I live in an old Ghent apartment with shotty windows at best, when the wind blows, the curtains sway. Not efficient. There is also no central AC or Heat. So it's up to window units and even space heaters in the winter to keep it comfortable. While the electronic appliances themselves are not the most energy-efficient, I use them entirely differently than a home with central air would.

Most people live in much nicer places with central air and other fancy modern luxuries (can you tell I'm jealous?). And, in living comfortably we may forget that efficiency is about living and making choices that foster the idea of using what you need, getting the most from it, and cutting waste. Comfort comes in the form of excess for many of us. Luxury is excess right? What we don't need but have anyway is Luxury.

How to reduce stress in the workplace is a very common issue in many organizations both large and small. For workers, the result of such stress is reduced job satisfaction. In extreme cases this can degenerate further into physical and psychological symptoms such as muscular aches and pains, weakened immunity, irritability and depression to name a few. This ultimately leads to feeling burnt out. For the organization, there is also an impact.Fortunately, there are many proven steps that employees and managers alike can take to mitigate the day to day stress of working for a company.

1.The first thing you should do is get yourself organized at home. Everyday of your life starts at home and it is important that you should get yourself organized at home in order to go through the day smoothly.

2.This is the best advice. Keep your nose out of other people’s business. Stay focused on your own work. Focus on productivity and excellence for your work responsibilities. Let other people look after their own.

Tip #1

Turn the lights off when you leave the room for more than 15 minutes. Whether it’s at home or at work, leaving the lights on when you’re not in the room is not only a waste of electricity, but a waste of money! Last time I checked, everyone was interested in saving money right? At work, if you leave for lunch or a meeting, or step out of the office for awhile, turn the lights off. If you’re at home cooking dinner in the kitchen, but were watching TV in the family room, turn the lights off (and the TV)! On the other hand, it does more harm than good if you turn your lights off if you’re just leaving the room for a couple minutes.

An even better solution? Use natural sunlight instead of turning the lights on at all whenever possible.

I want to call your attention to possibly the greatest little general store in Norfolk, maybe even Tidewater, I haven't decided yet. Green Alternatives. I love going in here because I instantly feel a buyer's freedom and safety knowing the products on sale have already been researched for their sustainability and eco-responsibiltiy. Plus, it's local, and spending money locally helps us all (and that feels good too!). They've got some interesting finds and lots to offer for the home and just living in general. It's just the kind of store a eco-friendly lifestyle calls for!

I’ve tried a new experiment this year with my home thermostats and my heating and cooling. I’ve kept my heat off during the days that are seemingly between seasons where maybe I could use the heat, but I let the day’s sun light heat the house enough so I’m not using additional natural gas to heat my home. I’m doing the same thing with the air conditioner. Instead of turning it on and off or switching back and forth between heat on cooler days or air conditioning on warmer days, I’m leaving them both off. I can really see the difference in my power bill and on my VA Natural Gas bill. So far, it’s working out very well. You might try it as well.