It’s a Leap Year. What Does That Mean?

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Leap year 2016This year, we’ll have an extra day of February — the 29th. We get this extra day every four years, during a leap year. Like daylight savings time, you might think the leap year is a confusing disruption that our modern world could do without. But think again. That extra day augments three years’ worth of slowly shifting time, readjusting our calendars to stay in-sync with the seasons.

Why do we have a leap year?

Contrary to what we learn as kids, the earth takes longer than 365 days to orbit the sun. And so, we start every new calendar year with just a little bit of extra time left on our solar clock — 0.242 days, to be exact. By adding that extra day every fourth year, we use up the 0.242 days that accumulated each of the three years before that. In this year’s case, we’re using up the extra time left over from 2013, 2014 and 2015.

How does a leap year keep us in season?

If we didn’t have leap years, our calendar year would fall behind the solar year by one full day every four years. Over the course of 120 years, our calendar year would be one full month askew of the solar year. That could mean warmer winters and cooler summers, eventually leading to a complete overhaul of how we define our seasons.

The leap year is an over 2000-year-old tradition first started by Julius Caesar, but it isn’t antiquated. The next time you experience a warm spring thaw or a white Christmas, thank the leap year for keeping our seasons, and our lives, in harmony with nature.

How to Prevent Burnout & Minimize Mental Fatigue

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We recently came across a blog post covering mental fatigue and how it can lead to burnouts at the workplace. While mental fatigue is normal to some extent, it is important to not let it reach extreme levels where performance, well-being and focus are affected.

Prevent Burnout at Work

According to the article there are 4 ways to reduce mental fatigue:

1. Play some mindless cell phone games

Spending 10 to 15 minutes on a mindless activity such as easy to follow cell phone games can give our brains a reboot, allowing it to take a break from the daily demands at work.

2. Walk for pleasure, not exercise

When we think of walking for exercise we think of sweating, increased heart rates and distance covered. Taking a walk outside of the office to catch local scenery or to get some fresh air can take the stress out of exercise goals and let your mind settle.

3. Cultivate a positive attitude

Regardless on the amount of projects or tasks you face each day, it is important to focus on the positives in your life. Try keeping a journal, writing down positive things and getting out of bed on the “right foot” each morning. It can make a significant difference for your mental health.

4. Delegate (or at least ask for help)

While many of us are responsible for multiple roles at our workplace it does not necessarily mean that we have to do everything all of the time. If you have the ability to delegate some work, do so. Likewise, if you just need a helping hand on a big project try partnering up with a co-worker so that you can help each other out during busy periods.

Do you use any of these tools to keep your mind healthy? Have any tips not mentioned above? Let us know in the comment section!

How to give back this holiday season

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It’s the season of giving. But between work, family, friends and holiday parties, you might not have much time or energy left to give.

The good news? Giving back doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. Recruit your co-workers’ help. And then consider any of these options.

Holiday Giving

If you can spare an afternoon

Does your workplace hold a Holiday party during office hours? Consider using a part of that afternoon to visit a soup kitchen. Chances are, you’ll find it more fulfilling than overeating the annual holiday cheese ball.

If you can spare a full day

Contact a local shelter or donation centre and ask if they could use a few extra hands. Many charities are looking for more volunteers around the holidays. You can also go through a volunteer organization to find the right match.

If you can spare only a few hours

At this time of year, the homeless are especially vulnerable. Get your coworkers together to do a soup, socks and coffee run. Hand these out in your city centre, or any area around town with a large homeless population.

If you can spare some funds

An office fundraiser is a great way to give back if you’re too time-strapped to volunteer. This can take two forms. Option one is to become the office fundraiser; pick a charity, then send out an office-wide email asking for contributions. The second is to host a bake sale; ask each coworker to contribute a dish, and donate what’s raised to a local charity.

If you can spare coats or non-perishables

Winter clothes can be a big expense for low-income households. And no one should go hungry during the holidays. Set up two bins at the front of the office — one for winter clothes like hats, mittens and coats, and the other for non-perishables — then put up posters around the office asking for donations. Choose a cut-off date for donations, then take the items to your local food and clothing bank.

Having trouble choosing a cause? Make it a democracy. Choose a handful of charities and send out an email asking everyone to vote. The popular option wins.