when talking or answering phone calls; to turn off the lights, pull down the curtain and rest 20 to 30 minutes during lunch break.

When working in micro-environment, first of all, try to avoid putting unused or seldom use files on the table. Practice doing the desk cleaning minimum once in a week; provide sterilization to the telephone, mouse and keyboard. Second, develop good habits in the office; allow 10 minutes break after every 1 hour work, stretch your back, or try to exercise your eyes exercise. Make yourself a habit in taking a longer route to the toilet each time you need to as an exercise. Small walk is good for lower-part body blood circulation especially for people who spend long hours sitting on their chair. Stay away from radiation by avoiding leaning in front of your computer during lunch break. Last but not least, if the office is really dry, you can add in some small green plants, humidifier, etc; all with cozy, and not harmful to health as theme and precondition.

I hope the above tips help. Try to practice them in the office after your reading. I hope it will bring you fresh air and a better environment in your office. Wish everyone a good mood in the office every day!

Depression Overwhelm in Corporate World!

This is a “Depression Era”.

Prediction from World Health Organization (WHO) shows depression might overtake heart attack and cancer 20 years from now, becoming world most common disease. There are 3-5 person out of 100 people suffer from depression currently, the world’s 300 million people population are caught in this “blue storm”.

Anyone might be the candidate for depression.

It might be people around you, e.g. colleagues, staffs, or your own self.

How to deal with someone who is caught in depression at the workplace?

How to help him in getting out from the valley, and return to work?

Avoid the spread of depression in order in moving enterprise forward?

The acknowledgment, attitude and approach from boss and department supervisors are the key point when someone is caught in depression at workplace. If the supervisor provides the right acknowledgment, understand that the staff that is caught in depression is actually sick, like cancer and heart attack; he or she needs help, and even recommend and urge him or her to go for treatment. Furthermore, showing empathy and support, then the employee will be easier to walk out from the shadow of depression; return to normal work and life.

In another hand, if supervisor ignores it, or try to resolve the issue improperly, this will not just put the subordinate to a greater pressure, worsen the condition, but also harass other employees within the same department, affects the performance and morale of the department.

Researcher has come across such an example once:

One lady employee in a small enterprise has experience auditory illusion, hallucination, and even try to attack her colleague, e.g. harass her colleague who has a good relationship working with her for many years, by putting thumbtack or some smelly stuffs on her chair, which has worry and trouble her colleague so much.

Nevertheless, the supervisor of that department is actually the sick patient’s brother. Due to some personal factors, as the head of department, he did not actually interfere and try to resolve the issue, e.g. sending his sister for treatment; allowing her to take leaves or having unpaid leaves for a period of time. According to the explanation of employees from the department, although they were scared, angry, worry and puzzled, but they have no idea how to deal with the sick patient.

The head of department will bear more responsibility and pressure indeed when employees show symptoms of mental problems. They must be particular careful in communication with the patients. “As you are not dealing with healthy people generally, furthermore it might be load of pressures, and unintentional words might be the last straw that overwhelms the failing patient.

Utilize the resources, Group Support from Department Staffs

In order to have correct understand on depression, also how to help the people around you when they are diagnose with depression, there are many available resource to use in current society which includes various reports, books, seminars, etc, Besides, enterprise and supervisor or head of department could also seek help from professionals to receive guides in how to face the problem.

Moreover, the enterprise could schedule psychology counselors or other psychology professionals to provide speeches, consultations for the staffs so that it will be easier for them to handle pressures, depression or other mental illness. Depth understanding could help them in aware of their emotional problems, but also how to help their loved ones, friends, and colleagues in challenging the disease.

The more people know the better. If you only know half, not fully understand, there would be limited help to the patients. Bringing depression patient for cycling, travel, involve in all sorts of positive activities that improve the disease, however you didn’t remind patient to do one important thing – which is to see doctor for treatment; in fact if the patient only taking medication, but did not adjust his or her lifestyle, for example regular exercise, release stress, adequate sleep, etc, will also affect the disease’s progression.

The best thing to do is to accept treatment and adjust the lifestyle.

In the entire department or division, if everyone starting from the head of department or supervisor to staffs have a correct understanding and working and support together, the patient will normally recover faster and more smoothly. This will further improve the cooperation within the department.

As conclusion from the professionals, when someone around you has diagnosed with depression, you could:

i. Encourage him or her accept professional help and treatment

- Depression is like heart attack and cancer; it is a kind of disease and need treatment. 80% of the patients have shown improvement with correct and proper treatment.

ii. Show care and support

- Often remind him or her to have medication on time, accept treatment, and the condition will certainly improve. When you discover his or her condition has improved, tell him or her immediately, is a way of showing support.

- If you really don’t know what to say, being a good “listener” will be a good option. Try to listen to his or her thoughts, feelings, and do not try to criticize, e.g. “Stop thinking like that”, or “Do not try to sink yourself deeper”, will not help the patient.