Oftentimes, working in the office discourages people to keep a healthy lifestyle. Because of the nature of the job which mostly requires sitting all day and facing a computer, people often neglect the adverse health risks it can bring.
At an average, according to studies, a person spends 13 hours a day sitting. In addition, when a person is sitting most of the time, it suggests that he or she is living in a sedentary life. Having a sedentary lifestyle increases the chances of heart diseases, mental illness, cancer, and even death.
However, there is still a chance to change. To avoid the mentioned adverse effects, provided below is a list of the things that can help you maintain your health and wellness at work. Read on.
1. Take the Stairs Instead of Elevator
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Of course, you cannot take the stairs if there is an urgent meeting or you are running late. However, as much as possible, especially during breaks, take the stairs. Even a simple walking up and down the stairs is already considered an exercise. Aside from improving your heart rate, it can also help you gain muscle strength. Plus, it does not necessarily steal a lot of time from you.
2. Mindful Eating
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Most of the employees find it hectic to prepare food for themselves. That is why eating processed food during breaktime from fast-food chains is the usual scene in offices. However, we can take a huge leap of success, if little by little, we learn to prepare homemade food. We do not only ensure cleanliness to the food we are eating but we also check what to eat and whatnot. Of course, having a variety of healthy choices such as enough amount of protein, fruits and vegetables shall be considered.
3. Take Mandatory Breaks from Computer Screen
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Taking mandatory breaks from the computer screen is hard to follow. However, you can make it easier by putting some mental and visual notes to remind you to stop for a while.
4. While on a Mandatory Break, Stretch and Talk to Other Employees
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While you are taking some mandatory breaks from your sit and the computer screen, make time to stretch or talk to other employees. Just a simple stretching exercise will do. When talking to other employees, of course, consider if they are busy or not, ask them about how their day’s going or if they are fine or not.
You can also walk around the corner for a while, give some undelivered documents to co-workers or any activity that will allow you to stand up.
5. Stress-management Practices
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There are different stressors in life that no matter how much we try to get rid of them, they don’t go away. Perhaps because in reality, we cannot get rid of them. Stressors are part of our lives and all we can do is to overpower them.
By employing stress-management techniques we can avoid being overpowered by stressors. One effective stress-management practice is to let ourselves enjoy the things we love to do. For instance, writing, watching movies or spending time with our loved ones after work.
During a stressful situation at work, we can also try calming down ourselves first. Count 1-10 while taking a deep breath – inhale and exhale exercises. Whatever it is that tones down your tension, try it. There are various ways to help cope with stress and maintain health amidst stressful situations. You can get tips from online sites, like healthytop10s.com, and those pieces of advice are free.
6. Have Enough Sleep
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If you think that sleep is only for the weak, think again. Sleep is for everyone, especially for employees who get to face different obstacles at work every day. Of course, taking enough sleeping hours is easier said than done with the hectic schedules you face every day. However, we should not take this as an excuse to neglect our most important need as humans – sleep. Having enough sleep calms our senses and increases our productivity at work. It also clears our mind and helps us in making mindful decisions.
