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Rightways: work from home (WFH)
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In this step-by-step tutorial, learn the top 20 best tips and tricks in Zoom Video Conferencing. For example, create your own custom virtual background, have your video appear over PowerPoint slides, use video filters and effects, spotlight your mouse cursor, and many more.
0:00 Introduction
0:20 Custom virtual background
1:41 PowerPoint as virtual background
2:58 Green screen for virtual background
4:19 Touch up appearance
4:51 Adjust for low light
5:31 Video filters & studio effects
6:36 Enable original sound from microphone
8:08 Transcribe meeting using otter.ai
9:41 Press and hold space bar to unmute
10:13 Shortcut keys
11:11 Share phone screen
12:24 Share multiple windows
13:16 Whiteboard
13:50 Spotlight mouse cursor
14:16 Annotation tools
14:56 Waiting room
15:53 Breakout rooms
16:53 Nonverbal feedback
17:35 Calendar integration with Gmail
18:20 End-to-end encryption
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Working more than 55 hours a week is killing us through ischaemic heart disease and stroke.
THE Japanese call it karoshi or “death by overwork”.
The signs: a sudden stress-induced heart attack, stroke or extreme mental pressure leading to suicide.
After World War II, the Japanese struggled to cope with defeat and an insecure future, so they threw themselves into work, determined to advance economically and fuelled by an ingrained culture where collectivism is valued above individualism.
Annually, thousands of Japanese workers die from karoshi, but in recent years, China has overtaken Japan with an estimated 600,000 deaths from overworking in 2016.
A large number of deaths in China are coming from industries such as media, advertising, medical care and information technology.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, more people are working from home (WFH) and feeling the strain of being forced to take on additional work.
As businesses cut costs and struggle to stay afloat, it translates to more work and longer working hours for employees still on the payroll.
For some, it is either do the job or get the boot.
This certainly doesn’t bode well for our health.
In fact, even before the pandemic, a 2019 AIA Vitality survey revealed that workers in Malaysia are often overworked and sleep deprived, with 51% suffering from at least one dimension of work-related stress and 53% getting less than seven hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.
It was also reported that Malaysia had experienced a three-fold increase in mental health problems over the past two decades.
According to the latest estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) published in the journal Environment International last month, long working hours led to 398,000 deaths from stroke and 347,000 deaths from ischaemic heart disease in 2016 – a 29% increase since 2000.
Most of the deaths recorded were among people living in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions, who had worked for 55 hours or more per week, when they were between the ages of 45 and 74 years.
Young and otherwise healthy people can be struck by a stroke due to long-term unbalanced lifestyles and stress. — 123rf.com Just because bosses send messages throughout the night doesn’t mean they expect you to respond or react immediately, says Dr Yong. — AFP
The heart has its limits
James (not his real name), a marketing director of a multinational company, had been WFH and logging in at least 60 hours of work weekly, including on weekends, ever since the pandemic began.
At 51, the father of two teenagers eats healthy, rarely gets sick, enjoys the occasional drink and lets off steam by waking up at 4.30am to cycle or run for an hour every day.
Two months ago, he was in a virtual meeting when he started sweating profusely and felt pain radiating down his left arm.
As it was an important meeting, he ignored the symptoms, which eventually disappeared.
He continued cycling the next morning without any problem.
“But the pain returned a week later, and this time, it was accompanied by chest discomfort and dizziness.
“My wife drove me to the hospital, and after doing some scans, I was told I had a heart attack, with three blocked arteries,” he recalls, still in disbelief.
James’ wife broke down. She had been telling him to slow down, but he wouldn’t listen, continuing to work and exercise hard.
He had to have two stents inserted to open up his arteries.
“Prior to that, I hadn’t taken leave in a year. These days, I’ve learnt to switch off and no longer answer calls after 6pm.
“The cycling has been replaced with meditation and long walks,” he shares.
It’s quite an adjustment to make, but work is no longer his number one priority.
Says consultant cardiologist Dr Kannan Pasamanickam: “All of us are guilty of overworking – yours truly included!
“We have to remind ourselves that we cannot take health for granted; if you become ill, you may never be able to work again.”
Many patients shun hospitals during this pandemic as they fear running an increased risk of contracting Covid-19.
However, this might result in them delaying getting much-needed treatment – James was lucky that his first episode was not fatal.
Signs of a unhealthy heart include increased breathlessness; getting tired more quickly during physical exertion; chest/jaw/upper abdominal/arm pains brought on by exertion and relieved by rest; leg swelling (although this can be due to several other causes as well); breathlessness when lying flat in bed; and unusual palpitations, among others.
“Do annual medical exams, especially when you cross the golden age of 40, or start younger if you have a family history of vascular disease,”advises Dr Kannan.
If you’re living alone and experience a heart attack, he suggests that after calling for help immediately, take one tablet of aspirin straight away (barring an aspirin allergy), keep calm, remain seated (preferably on a sofa) and wait for help.
“If you feel like fainting, start coughing.
“If the heart stops because of sudden, irregular beating of the heart called ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, which can occur soon after a heart attack, or the blood pressure becomes very low, coughing can maintain an adequate blood pressure until help arrives,” he says.
A stroke in time
We often think that stroke only strikes old people and those with uncontrolled high blood pressure,but these are myths.
Stress has been identified as the most important causative factor for a stroke or so-called “brain attack”.
The warning sign of an imminent stroke is a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini stroke.
This can happen up to seven days before the actual stroke and last up to five minutes or so. Consultant neurosurgeon Datuk Dr Kantha Rasalingam explains: “There could be sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
“Individuals may also experience sudden double vision, confusion, inability to talk or understand things, instability when walking, and problems with balance or coordination.
“The key term here is ‘sudden onset of any neurological deficit’. “If you recover within a few minutes, it is a warning sign of TIA. If it persists, then it is a stroke.”
Some healthy individuals in the 18-49 age group – males, in particular – are being struck by strokes as a result of unbalanced lifestyles and stress.
“This is quite sad. If you push the boundaries and the body becomes exhausted, there is a possibility of getting a stroke.
“It’s a wake-up call for everybody,” remarks Dr Kantha. He shares the case of a 41-yearold lady who came into his clinic last week as she had experienced sudden right-sided upper and lower limb weakness.
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain showed a left-sided cerebrovascular accident (i.e. stroke).
Her husband was devastated, angry and blamed her employer.
Dr Kantha elaborates: “The husband said his wife was WFH more than normal the last month as her boss was asking her to do more work or else she would be retrenched like her other colleagues.
“Stressed, she tried her best to keep up, and a few days ago, while going out to buy food, she passed out in the car.”
Unfortunately, she sought treatment too late and there wasn’t much the doctor could do as the brain cells controlling her right side were already dead.
“I don’t think she will be able to go back to work unless she drastically improves,” he says.
“But work should be the least of her priorities as she has a six-yearold daughter.
“Often, people just dismiss the weakness and wait till it’s very late to seek treatment.
“Some go to smaller clinics, then smaller hospitals, and by the time they come to a bigger hospital, time has lapsed and we can’t do much.
“If a patient comes in early (within six hours of the onset of symptoms), we can do interventional therapy, e.g. embolism to break the clot.”
He adds that a useful acronym to remember is FAST: if you experience a Facial droop, Arm weakness and Speech difficulty, it’s Time to call for help.
Note these symptoms
If you’re working long hours, it usually also means a more sedentary lifestyle, and reduced physical activity is a risk factor to getting a stroke.
Look out for symptoms such as a lack of concentration at work, lack of energy, irritability, forgetfulness and poor sleep.
Says consultant neurologist Dr Kok Chin Yong: “These symptoms are easily overlooked and frequently attributed to other factors.
“In fact, these symptoms may be correlated with each other to form a vicious cycle and may lead to depression and anxiety.
“Individuals should get medical help when the above symptoms start to disrupt daily activities, such as personal relationships or work.
“If we can prevent these symptoms from getting worse, we can prevent heart attacks and strokes.”
To address being overworked, he recommends following “SEMMS”.
“Sleep is key; Exercise regularly at least 40 minutes three times a week; practise Meditation, which has been proven to reduce the relapse rate in both depression and addiction; adopt a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets for neurodegenerative delay, consisting of green, leafy vegetables, whole grains, berries, olive oil, poultry and fish; and be Socially active,” he says.
Dealing with bosses
The Malaysian Employment Act defines the work week as 48 hours, with a maximum of eight working hours per day and six working days per week.
But many employers blatantly disregard these guidelines.
How can we deal with unreasonable employers and maintain sanity while WFH?
Clinical psychologist Dr Lynne Yong says: “Discuss with the human resources (HR) people on what your job scope really encompasses and know your rights.
“There are laws to protect employees against exploitation
“However, the first step would be to ask yourself if you are overthinking your employer’s expectations.”
While some employers might be demanding, they can also be reasonable.
She says: “Just because bosses send messages throughout the night doesn’t mean they expect you to answer immediately.
“Because of these uncertain times, people tend to see things in black and white, but the reality is more nuanced than they think.”
The president of the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology suggests these steps to help manage your workload:
> Are you looking at your job situation clearly and objectively? >
Is it the bosses’ expectations or your own interpretation of your bosses’ expectations?
> If the boss is really unreasonable, can you discuss the issue with HR?
> Turn off notifications at a reasonable hour, perhaps two or three hours before bedtime.
Fellow clinical psychologist Prof Dr Alvin Ng Lai Oon adds that another helpful way is to affirm that you will be willing to do the expected task, but bring up problems at home that would need some mutual problem-solving between the boss and you.
“Say something like ‘Sure, boss, I can do that. But if I do, then there’s this other thing that becomes a problem, which I’m afraid would continue to persist if I do the task you just gave me.
“‘I’m concerned that this problem would affect my productivity in the long run. So, how?’” he suggests
Sitting
further away from the camera, wearing neutral colours and doing simple
makeup that helps to define your features are all good ways to present
well over a video call. Photograph: Getty Images
Work From Home - Audio/Video Tips
https://youtu.be/X2E4Rww0NQs
From better angles to lighting and dressing up yourself and your background, here’s what experts say you’re probably doing wrong on video calls. — dpa
Wow, doesn’t he look tired today! Since video calls have become part of our daily work routines and entire groups of friends have virtual parties, the technical and aesthetic flaws of video chat have never been more apparent.
With these four tips, you can make it look like you’re streaming from a TV studio and look your best in front of the webcam.
1: Consider the perspective (don’t film up your nostrils)
Even with the tiny webcams built into laptops, a lot can be done. It starts with how it's positioned, explains video hardware specialist Natasja Sluka.
“A look from above can unintentionally give off an arrogant vibe.”
Try to position your camera at eye level, just like in a personal conversation. To avoid filming into your nostrils when using a laptop camera, you should place the laptop higher up, for example on some books.
Around 50 to 100 centimetres, or an arm’s length, is a good distance from the face. This also makes for a good image with some free space around the head and shoulders.
2: Let there be light (but not back light)
A lot can go wrong when it comes to lighting. A window or bright lamp behind you means everyone will see a dark shadow where your face should be.
But too little light also doesn’t make for a good picture. Sluka advises using daylight as much as possible.
Warm colours with light yellow or red tones, as opposed to fluorescent light, help create a healthier complexion.
If all of that is not enough, a lamp behind your notebook will bring more light onto your face.
If you want to do it right, then buy a ring light, says make-up artist Jasmin Reuter.
The light is reflected in the eyes of the person being recorded, and shadows on the face are also eliminated.
”For those who don’t want to put on make-up just for a video call, a ring light and a really good camera is my top tip, ” she says.
“You almost look better than in real life, as the frontal illumination of the face makes your complexion look nice and soft.”
3: A little foundation doesn’t hurt (you too, men)
The camera is merciless and can act like a magnifying glass.
”Blotchy, shiny skin is all the more noticeable on video calls, ” says Reuter.
“If you have to go on an important call, such as one that’s being recorded, I would advise men to use some no-pigment foundation to counteract the shine.”
Depending on the camera position, under-eye circles can appear even darker. If in doubt, use some concealer.
If you wear make-up anyway, Reuter advises using some blusher on video calls.
“And some mascara, which opens your eyes and makes you look more alert.”
Some patterns on your top can give off an agitated vibe, and may even flicker on someone else’s screen.
It’s therefore recommended you avoid eye-catching patterns such as checks or stripes, says Reuter.
If you wear large earrings or necklaces and a headset at the same time, then watch out that they don’t touch each other.
Otherwise you’ll annoy everyone on the call with a constant banging noise.
4: Dress up your background, too
You’ve probably discovered countless interesting things in the home of the people you’ve talked to during a video call. The other person might not have wanted to show you all that.
”Check in advance what’s in view and think about what impression you’re giving off, ” says Sluka. Making sure things look tidy won’t hurt either.
Alternatively, there’s a range of tools included in video conferencing applications like Teams, BigBlueButton, Jitsi and Zoom that will let you do things like blur the background.
”This makes sense if the shelf in the background is a bit of a mess or there is a pile of dishes in the kitchen in the background, ” says Sluka.
However, the soft focus doesn’t always work accurately: Sometimes your hair or hands disappear, especially when you move.
Some programs will let you display any background image - particularly useful for people in small and dark rooms. Plain, light backgrounds work wonders, perhaps a photo of a beautiful, light office.
Holiday photos and funny designs might serve as a conversation starter, but ultimately are just a distraction.
And should you invest in real conferencing equipment? It's a matter of opinion, says video expert Sluka. Most of the time, the built-in cameras - especially with new notebooks - are really good.
For older computers, it can make sense to buy separate hardware, but the sound is more important. The first thing to invest in is a good microphone or new Bluetooth headset. – dpa
RCEP will promote and facilitate international trade among the 15 participating countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the expected increase in free trade will have a significant impact on the Malaysian property market. -NST/file pic.
The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) signifies the world's largest trade agreement and will contribute towards sustaining Malaysia as a preferred trading hub and investment destination.
RCEP will promote and facilitate international trade among the 15 participating countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the expected increase in free trade will have a significant impact on the Malaysian property market.
Higher trade and economic activities will impact on the occupation, investment and development sectors of the property market. Real estate space is a local input in the production and supply of goods and services. Increased exports lead to the expansion of domestic production.
Increased domestic production increases the demand for industrial space. Imports also have an impact on demand for real estate space. Goods imported need to be stored and distributed through warehouses and logistic properties.
These goods are then displayed and marketed at various outlets points thereby increasing the demand for retail spaces in retail malls.
Regional trading bloc and trade liberalisation will encourage foreign direct investments (FDI). These FDIs will create demand for industrial land and buildings. New capital investments will spur demand for more financing activities from the banks.
Once the plants and machines are in operations, it will create employment and demand on other factors of production. Higher economic growth will drive the capital market which will attract more foreign investment fund flows investing into local equities.
With increased economic activities, occupation demand for real estate space will cause rental increase. With inelastic new supply, potential future rental growth and prospective capital appreciation, investors will start to invest in real estate leading to an active investment market with the more participation from the institutional investors.
Developers will react to prevailing rents and capital values when they appear to signal a profitable opportunity. If prices rise, more developers will respond to these signals, the aggregate flow of supply into the market increases.
These new spaces will meet the requirements of the occupiers and investors e.g. floor plate size, specification and network connectivity requirements
Real estate service providers such as property consultants played an important role in the whole process by aligning their service standards to the requirements of the regional and global clients.
It is envisioned that the RCEP will open up markets and help in the recovery post Covid-19 pandemic. With increased economic activities, it will give rise to more derived demand for various real estate spaces thereby leading to an improved property market performance in the future.
Millennials now make up over a third
of the workplace and overwhelmingly value flexibility in where, when and
how to work. And top talent has been increasingly clustering in dense
urban areas and has been unwilling to commute to suburban office parks
Many changes are expected following the signing of the
world's largest free trade agreement — the Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership (RCEP) — including more trade between China and
Malaysia, and broad restructuring of Asian supply chains, government
officials from China and Malaysia said during the Malaysia-China
Business Forum on Wednesday.
Here are six tips to help avoid the pain that can come from a makeshift home office during this work-from-home ( WFH) period.
MANY of us are currently working from home during the conditional movement control order.
While it is an excellent precaution to avoid catching the SARSCoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 (not to mention other viruses and bacteria), you might find that your makeshift home “office” is causing you pain in your neck, shoulders and back.
Working for extended periods of time at your dining or coffee table is not great for your body and overall health.
Without those adjustable office chairs, you have to be extra conscious of your posture and routine if you want to combat the stress and strain that come from sitting in a compromised position all day long.
Fortunately, there are cheap and creative ways to make your work-from-home set-up more ergonomic.
Stay comfortable and avoid back pain while you work remotely for the foreseeable future with these tips.
Elevate your workstation
At work, your desktop or laptop is at a work station with an adjustable chair.
But at home, working for 40plus hours a week at your dining table can lead to back, shoulder and neck strain.
Laptops are never good ergonomically as the monitor is usually too low.
Ideally, the top of your monitor should be just below you eye level, so that you don’t have to strain your neck while reading.
If you’re working on a reading-intensive task, prop your laptop up on objects (like a stack of books or shoeboxes) so that it’s at your eye level.
You can also invest in an external monitor or a laptop stand.
When you need to type, do lower your laptop to a level that allows your arms to be comfortably bent at 90° angles while doing so.
Work at the appropriate height
The height of your workstation at home should be one that naturally allows your elbows to be at the same level as the table, desk or counter.
This will promote better wrist alignment and help avoid stiffness and stress on the carpal tunnel.
If compulsory working from home stretches on (as appears to be happening), you might want to invest in an appropriate office chair for your home workstation.
You should look for chairs that have adjustable height and back rests, as well as arm rests and good lumbar support.
A wheeled chair will allow you to easily adjust your distance from the computer and move it around
if necessary. The features of a good office chair will save you from much lumbar and neck discomfort, and is worth the investment.
Elevate your feet
Supporting your feet on an elevated surface or stretching your legs creates better blood circulation as you work throughout the day.
Ideally, your hips and knees should form 90° angles when you sit in your chair.
Place your feet on a few books or shoeboxes under your desk, so that your thighs are parallel to the floor and your hips slightly higher than your knees.
This will reduce stress on your lumbar spine.
When you start feeling stiff, move your feet back and forth.
Use the 20/20/20 rule
This rule states that for every 20 minutes spent looking at your computer screen, take 20 seconds to look at something else that is at least 20 feet (6m) away.
This will give your eye muscles a break and reduce eye strain.
Vary your position
It’s crucial to vary your posture throughout the day as sitting in the same position all day long is the quickest way to getting back, neck and shoulder pain.
For some variety, move to different places around the house throughout the day.
Make one spot your main workstation, but also move to a place where you can stand to work, change tables or rooms, or sit on your couch for short periods.
But do not turn your couch into your main workstation!
As tempting as it sounds, the couch is not an optimal place to work at your computer for the entire day.
While it may be comfortable, having your legs or whole body in a horizontal or diagonal position can lead to muscle numbness and discomfort.
Instead, you can make your main workstation more comfortable in several ways.
Placing a thin pillow or cushion on your seat can make a regular chair much more comfortable.
Draping a soft fleece blanket over the back of your chair is also a small thing that can make your chair feel plush.
To reduce lower back pain, add a rolled towel between your chair and lower back for lumbar support.
Take regular breaks
Because we don’t have an official lunch hour while working from home, it’s easy to snack on small things while working throughout the day instead of eating a proper lunch.
Cooking a meal and staying hydrated gives you the opportunity to stand up and allow your eyes to rest from the glare of the computer screen.
Set boundaries so as not to be tempted to work through the night by sticking to your regular work hours or usual number of hours at work.
Most people take breaks to walk around when they’re in the office, but when you’re at home, there may be a tendency to forget to do this and keep going without enough breaks.
Stay active
Set a timer to go off every hour to remind yourself to take a break for three to five minutes.
Walk around, do some basic stretches or take the chance to finish some quick chores like washing the dishes from lunch or folding the laundry.
Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar
Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, and a functional medicine practitioner. For further information, email starhealth@ thestar.com. my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
