Monday, January 12, 2015

On cubicles and cubicle farms...


Good article in a recent issue of the Economist (link at the end) on the history of cubicles and how they have reduced our overall quality of office life.

The fundamental problem in our lives nowadays is lack of movement / lots of sitting / no activity. 

Ancient health and wellness principles recognize the importance of "prana" or "chi" which is the essential life force that runs through the body. The acupuncture practitioner redirects chi, the karate master breaks the brick by channeling chi, and we all know of people who are extremely alive and active i.e. full of vitality or prana. 

The essential requirement for cultivating this energy is to keep moving.

Modern lifestyle is one where we keep sitting. In the car, at office, at meetings, at home while watching TV, and everywhere else. This blocks the prana, and as a consequence energy stagnates and we fall ill. 

Solution?  - in office, stand up and walk every one hour for five minutes; stand for some time in meetings and maybe while having coffee at the break-out; while driving long distance (or office to home in bangalore :-)) stop every couple of hours for a stretch break; pace up and down rather than sit while talking on the phone; get off from the bus/cab one stop earlier and walk home; walk to the local market; do a few minutes' of stretching every day.... without some level of walking and general movements, going to the gym to hit the weights will be counterproductive!

Link to the Economist article on cubicles:

http://www.economist.com/news/international/21637359-how-workers-ended-up-cubesand-how-they-could-break-free-inside-box


Dinesh Gopalan



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