How to stay healthy while working in the office? Many of us have experienced being furloughed or working remotely from home. However, now is when most people will be heading back into the office; which will come with a list of limitations and new rules.
Keeping an eye on your health is arguably easier to do while you are at home, but it is essential you consider your wellbeing when you return to work as well.
Working from home, it is easy for people to make a quick trip to the kitchen and grab some fruit. Or go on a quick walk while the weather is nice during your own designated lunch hour.
However, when you step foot back into work, this all goes down very differently. And you likely aren’t allowed to venture too far away from your desk whenever you wish to. While you are at your office job, it can be easy to avoid getting into healthy habits. Start consuming nothing but junk food, though it doesn’t have to always be this way for people.
We thought we’d put together an easy-to-follow list of ways you can make an effort to stay healthy while at work without having to put too much effort into it. It isn’t just physical health you need to look after; it is also your mental wellbeing. So, without further ado, here is our list of ways you can remain at peak health while in the office.
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Make your lunch
The best way to control what you eat while you’re at work is to pack your lunch. You can take some time to prepare this meal the night before or during the morning, depending on how long your commute will take you to get into the office or how early you like getting out of bed (we won’t blame you for enjoying a lie-in).
By doing this, you’ll be able to keep a watchful eye on what you are consuming while at work, and you won’t feel the need to go and purchase something from the vending machine. If you take a balanced pack lunch with you to work, that is what you’ll be eating on your lunch break.
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Snack healthily
Building on our previous point, you may want to eat something outside of lunchtime. If you enjoy snacking throughout the day, at least make sure you’re eating the right types of food as you go about your business. There’s no harm in keeping an apple on your desk next to your computer in case you start feeling hungry again as the day progresses.
If you are snacking on the right foods, this will influence your lunch, too and ultimately get you into a healthier eating routine. Eat healthy snacks and avoid junk food consumption whenever you can.
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Take the stairs
If you work on floor four of your office building, you might find the elevator to be the safest option for your legs early in the morning when you arrive at work. Although, you should avoid this way of thinking completely and instead climb those stairs. This will help to energise you at the start of your day and get you active right from minute one as you step foot into work.
As your fitness levels improve, that early morning stair climb will start to become easier on you, and you’ll most certainly be thanking yourself for doing it later on down the line. Remember, you should take the stairs instead of the elevator, even when you don’t feel like it.
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Stay hydrated
Stay healthy stay hydrated, isn’t it!. Keep yourself hydrated while working. Especially in the summer when you are stuck in a stuffy office block with ever-rising heat levels. Opt for a glass of water over other beverages and get the continue with the theme of putting the right stuff into your system as you get through your working day.
You can easily get into the swing of doing this by bringing your water bottle to work and refilling it whenever you need to. Getting up to fill your bottle once more will give you an excuse to stretch your legs when you need it, so that’s a free extra benefit to you right there.
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Don’t be afraid to look out the window.
We’re not telling you to start drifting off into a daydream while you’re at work. But there’s no harm in looking out the window now and then while you are feeling somewhat stressed. There are proven benefits to staring out of windows.
Research has found that looking at a tree seriously reduces stress levels. So if you feel the pressure, pause and look around at your buildings’ surroundings for a minute or two. There’s nothing like the calming nature of looking at a tree. But if you work in a city centre office block, you could buy a small plant to feel some of those benefits.
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Don’t have your headphones too loud.
If you are working while listening to some music or a podcast, keep the volume at a reasonably low level. If you’re listening to loud music all day long, you’ll almost definitely do some damage to your eardrums. Don’t allow work to become a place where you are causing unnecessary damage to an essential part of your body.
You can also communicate with other work colleagues more effectively if you hear what they have to say. You don’t want to miss your boss calling you over either.
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Suggest walking meetings
Instead of heading on over to the meeting room and remaining sat down for even more of your day than you already do. I would suggest the introduction of walking meetings to your place of work. If you can get up for light exercises while you are talking about serious topics, then you’ll have more of an open mind.
If you are getting a break from computer screens, then you should be taking breaks from sitting down as well. Get on your feet, have a stretch, and move around for a while whenever you can.
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Get some fresh air
In the afternoon, use a few minutes of it to go and get some fresh air. There is nothing worse than being kept inside all day long. So you could even choose to eat your lunch outside if the sun is shining. Remember, the outdoors is a great way to begin feeling calmer. This means every time you go out, you’ll be working towards achieving a more relaxed state of mind.
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Have a cup of tea
Tea can be a lifesaver for the workaholics amongst us. As they add more pressure to themselves and seem to look for ways to better themselves.
Consuming tea regularly can give them mental support and strength to stay healthy. To complete their work hours with a higher degree of relaxation. The caffeine present in tea can help overcome sleep deprivation without affecting the efficiency and quality of work.
Tea also helps with health issues as it can help protect your blood cells. In some cases, even aids in stopping blood clots from forming. With these added health precautions, there’s no reason not to be helping yourself to the odd mug full throughout the day while at work.
