Attitude

For employers, improving workers’ mood is about more than just keeping the peace at the office.

A bad mood can not only cause excessive conflict among employees, but on an individual level it can have physical effects such as high blood pressure.

Mood may be linked to depression, anxiety, lost sleep, and increased stress levels, which … Continue Reading »

What do kids on the playground, teenagers in the locker room, and adults in the office have in common? They like to gossip.

The word tends to have negative connotations, calling to mind judgmental busybodies with too much time on their hands, but new research indicates that gossip actually seems to serve a purpose.

Published online in … Continue Reading »

The good news: Americans are doing more walking and biking than they were a decade ago. The not-so-good news: Not much more.

The increase translated to about 9 extra miles per year, which is not quite the dramatic change it would take to put a significant dent in the obesity epidemic or our nation’s overall health.

Other … Continue Reading »

Driving through a Monday morning rainstorm on your way to work is probably not the highlight of your day.

Know what would help? The knowledge that when you get there, you will be interacting with people you like, doing work that is important to you, and basking in that sense of fulfillment that comes from … Continue Reading »

For many people who want to lose weight, the primary obstacle standing in their way is themselves.

Years of failed diet attempts or exercise efforts gone awry can make a person feel like a healthy weight is forever out of reach. And then there are those who have never even tried, often because they lack the … Continue Reading »

Mental health may not get as much attention as the physical kind, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important.

Besides being one of the cornerstones that comprise a person’s quality of life, mental health can have a major effect on overall health and well being.

Unaddressed mental health issues carry some serious potential consequences.

Depression, for instance, … Continue Reading »

Exercise is a vital weapon in the fight against obesity.

But, particularly for people who are overweight or who have never done much of it before, physical activity can be daunting.

It’s one of life’s little ironies, that the people who need exercise the most tend to struggle with it more than their thinner, healthier, or … Continue Reading »

Do you put on a happy face when you’re in a bad mood? Maybe you shouldn’t.

New research published in the Academy of Management Journal might make you want to ditch the fake smile. Turns out that forced smiles may make your mood even worse.

The study examined bus drivers but could potentially apply to anyone with … Continue Reading »

What’s stressing your employees out? Is it money? National security? Job security?

A recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) found these three to be at the top of most people’s lists of stressors. But it’s by no means a comprehensive tally of all sources of stress; listing those would take all day, and you … Continue Reading »

Hop on the workplace wellness bandwagon and you’ll soon find out that the most most popular strategies are popular for a pretty obvious reason: They work.

That’s why more and more companies are offering their employees incentives for getting fit.

For some people, the personal rewards of a healthy lifestyle, such as feeling good, living longer, and … Continue Reading »