Sometimes working in an office all day wears us down. It’s hard to stay healthy while sitting for eight hours. Whether it’s staying alert, on top of our diet lifestyle and/or dodging sickness, it can be difficult to stay healthy at work. We’ve got 10 ways employees can strive for better health daily.
1. Stay Hydrated
When you’re so busy with work you can hardly breathe, it’s often hard to remember to take a drink of water. It’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day. Keep an insulated bottle of water by you so you remember to take sips. Dehydration can slow you down causing you to feel sleepy and sluggish.
2. Disinfect Your Work-space
Think about the germs lurking on your mouse, keyboard, computer, and desk. Those germs are just waiting to get you sick. Make sure you use disinfectant and wash your hands throughout the day. Stay away from co-workers you think are sick as well. Always be on alert for ways you can make your space cleaner so you can fight sickness. Once one person in the office is sick, it can spread through everyone like wildfire.
3. Don’t Strain Your Eyes
Staring at a computer screen is hard on your eyes. It doesn’t only hurt your eyes themselves, but it also leads to headaches, problems focusing and sensitivity to light. You should sit an arm’s lengths away from your computer. Make sure you are close enough so you aren’t squinting your eyes. It’s easy to increase the font size on your computer if you cannot see it properly.
4. Don’t Snack
Don’t snack doesn’t mean you can’t ever snack. It means put the snacks out of sight so you have to actually walk to get them. This will make you think twice as to if you really want that bite to eat. Those calories quickly pile up leading to weight gain. If you really want a snack, bring some fruits and vegetables. Skip the candy jar sitting on your co-worker’s desk and grab an apple.
5. Take Frequent Breaks
Sitting all day in the same way hurts your body. You’ll feel stiff and sleepy if you never move. Take frequent small breaks. If you don’t stand up and stretch, your body and mind will both feel down. Breaks give your mind and body a chance to refresh. you’ll be able to hit the work even harder once you’ve stepped away for a moment.
6. Take A Power Nap
It’s frowned upon to sleep at your desk so step out to take a short power nap. A simple ten minute nap will replenish your body and mind. You might not be able to do it every day, but it’s not going to hurt anything if you step away for ten minutes. Your boss will thank you for being more productive once your back at your desk.
7. Self Awareness
It’s important that you know your own personal limits. You know what drives you crazy at your job. You know at what point your mind begins to shut down. Stay inside your limits so you’re always on top of your professional game. You also don’t want to leave worn down. Know when it’s your time to take a mental break, a day off or even a vacation.
8. Make Personal Time
Work cannot rule your life. It isn’t healthy. Once you start to burnout at work, you’re not working at your full potential. Take time for yourself. Go on a mini-vacation, take a day trip or just stay at home for a day. You don’t have to do anything big, but it’s important you take time for yourself that’s away from the office.
9. Eat A Healthy Lunch
You don’t need to go through the fast food window every day at lunch. Bring a healthy, balanced lunch with the proper portions. You can eat pizza one day, but don’t eat four pieces of that pizza. You don’t have to eat healthy every single day, but it’s important to eat healthy as much as possible. Pack your lunch the night before so you aren’t left hurrying in the morning only to grab a cheeseburger on your lunch break later.
10. Workout During Lunch
Working out on your lunch break will give you the mental and physical boost you need to get back to work. That boost will refresh you as the minutes fly by while you’re working out. You get to take a break from the computer. You get to step away from your professional life just to burn some calories. Those endorphins will boost your overall mind frame so you’ll be able to return to work with a new spirit.
Staying healthy at work isn’t hard if you set your mind to these simple habits. You know what refreshes your body and mind when you’re at work. You’ll feel better and be ready to face each project with a happy, healthy heart.
