how to help geeks chill out when they're not working

1. optimizing stress-reduction
during work breaks:
engineer edition
sean rose
spring 2011

2. escape
• technology
causes stress1
• work causes
stress2
• getting away
from both
induces calm
disconnect from email, facebook, twitter,
coworkers, your desk, and clear out your mind

3. escape outside
• physical
inactivity at
work leads to
mental and physical
stress3
• being outside
substantially
induces calm
go outside and walk, jog, even sit – your mind
will be much be better off than before

4. escape outside with someone
• social isolation
leads to anxiety,
memory
impairment, and
stress4
• being with a
friend (either
man or animal)
induces calm5
be with someone who helps to take you away
from the stress of work

5. citations
1. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/1998/09/21/
focus3.html
2. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/
work_stress_management.htm
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-
t.html
4. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/
S0166432803003796
5. http://books.google.com/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=HqiIZ4wPpWIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA377&dq=socia
l+interaction+stress+reduction&ots=D_KkwM-
h5u&sig=wln7_VSyQX5NUNzx6SQMtV8zrRo#v=onepage&
q&f=false