As we start another new year millions of Americans participate in a campaign called Dry January where they abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages for 30 days. Started in 2013, this phenomenon has grown in popularity as many people begin their resolutions to improve their health, mental well-being, and lives by making small changes to their everyday routines and habits. Research supported by many doctors and university scientists have shown that this produces many benefits such as weight loss, better sleep, decrease in high blood pressure as well as improved mood and energy levels. It is in this spirit that Calyx by Claridge would like to offer a new challenge, Dry Erase January (DEJ).
The best part of Dry Erase January is we are not asking for you to give anything up, quite the opposite, we are asking you to engage in collaboration by using our industry leading markerboard products. First and foremost collaboration, whether it be in the office or classroom, allows for social interaction as you and your team engage in a free flowing forum of ideas. According to Mercy Medical Center, socialization has numerous positive impacts on a person’s mental wellbeing including making you feel happier and even lowering your risk of dementia. Who would have thought that jotting down a few ideas on a dry erase surface would improve the overall health of your brain?! It also promotes a sense of safety, belonging, and security.
Improved teamwork and ideas are another benefit of the DEJ challenge as it encourages problem solving. By working together people can find alternative solutions by combining their knowledge and expertise and also allows them to learn from each other. The NEA, National Education Association, has said that this collaborative brainstorming provides a safety net and helps to catapult thinking and develop ideas that can seem to be silly at first and turn them into something truly unique and creative.
If these benefits were not enough to convince you to pick up the DEJ torch, consider that collaborative environments will also help teach you more about yourself as it allows you to think about ideas from a brand new perspective. When you work collectively with people from different experience levels and backgrounds you can see things from a different point of view which not only improves ideas for the current project but also gives you some new ones that can be applied to future endeavors. You may even discover a wealth of knowledge you didn’t know you had when you are able to bounce suggestions off of your teammates; sometimes working through what you are thinking is just the creative spark necessary to come up with something amazing.
In a world where the focus on mental well-being is becoming more and more important Calyx by Claridge wants to be there by your side to provide the surfaces to allow your ideas to be born and maybe even improve your health as well. What are you waiting for? Take the Dry Erase January challenge and join us in championing collaboration, whether you have a drink in hand or not.