No more goofin' off guilt

How many of you ever get bored at work?  Be honest, I won't tell.  Sometimes we all need a break.  A recent study means you shouldn't feel so guilty about that.

According to an article published by the Wall Street Journal this month, recreational web surfing during work actually increases productivity.  Web browsing like that, taking a mini break, is usually to sites that we enjoy.  No one sneaks a break from actual work to do something they dislike.  According to the study, taking a break to do something like respond to emails does not have the same beneficial effects.  Correspondence it not always enjoyable, even though it may be a break from the tasks at hand.  The recreational browsing can refresh a worker and increase their focus once they return to work, allowing them to more than make up for the time spent.

So the next time you're at your desk, glance around, and navigate to angry birds, don't feel so bad.  Just make sure you get back to work sooner rather than later.

Chocolates, waffles, and keyboards, oh, my!

Did you know that french fries were invented in Belgium?  They are also famous for chocolate and waffles.  Sounds like a fun place to visit, doesn't it?   With companies like Ergo Comfort, it's probably a pretty decent place to work, too.  

Ergo Comfort focuses on occupational therapy and preventative solutions.  Careful and thorough workplace analysis helps Ergo Comfort help their customers.  They identify potential problems in workplaces and provide advice and support for correcting them.  With a heavy - and yet expected - focus on ergonomics, they provide functional and attractive solutions for optimizing the workplace and meeting the unique needs of all workers.  With a vision statement that focuses on a healthy and happy workplace while still highlighting the constantly evolving technological needs of many organizations, Ergo Comfort is our kind of business, and we are proud to offer our products through them.  

Colors of the Wind

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for."
-Georgia O'Keefe

We see the world around us through an array of colors. Red apples, green grass, blue skies. The colors we see affect our impression of the things that we are seeing, whether we know it or not. For instance, a bright red has been shown to stimulate the autonomic nervous system, creating a slight change in pulse and blood pressure. These effects occur because color is perceived, not only on the surface of the brain, but also in the limbic system, which is often referred to as the "primitive brain." Red, given this fact as well as its cultural associations, can influence people to be more risk-averse and detail-oriented. Even blind, color-blind, and blind-folded individuals have been shown to experience different physiological sensations under different color lights.

Blue and green, conversely, have been shown to have a calming effect on individuals and to stimulate creative thinking. Certain shades of blue have even been shown to slow the heart rate. It is for this reason that "cardiac blue" is so frequently used in medical centers and hospitals. The debate about certain color improving productivity has gone on for a long time. The truth is, different colors can encourage different types of productivity: red for detail-oriented work and blue for creative work. Blue has also been shown to act as an appetite suppressant. Yellow caution signs and the like work well because yellow is an attention-getting color. Too much yellow, however, can cause headaches and irritability because it over stimulates the eyes.

Similarly, experts advise refraining from over use of color. More than six bold colors in any one piece (wallpaper, for instance) can be overwhelming and inhibit cognition.

Children are usually drawn by warm, bight colors. Using these colors in learning environments can have very positive affects. A classroom decorated in friendly colors can reduce stress, improve visual processing, increase focus and attention span, and aid brain development in visual thinking, problem solving, and creativity.  In fact, color speeds up learning and retention by as much as 78% and use of bold colors (as oposed to black and white) can increase IQ by up to 12 points.  

For special needs children specifically, color can be either helpful or harmful, depending on how it is used. Regular, geometric patterns can be used to stimulate the pattern seeking part of the brain and reduce visual stress (in comparison with irregular or more complicated patterns). Autistic children in particular can be overwhelmed easily by color. Researchers have found that approximately 85% of autistic children see colors with greater intensity than do their neurotypical peers. This is not to say that the learning environment of a child with an ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) should be devoid of bright colors or decoration, but rather that bold colors should be used carefully, in that setting. In fact, we have heard from several parents and instructors that children on the spectrum benefit greatly from our colored keyboards because of the color-coding.

Dyslexic children generally benefit from well-used color.  A study has shown that 80% of dyslexic children showed increased understanding of read materials when displayed with a colored overlay.  Color-coding by character set can help with spelling on keyboards for those with dyslexia. Those with ADD and ADHD are also helped by the use of color.  Color has been shown to help with focus for these individuals as well as individuals with Down Syndrome by maintaining interest and breaking monotony.

The benefits of using more color are not limited only to children; repetition of colors has also enhanced the memory of nursing home residents and productivity across most demographics.