As the fall season and holidays approach us, it’s the time of the year where baked goods are in abundance and work hours reach far and beyond the regular 9 to 5 standard as we meet our end of the year goals. While it is certainly difficult to balance our evolving work priorities while maintaining our physical health, there are several simple changes you can make to your routine that will show instant results.
Photography CHRIS BUCK / CORBIS OUTLINE
According to an article in the New York Times, the first and foremost issue that you may have in finding a balance between work and health comes with sitting at a desk all day. Sitting is one of the most passive things you can do and it has been found that you actually burn more energy by chewing gum or fidgeting than you do sitting still in a chair! So the first change you can make is to simply move around a little more. If your daily work routine involves 8 hours of sleep and one hour of exercise, that still leaves you with 15 hours of potential activity time! Just because you’re stuck working at a desk all day doesn’t mean you can’t get up and move a bit. Why don’t you try taking the stairs instead of the elevator this week or walking over to speak with a colleague instead of sending an e-mail? Other quick and easy ways to move around include standing up to stretch at your desk, taking a brisk walk around your office building/corporate park or performing a number of exercises right at your very own desk.
Other considerations include:
Back pain – After long hours of sitting, it’s possible to experience back and joint pain. Good posture can help to correct this problem. The first way to reduce backache is by changing sitting posture. Keep in mind that the chair you use may also have to do with bad posture, as you should be using a chair that can hold your back in an upright position. Do you also know that distance and height of your computer monitor matters? You should not have to bend or hunch at all to see the screen better, and if you currently do so, adjust it.
Diet and nutrition – With long hours comes the lack of proper diet and higher probability of bad cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. Going out for pizza with your co-workers may seem like a good idea at the time, but your body will certainly be unhappy for it later. You can avoid the temptations of giving in to junk foods by bringing your own healthy lunch instead. Eating small but frequent meals throughout the day can also help maintain an even level of blood sugar in your body. If you get mid-day cravings, try to keep healthy snacks such as nuts, popcorn, fruits and berries at your desk to avoid tempting vending machine snacks. Also drink plenty of water (about 8 glasses a day) and always keep a full bottle at hand as a constant reminder to stay hydrated.
Tension - Chronic or intense stress can lead to physical and emotional health problems. To avoid this sort of tension, first sit down and create a schedule for yourself. Once again, take short breaks throughout the day to stretch, move around and clear your mind. By stepping away from your desk, you will feel refreshed and recharged for the next chunk of time you spend working. You may also want to try meditation or yoga to balance your mind and body and alleviate the tension from your workday.
While this is not an all-inclusive list of health tips for the working world, these are certainly good starting points towards streamlining your efforts to balance work and health. What other tips can you offer? What do you do to stay healthy in and out of the workplace?
Photo courtesy of hemispheresmagazine.com
