Tips to Stay Healthy in the Workplace

Tips to Stay Healthy in the Workplace

Many of us find it easy to ignore our health while at work, particularly if there is a tight deadline to meet or an important conference to prepare for. However, by compromising our health through harmful work habits, we are also compromising our productivity and performance. There may be cases that your work is getting in your health's way, and if you feel you're under too much stress and you're not capable of implementing any of the tips we list below, consider looking for a new job that will allow you to gain at least part of your health back. There are plenty of fish in the sea and jobs in the market, just check any job vacancies site like this one to make yourself a clear idea of what could be waiting for you out there. What we must remember is that a healthy body is conducive to a healthy mind, thus adopting healthy work habits could enhance your performance as well as your physical health. Follow the five healthy work habits below to boost your wellbeing and productivity while at work.

1. Movement 
Most people are aware of how important taking regular exercise is for your health, particularly if you live a sedentary work life. Despite this, the majority of us do not keep nearly as active as we should. While no one expects you to run a marathon between shifts, doing some gentle exercise on a regular basis will help increase your productivity and enthusiasm while at work by producing endorphins and stimulating cognitive functions. At the same time, getting up and moving about the office every hour or so will make you feel more alert, perform better and could even increase your lifespan.

2. Sleep
Sleep is essential for the proper functioning of the body and brain. As a result, if you are a chronic insomniac or regularly burn the candle at both ends, you probably suffer from lower cognitive productivity, slower reaction times and even slurred speech. Not only will these symptoms be detrimental to your work, both qualitatively and quantitatively, but your professional image is also likely to suffer. If you have a 1h pause, consider eating lunch in half-hour and taking a short power-nap during the remaining 30 minutes. You will feel refreshed right away and ready for action!

3. Nutrition
Nutrition is another crucial health issue we often overlook while at work. Though fast food solutions may be tasty, convenient and quick, more often than not they are also expensive, unhealthy and completely void of nutritional value. If you take the time to prepare your lunches at home, you will have complete control over their content and portion size, thus allowing you to make healthier choices and save some money in the process.

4. Hydration
For one reason or another, many of us completely forget the importance of keeping hydrated while at work. Dehydration can cause health issues such as poor digestion and increased blood pressure, along with chronic headaches and hunger pangs. In short, though easily solved by placing a bottle of water on your desk, dehydration can cause some fairly serious performance-affecting issues. 

5. Sanitation
Something often overlooked by office workers is the enormous proliferation of bacteria throughout office spaces. Although you cannot possibly avoid contact with all sources of bacteria, you can help your body avoid unwanted illnesses by washing your hands with hot soapy water on a regular basis, wiping down your desk using antibacterial wipes and keeping hand sanitizer close by. 

Many of us are guilty of neglecting our well-being in favour of putting in some extra hours at work. By making a few small changes however, you could improve not only your health but your work efficiency too.

Written by S.AD