When you’re at work, health and your well-being are usually the last things on your mind. There are way too many things to accomplish to think about self-care. The problem is that most of us spend the majority of our day at work; from 9 to 5 work comes before everything else. Who has the time to do it all? Good news: you can create and maintain a balanced workplace lifestyle that not only helps your overall health but will also improve the quality of your work! Here’s how:
- Drink water.
Drinking water is easy to forget. This makes no sense because it’s one of the most important things we should be doing to stay healthy! Drinking water not only helps with digestion, keeping our complexion clear, removing toxins, boosting our immune system, and increasing energy, it also helps you stay focused and alert while you work. Our suggestion? Get a large reusable water bottle to refill throughout the day. Set a goal for yourself and keep track of how many bottles you’ve finished in one day. If you’ve got a competitive streak in you, you may even want to start a little competition with one of your coworkers to see who can drink the most! Staying hydrated is extremely important and if you start now, it can become the best habit you have.
- Move around.
- It’s common to get caught up in work and forget to move; sometimes for hours on end. Staying stationary for too long can have major consequences later, so it’s important to remind ourselves to get up. Set a reminder every hour or so to go for a short walk, even if it’s just around the building or to the restroom (perhaps even going to go fill up the water bottle that you’ve finished). Not to mention, getting a breath of fresh air and taking a short break from work helps us focus and increase productivity! Not to mention, it’s a great way to relieve stress and regain some of our sanity. It’s also important to get outside. Vitamin D deficiencies have become extremely common, especially for those who work indoors all day. Take a walk outside and catch some sun. Your body will thank you later.
- Bring your own lunch (and snacks too.)
- Though it takes extra time, packing your own lunch is the healthiest and most cost-efficient option. Plan a few healthy meals for the week on Sundays. It’s tempting to indulge in the breakroom doughnuts, visit the vending machine, or to order something to be delivered, but try your best to avoid this. Many studies associate significant weight gain to office life; staying stationary all day and snacking on unhealthy foods. Frequent, light snacking on healthy options, like nuts, fruit, and veggies, is proven to speed up your metabolism and is better for your overall health.
- Don’t forget about your daily essential vitamins and nutrients! Try your best to incorporate foods with B vitamins, vitamin D, etc. If you’re not able to get the vitamins you need with your food choices, supplementing with an easy alternative like vitamin-infused coffee or tea, like VitaCup, is a great choice! Most people drink at least one cup of coffee or tea per day at work, so choosing one infused with vitamins is a convenient way to make sure you get what you need to stay healthy, fresh, and focused. (not to mention a nice energy boost!)
- Clean your workspace.
- We don’t want to alarm you, but did you know that studies have proven that our desks have more germs than a toilet seat? Cleaning your desk is extremely important because being in an office exposes you to a ton of germs. We all know what it’s like to be at work and hear everyone around you coughing and blowing their noses and I’m sure we’ve all fallen victim to the office bug at least once. While it might not be a guarantee, you can prevent getting sick by wiping down your desk at the end of the day.
- Stretch.
- Whenever you come back to your desk, whether it’s after using the restroom, having a meeting, going for a walk, etc., take a few minutes to stretch at your desk. Stretching is one of the best ways to get your blood flowing and circulation going. After sitting even for just an hour, our bodies start to tighten up and are in desperate need of some range of motion. Roll your neck and wrists around a few times, stretch out your exhausted fingers, do a few forward bends, and if you’re feeling up for it, try a few balancing poses to get yourself refocused.
Work is busy and difficult to focus on things other than the agenda for the day, but we also need to remember that our health and well-being is the most important thing we should care about. Start small and these easy tips will not only benefit you, it’ll benefit everyone around you when they start following your lead. You need your health (both physical and mental) to get the job done, so keep these tips in mind!