Veggie Hummus Wrap:
This is a quick wrap that you can pack full of veggies. It’s perfect for making the night before, or at the office. All you need is whole wheat wraps, hummus of your choice (we like Roasted Red Pepper), edamame beans, bean sprouts, spinach, avocado, and carrots. You can add in deli meat like roasted chicken or turkey for added protein. Spread the hummus on the tortilla shell and add in all the veggies. Add in some Sirarcha sauce or a tablespoon of olive oil for an added kick.

Chickpea and Feta Medley:
This is a quick go-to salad that is full of fibre and protein and is a great vegetarian meal. In a large bowl, toss together a cup of rinsed and drained chickpeas, one small diced red onion, Kalamata olives, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, crumbled feta and a tablespoon of olive oil with a squeeze of lemon. Mix together et voila – a healthy salad choice for lunch!

Tuna and Spinach Salad:
This is another great meal that has a punch of protein. In a bowl, toss together 1 can of tuna, chopped black olives, spinach, tomatoes, chopped celery, chopped red pepper, cucumber, and a good douse of the dressing of your choice (we like vinegar and olive oil) with some light salt and peppering. This is a quick meal that requires no cooking and will keep your energy levels up!

Do you have any no-heat recipes to share with us? We’d love to know your go-to meal for lunch!

1. On a budget? Not a problem. There are many stores that have the styles you want that are within your budget.

2. The most convenient way to go shopping for your office furniture is online. Whether your office needs are a new desk, or perhaps some additional storage options, searching online can be great way to start gathering information. Searching online will also allow you to compare the options available among office furniture companies.

3. Deciding between two options? Sometimes the colours and textures seen on your computer screen may slightly vary from the actual product. To help you with your buying decision, going to see the product in person is the best option.

Here are some ideas to help inspire a comfortable office environment:

Lighting:
Don’t be afraid to bring in your own desk lamp, or ask for additional lighting in your office. Having sufficient light is crucial when you’re reading over documents and looking at a computer screen all day. Sometimes, overhead lighting can trigger headaches, so it’s good to have different lighting options.

Interactivity:
Sometimes it’s great to section off the office into different areas. We know that certain groups need to sit together – the marketing team in one corner, and the development team in another. It’s also important to have common areas for brainstorming and general collaboration. If your space can allow it, have a medium sized area where people can hang out, chat, and throw around ideas. It can be very welcoming and the collaborative results might be amazing!

Creativity:
Using inspiration boards allows you to displaying your own personal interests around the office or around your desk. It is also a great way to let co-workers know little bits of information about you. Likewise, allowing your employees to bring in their own personal flare to the office is a great way to encourage independence and promote an accepting culture. It can be something as simple as their favourite mugs, paintings, memorabilia, or anything along those lines. Furthermore, it’s great to host team-building activities like arts & crafts at the office – that way, you can get everyone’s creative juices flowing and you will have a new piece of art for your office!

What’s your favourite thing about your office?

So how do you keep your team motivated during the stressful times? Every office has their own processes. A few ideas we’ve heard are:

Laugh Breaks:
Sometimes all you need is a really great laugh to reboot your system. If you’ve had your head down working for hours, sometimes it’s great to turn your brain off for a few minutes. Taking a look at some memes, photos or anything to re-energize yourself can do a world of good. Laughter is a powerful medicine and can relieve stress. Of course, these can’t last forever but 15 minutes here or there never hurt! Sharing is caring, so sending around a funny link that you think people would enjoy might be a nice break that everyone needs.

Weekly Team Building Exercises:
Team building exercises are great for sparking up creativity in the office. These exercises don’t have to take long – and can come in many different forms. Whether it’s a problem solving exercise or learning a new skill as a group – these fun and interesting challenges provide an opportunity to step back from work and re-engage your team in a different tone of conversation that can get the team thinking in different ways. A collaborative office is a happy office!

One on One Sessions:
Sometimes the best way to really connect with your co-workers is to have some quality time with each other. Taking 30 minutes one day a week with a different team member to sit down and discuss anything – work, personal life, light hearted conversation – can make a really big impact on your relationships. It brings a more personal and down to earth vibe that you otherwise might be missing out on!

When times are hectic in your office – how do you keep motivated?

Increase Your Productivity:
No one wants to leave their long day at the office feeling worse than when they walked in! Leaving with a sore back or wrists is no way to treat your body. Finding the appropriate keyboard, mouse and desk configuration is key to a productive day. If your screen is too low, it could contribute to headaches or upper body discomfort headaches, which will keep you from completing your tasks for the day. Finding the right match of furniture can be a complete game changer for your work habits!

Improve Your Mood:
It’s a no-brainer that health and happiness go hand in hand. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, your workstation should also be giving you the best possible options for maintaining great posture and proper configuration. Ergonomics has been cited as the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body. The options are out there to outfit your space with well designed and compatible furniture that fits your body perfectly.

Increased Accuracy:
Poor working conditions can lead to decreased effort and efficiency in the office. Proper screen positions and lighting can lead to better results – and lessen the chances of poor work quality and mistakes. This can be a great time saver and allow your team to work much more efficiently.

There is much to be said about the benefits of incorporating contemporary ergonomic office furniture into your office space. It will lead to happier results and a well balanced team!

Let us know your thoughts on the importance of ergonomics in the workplace by posting a reply!

If your office gets lots of natural light:
Consider a more ‘neutral’ palette – light and silvery green, elephant grey, or egg-shell whites are perfect for walls that feature sunlight. Greens can take on many different looks when mixed with sunlight – the results can be freshly inspiring without being too overpowering. Accent colours (for smaller walls or areas) to consider would be: eggplant purple, rose, or a muted brown.

If your office has artificial light:
If there is no natural light shining into your office space – you might want to play it a bit safer with colour choices. Colours that are jarring and bright can be a headache under artificial light. Try colours like Calming Aloe, Precious Ivory, or a light peach colour to warm up the space. Accent colours can be a bit more bold for a punch of colour: electric orange, poolside blue, or emerald are all great options.

In either situation – it’s always good to have a more neutral tone on the walls. Added flares of colour are great for inspiration and warmth. It’s always a good idea to get your co-workers to weigh in on these decisions with you. Not everyone will have the same design vision as you – and they have to share the space too! It can also serve as an excellent team-building exercise.

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

You can organize as many people as you would like (the more the merrier – and the more diverse your meals could be!) to join the club. You could make the lunch club as frequent as you would (i.e., every week someone cooks up a meal.)

On the week you are in charge, you are responsible for providing lunch for your team. It can be something simple like a large salad with mixed greens and soup, or something more complicated like curry, roasted chicken, and veggies. If you do not have a proper, well-equipped kitchen at your workplace, consider whipping something up the night before, or choose a dish that does not involve much preparation.

Not only is it a nice treat to have someone cook for you, but it will broaden your palette to different dishes and flavours. Your recipe book will definitely expand! If you know you have a busy day, and it’s your turn to make lunch, this is a great way to efficiently organize your day. Make sure you roll out your day to accommodate an hour for lunch. Lunch club also gets your co-workers thinking creatively and adds another level of bonding with your team. Lunch club could also be a great time to host mini-brainstorming sessions – although they don’t need to be labelled as such. Through natural conversation and talking about your day, solutions and ideas could definitely surface!

Would you like to try out a lunch club at your office? What are some recipes that you would love to share with your co-workers? We would love to hear from you!

2. Knowing what options are available is the best way to begin narrowing down your choices based on your office furniture needs.

3. Once you have an idea of what you are looking for, going to see the furniture in a showroom is the next step.

4. Working in an office environment with well-designed modern office furniture will enhance your productivity by creating a positive environment.

1. Don’t forget to Listen
Instead of launching into your business pitch immediately, it’s a better idea to listen to what people’s needs are. Engage the people you meet by asking thoughtful questions, and make suggestions based on what they tell you. Maybe your business isn’t right for them – but you may know of someone or something that is. Making honest connections is all about listening and engaging people.

2. Start Networking Before The Event
If you don’t know anyone who’s going – or even if you do, it doesn’t hurt to start making connections via social media (Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, or Facebook) before you attend the event. Use the event’s hashtag (#) on Twitter to search for people talking about it or peruse the attendee list on the Facebook group. It will help you familiarize yourself with faces before you get to the event.

3. Follow Up
The follow up afterwards is equally – if not more important. Organize your contacts and make sure you have at least one way of connecting with them after you leave the event. Tweet, email or drop them a message on LinkedIn so that they remember who you are and that they have ways to contact you as well. Always make sure to follow up down the road, even if it is just to say hi, or to ask if they might be attending upcoming events. It keeps your name in mind and your connections intact.

The next time you’re heading to a networking event, make sure that it is worth your time, and follow these tips to make sure you maximize your experience. Do you have any tips to share? Leave a comment below!

Keep It Simple
You might find that once you start writing everything down, there are a lot of things that you want to accomplish. Keep it simple, and don’t stress yourself out by adding too much to your plate. You might want to break it down by category (i.e., Health, Personal, and Work). For each category, try listing two short-term and two long-term goals.

Keep Your Goals Visible
What’s the point of writing down your goals if you throw them into a pile of paper, only to be buried and forgotten? Make sure you keep your list in a highly visible place – a sticky note on your computer screen, a whiteboard at home, or taped to the wall beside you. That way, your goals will always be front and centre.

Don’t Be Afraid to Revise
You’ve determined your goals, you’ve written them down, and two months down the line, you realize that maybe one or two are overly ambitious or not realistic within your immediate future. Going back and revising your short and long-term goal lists is all a part of the process. For example, if you wanted to run four half-marathons this year, maybe change it to two! It’s always good to be in check with yourself and know what you’re capable of doing.

Have you set any goals for 2013? What are some of your biggest accomplishments? We’d love to know.