4 Tips For a Healthier Workday
The mental, emotional, and physical stressors that you encounter throughout the workday can hinder your productivity and cause burn out. Taking care of your mind and your body at work and beyond is a key to creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Incorporate these tips into your workday to ensure you’re giving your body its best chance for good health:
1) Limber up!
Especially if you’re working in a job that requires a lot of manual labor, it’s important to limber up before you get started for the day. Stretching before work can prevent back injury and pain and muscle hyper extension. After work, take special care of any achy muscles or injuries that may have occurred. Adding exercise to your daily routine is also important for improving flexibility and reducing injury.
If you’re working at a desk all day in front of a screen, it’s important to get up and take breaks every 30 minutes to prevent eyestrain, repetitive stress injury (RSI), and the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time. Click here for a list of stretches that you can do right from your desk.
2) Eat a lunch rich in vitamins and minerals.
The afternoon slump is real and without proper nutrition, your productivity for the day can drop and a mid-day nap may sound more appealing than the task at hand. To avoid the 3 o’clock crash, limit the carbohydrates that you include in your lunch and pack your meal with lean protein. Avoiding sugary snacks and drinks will also equip you with the energy you need to make it through the day. Keep some healthy snacks at your desk, like apples or granola, just in case you have snack attacks later in the day.
3) Make time for those Zs.
A healthy day at work starts the night before with restful sleep. To ensure you’re getting your recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night, power down your electronics between one to two hours before hitting the pillow because the light from your phone, the television, and any other screen may suppress the production of the naturally occurring melatonin. Exercise can also help improve your sleep quality. Just 10 minutes of light exercise can make an impact, though it is recommended to refrain from exercising too late in the day.
4) Work-life balance.
To avoid burnout or exhaustion, it’s important to schedule time out for yourself, whether that is a vacation or a day off to regroup. Not only is taking breaks good for your productivity, it’s beneficial for your physical and mental health. If you do decide to take a vacation, reduce any unwanted stress by planning ahead and arranging a loose itinerary.
