Sleep deprivation makes us useless at work, study shows

Sleep deprivation makes us useless at work, study showsSleep deprivation makes us useless at work, study showsZzzzzzzz. Snooore. Snurrrfle. Zzzzzz.What? Wait, are you here? Sorry We were just napping. As long as youre here, then you probably relate its highly likely youre sleepy as you read this, because were all sleepy at work most days.The National Safety Council released a report based on a survey showing just how many of us are struggling when it comes to getting enough sleep for work the next morning. A whopping 43% of respondents said they fail to get at least 7 hours of shuteye daily, and 97% reported having at least one of the nine fatigue risk factors listed in the study to the point where lack of sleep actually threatened their lives.The studyidentified three ways to spot your own sleep deprivation. First, decreased cognitive performance, then microsleeps followed by increased safety risk.A staggering 97% of respondents said their grogginess took a mental toll, with lower v igilance, attention, memory, concentration and more. Almost half surveyed- 47%- said nodding off happens to them at work. Even worse, 16% said they had at least one safety incident because they were tired.These findings are a literal wake-up call When were tired, we can put ourselves and others at riskWe hope Americans recognize that impairment stems leid just from alcohol and drugs, but lack of restorative rest fitness for duty starts with getting a good nights sleep, said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council.How our sleep deprivation gets this badHow do we let this happen? Because were working really hard. Around 81% of respondents had jobs they considered demanding.Among the list of risk factors Long shifts, long weeks, no rest breaks, working very late or very early, and not getting at least 12 hours between shifts. Demanding jobs and long commutes were also common.Not surprisingly, the more jobs people had, the worse their sleep deprivation. Sixty-seven percent of people who said they work more than one job also said they work 50+ hours weekly, which, the study says, puts them in danger of sleep deprivation. Heres how to address sleep deprivation.Get some exerciseTire yourself out. The National Sleep Foundation sheds light on how this can enhance your sleep.Physical activity improves sleep quality and increases sleep duration. Exercise may also bolster sleep in other ways, because it reduces stress and tires you out. Early morning and afternoon exercise may also help reset the sleep wake cycle by raising body temperature slightly, then allowing it to drop and trigger sleepiness a few hours later. It can be especially helpful if you are able to exercise outdoors and let your body absorb natural sunlight during the daytime hours, the page says.Make your room as dark as possibleThe National Sleep Foundation also suggeststhat you consider low-wattage, incandescent lamps at your bedside to help you wind down in the hours b efore sleep and covering up areas where you can see artificial light both inside and outside, and more. When you think your room is dark enough, make it even darker. And of course no smartphones or electronics, which have a blue light that signals to your brain that it should wake up even when its not ready.Take a warm showerLifehacker provides advice get warm.If you often have trouble falling asleep quickly, perhaps a change in your shower schedule can help. Taking a warm shower or bath at night adjusts your body temperature so youre nice and groggy by the time you hit the sack. When you come out of a warm shower into a cooler bedroom, your body temperature will drop. That drop in temperature signals your body that its time to rest, slowing down essential metabolic functions including heart rate, breathing, and digestion, the article says.Also,check out these tips if insomnia holds you back from getting the sleep you need. And turn in early tonight- right after you read this, of c ourse.

The secret to speaking with confidence Mastering these 5 techniques

The secret to speaking with confidence Mastering these 5 techniquesThe secret to speaking with confidence Mastering these 5 techniquesThe first time I was asked to give a client presentation, you could barely hear what I was saying.Between the stuttering, and the shakiness in my voice, and the constant dancing around what I was really trying to say, it was clear no one in the room was impressed.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraIt has taken me years of practice to learn how, especially as one of the younger people in the room, to present myself well.1. Replace um with stronger filler wordsIn the moment, its hard not to say uh, um, while you try to gather your thoughts.Great speakers rarely ever use the distracting sound.But if you listen close, its not that they avoid pauses all together. They instead replace uh, um with stronger filler words.When you need to gather your thoughts, use words such as Now You See However, etc.The sentence, Um, I was thinking suddenly sounds much mora definitive and powerful when slightly adjusted to You see, I was thinking.It sounds intentional, and intention instills confidence.2. Know the power of silenceThe best speakers know the power of silence.They are unafraid of letting the room wait for a moment. These speakers can sit calmly for a breath or two in total silence and feel comfortable - and actually use it to their advantage.Unintentional silence can be seen as a mistake, or a sign of uncertainty.Intentional silence, however, is seen as dramatic and even more important.Instead of seeing moments of silence as issues for concern, turn them to work for you by making your next statement that much more poignant. Use silence to lean into your points and your audience will hear you much more clearly.3. Do not make things complicatedThe quickest way to know whether or not someone knows what theyre talking about is to pay attent ion to how many industry-specific words they use.If their vocabulary is a fashion show of insider adjectives, chances are they are speaking more from a place of theory and less from a place of experience.Great speakers and people who carry themselves well know how to get to the point.They dont dance around it.They dont throw around handfuls of buzzwords.They say what needs to be said and leave it at that.If you use language that leaves your audience confused, you arent impressing them. You are frustrating them. Keep it simple.4. Dont curseUnless youve built a reputation or a persona around your edgy delivery, nine times out of 10 its best to leave the sailors mouth at home.When it comes to leading a room, it is in your best interest to keep the energy and the flow as positive as possible.Unless you know your audience very well, you never know where a misplaced word could lead.Dont add in an extra variable that doesnt need to be there.This doesnt mean you have to keep your language G rated. Say what you need to say, in the way it needs to be said.5. Tell a storyI have watched so many rooms turn the ecksto after a well told story.Stories are how we relate to each other. Stories are what ignite our imagination and turn a thought into a feeling, an idea into reality.Whether you are explaining a data point, or hinting at the outcomes of a campaign, whatever the case may be, be descriptive.Use sensory words - touch, taste, smell, a feeling, a sound.Bring what you are talking about to life, and let the people in the room be part of it.A presentation, or a speech, or even a single sentence with an added element of story becomes an experience.This story originally appeared in Inc Magazine.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will ersatzdarsteller your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make i n an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleThe secret to speaking with confidence Mastering these 5 techniquesThe first time I was asked to give a client presentation, you could barely hear what I was saying.Between the stuttering, and the shakiness in my voice, and the constant dancing around what I was really trying to say, it was clear no one in the room was impressed.It has taken me years of practice to learn how, especially as one of the younger people in the room, to present myself well.1. Replace um with stronger filler wordsIn the moment, its hard not to say uh, um, while you try to gather your thoughts.Great speakers rarely ever use the distracting sound.But if you listen close, its not that they avoid pauses all together. They instead replace uh, um with stronger filler words.When you need to gather your thoughts, use words such as Now You See However, etc.The sentence, Um, I was thinking suddenly sounds much more definitive and powerful when sl ightly adjusted to You see, I was thinking.It sounds intentional, and intention instills confidence.2. Know the power of silenceThe best speakers know the power of silence.They are unafraid of letting the room wait for a moment. These speakers can sit calmly for a breath or two in total silence and feel comfortable - and actually use it to their advantage.Unintentional silence can be seen as a mistake, or a sign of uncertainty.Intentional silence, however, is seen as dramatic and even more important.Instead of seeing moments of silence as issues for concern, turn them to work for you by making your next statement that much more poignant. Use silence to lean into your points and your audience will hear you much more clearly.3. Do not make things complicatedThe quickest way to know whether or not someone knows what theyre talking about is to pay attention to how many industry-specific words they use.If their vocabulary is a fashion show of insider adjectives, chances are they are spe aking more from a place of theory and less from a place of experience.Great speakers and people who carry themselves well know how to get to the point.They dont dance around it.They dont throw around handfuls of buzzwords.They say what needs to be said and leave it at that.If you use language that leaves your audience confused, you arent impressing them. You are frustrating them. Keep it simple.4. Dont curseUnless youve built a reputation or a persona around your edgy delivery, nine times out of 10 its best to leave the sailors mouth at home.When it comes to leading a room, it is in your best interest to keep the energy and the flow as positive as possible.Unless you know your audience very well, you never know where a misplaced word could lead.Dont add in an extra variable that doesnt need to be there.This doesnt mean you have to keep your language G rated. Say what you need to say, in the way it needs to be said.5. Tell a storyI have watched so many rooms turn the corner after a w ell told story.Stories are how we relate to each other. Stories are what ignite our imagination and turn a thought into a feeling, an idea into reality.Whether you are explaining a data point, or hinting at the outcomes of a campaign, whatever the case may be, be descriptive.Use sensory words - touch, taste, smell, a feeling, a sound.Bring what you are talking about to life, and let the people in the room be part of it.A presentation, or a speech, or even a single sentence with an added element of story becomes an experience.This story originally appeared in Inc Magazine.

Recommendation Letter Sample for a Valued Employee

Recommendation Letter Sample for a Valued EmployeeRecommendation Letter Sample for a Valued EmployeeLooking for a recommendation letter sample to use as a guide when you write yur own recommendation letters? This recommendation letter sample is written for a valued employee who is moving on to a new opportunity at a new location for family reasons. Because of the nature of zu sich work, you have agreed that it requires an onsite employee. You are invested in helping this employee advance her career at her new location as you valued the employees commitment and contribution during her time with your organization. Employees must leave your organization for reasons that can include spouse relocation, graduation from college, family needs, and promotional opportunities that your organization cannot currently offer. Especially for an employee whom you have valued, a recommendation letter will assist the employee to obtain his or her next job. Written on company stationery, with a clearly printed address and telephone, and the recommenders name and job title, the recommendation letter provides a sometimes needed boost to a job searchers credentials. The fact that the letter exists says a lot about the integrity and contributions of its subject to a potenzial employer. You will want your Human Resources office to review your recommendation letter before you send it. Some organizations have policies that require this oversight others ask employees not to write recommendation letters at all. They prefer that all recommendations come from Human Resources. Know your organizations policies before writing a recommendation letter. Use this recommendation letter sample to write about an employee who made positive contributions to your organization. This recommendation letter is for an employee whom you want to help. Recommendation Letter Sample Stephanie Harris123 Main StreetAnytown, CA 12345Office 517-687-3469Cell 517-272-3465stephanie.harrisemail.comSeptember 1, 2018Human R esourcesAcme Networking123 Business Rd.Business City, NY 54321To Whom It May ConcernThis is a letter of recommendation for Linda Fisher. Linda reported to me for the past four years as my administrative assistant in the training and organization development department at State University.While Lindas title was administrative assistant, the title does not accurately describe her actual contributions to the department. She was the glue that held all of the activities of the department together. She stayed on top of all consulting projects and training classesand coordinated the steps in their planning, implementation, and follow-up.Linda was responsible for managing the office and for providing oversight and direction to two receptionists/schedulers. The schedulers who enrolled our participants in training sessions reported directly to her. Additionally, all student employees and interns in the department reported to Linda who assigned and supervised their work.Linda was the official face of the department to the university. She performed all initial needs assessments with potential clientsand followed up to research potential training classes and seminars that might meet the needs of the clients.She assisted me with every aspect of my work from developing training materials, PowerPoint presentations, and visual aids to making sure that the training rooms were supplied for the training sessions.Linda was an effective contributor to our departments success. She enthusiastically took over additional responsibilities as they became available and handled each new role with professionalism. Linda will be sorely missed by department members and the entire faculty and administrative staff we serve.Linda is leaving to relocate for family reasons. It is my hope that this recommendation letter will assist her to obtain a position that will take advantage of her many capabilities. We are sorry to see Linda go, but we completely understand that her priority must be the need s of her family.I am happy to have had the opportunity to work with Linda and hope that if you become her next employer that you appreciate her as much as we have.Please contact me if you want or need additional information. I have enclosed my office phone extension and my cell phone number so that you can reach me directly for follow-up.Regards,Stephanie HarrisDirector of Training and Organization Development ExpandA copy of the recommendation letter, after a review by Human Resources staff, should be placed in the employees personnel file. This ensures that it is available for review in the future. On the off chance that the terminating employee decides to reapply in your company, the reference letter provides useful documentation as to the skills and contribution during the prior employment. More Sample Employer Letters How to Write a Recommendation LetterDisciplinary Action / Warning LettersEmployment Letters