10 Workplace Wellness Tips for a Healthier and Happier Life
Today’s world is so busy and unpredictable. Balancing between work, personal life, and health goals can sometimes feel crazy and exhausting.
It’s crucial to take care of your mental and physical health regardless of whether you’re at home or the workplace. After all, you spend one-third of your day at your job.
Even if you work in an office, sitting in front of a computer all day, there’re still ways to feel better.
Here you will find ten wellness tips for the workplace. They will help you feel less stressed and make a better work environment.
Therefore, you can live a healthier and happier life.
10 Workplace Wellness Tips to Live Healthier and Happier
Almost everyone nowadays works in a stressful environment.
You try to implement healthy habits into your life as hard as possible. However, your workplace has a vast impact on it.
And that's the reason your job is a great place to incorporate some wellness tips.
#1 Comfortable seat
If you’re sitting all day, you’ve already met two not-so-great fellows: Mr. Neck Pain and Mrs. Back Pain. They are not the nicest people, so you try to avoid them.
The simplest solution is to buy a new, comfortable chair. This office may not be yours, but it is your health. You will start feeling better soon, more fresh and energetic.
Another solution is to make your current chair more comfortable. Some ways to do it is by getting an adjustable footrest, seat cushion, lumbar pillow, or arm protectors.
These simple accessories can make you feel much more comfortable. That will result in you feeling way better and less stressed out.
Also, use this handy guide that will help you adjust your office chair and make it perfect for you.
#2 Take care of your eyes
You're already sitting comfortably in your chair. It’s time to take care of your eyes.
Looking at your computer screen all day harms your eyes. If you don’t wear glasses, consider getting blue-light-blocking ones to protect your eyes. I bought mine last year from Baxter Blue.
Their glasses are high-quality, and the price is pretty affordable.
There are cheaper options on Amazon. However, I do recommend you invest in high-quality glasses.
It’s always good to check with an eye-care professional who will advise you on the best solution for your needs.
Also, start doing some eye exercises. It’s yet not proven whether those exercises will improve your vision. But they will help your eyes rest for a while.
Here are some exercises you can start doing immediately. Most of them take less than 5 minutes. So you can do them in the office, too.
#3 Try to get more fresh air
If you sit next to a window, try to keep it open or open it a few times per day for at least 5-10 minutes. A flow of fresh air is always good for your mind.
However, many office spaces don’t have any access to fresh air. If you’re in this situation, add a few green plants to your desk.
Plants will give your desk a more aesthetic look and enrich the air with more oxygen.
#4 Go for a walk
Do you remember that fresh air we were talking about?
Try to get more of it during your lunch break, especially if there’s no fresh air access in your office.
Go out, eat your lunch outside and have a walk.
A walk helps you unwind and refreshes your body and mind.
On a busy day, prioritize movement. When you’re sitting all day, try to move your body as much as possible.
It’s great if you’re already working out a few days a week. Although, try to incorporate movement more into your everyday.
Take the stairs, park a little further in the parking lot, and go for a walk during your lunch break - every small effort counts towards your wellness.
Also, you can start tracking your steps using a fit band or smartwatch if you haven’t started already.
Walking is sometimes an underestimated activity. But aiming to do 8000 steps a day will increase your movement activity and help you lose weight faster.
Set your step goals once a month. If you hit your daily steps with no effort, try to increase them. If you still struggle to achieve that goal, look for ways to incorporate more movement into your every day.
#5 Prepare a healthy lunch
One of the first things to do when you try to live healthier is meal prep.
Meal prepping is making healthy food an easy and convenient choice.
Prepare your lunch in advance. Make sure to give your body all the nutrients to continue thriving.
To make a balanced meal, including a source of protein, complex carbohydrates, veggie, and healthy fat.
A nutritious meal will help you recharge and keep on performing great until the rest of your workday.
Before meal prepping, make sure you’ve done grocery shopping and have all the food prep essentials you need.
And the most important part: do not forget your lunch at home. It has happened to me multiple times.
#6 Get up from your desk
High-five yourself if you sneaked that walk during your lunch break.
But let’s be honest, you don’t have time for walks every day. So try to get up from your comfortable chair more often.
Movement is one of the essential parts of healthy life. Try getting up once every hour for at least 5 minutes.
Don’t sneak out from working. For example, grab a coffee for you and your colleague, bring that paper to your boss, and fill your water bottle.
Make it an occasion to do something good for you and for the others.
#7 Get a healthy snack
Be sure to sneak those macro and micronutrients into your diet.
Getting higher quality food at work will significantly improve your nutrition. You will also reach your fitness and health goals faster.
Your snack can be as simple as a protein bar, an apple, or maybe the overnight oats you prepared last night.
Choose what works best for you and what you can stick to realistically. Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re not perfect every day.
Observe what didn’t go as planned yesterday and get better tomorrow. And if you can’t do it by yourself, you can always hire a nutrition coach to help and support you.
#8 Have positive relationships with your colleagues
I know that working with people is hard. It’s hard to be a friend to everyone. The bigger your team is, the harder it gets.
But this is no obstacle for you to be polite and kind to them. What comes around, goes around.
Make the first step and see how the attitude of the others will change, too.
#9 Set boundaries
Sometimes it’s hard to realize when the workday ends.
You go home and keep thinking and talking about work. It feels like a 10-12 hour workday. Although, you get paid just for 8 of those hours.
However, there’s only a certain amount of things you can do within 8-9 hours. And you’ve done the best you could have.
So go to the gym, go home, go out with friends, watch TV, plan your week, journal, read, meditate, etc. Do something that will keep your mind engaged and away from work.
To be your best at work, you have to rest outside your workplace. Don’t take this as being lazy. In the long run, it is being more productive.
Also, if you’re feeling low after a workday, try to raise your vibration. It will help you unwind, switch to your personal life, and feel better.
#10 Have a good night's sleep
When you feel stressed, it’s hard to go to sleep or get enough sleep.
When you don’t get enough sleep, you struggle to recover and feel anxious and overwhelmed. You are simply not the best version of yourself.
Quality sleep is a crucial factor in a healthy lifestyle. It does not only improve your physical and mental health but makes you more productive and energized.
Try to sleep at least 7-8 hours a night. A good-night sleep supports your overall well-being.
How important is wellness at the workplace?
You spend at least one-third of your day at your workplace. If you spend another third (8 hours) while sleeping, supporting good wellness at your workplace is pretty significant.
Also, most of the reasons you’re stressed out usually come from your work.
So, if your chair is more comfortable, does that mean that you won’t be stressed about the upcoming presentation this Friday? Of course, not.
But you have one less thing that will stress you out. Your body and, therefore, your mind will feel better.
Try to prioritize wellness in every aspect of your life.
You can’t expect to work out five times a week and think you’re living so healthy. Yes, you’re doing better.
But workouts are just one piece of the puzzle. The more pieces you find and put together, the healthier and happier you will be.
Conclusion
Most of the things in this article may seem small and maybe even insignificant. Also, how is your sleep connected to your workplace wellness?!
There are many parts to the puzzle of stress, work, personal life, etc. For different aspects of your life, those parts are usually the same.
For example, high-quality sleep is a habit that lets you live a healthier and happier life while supporting wellness at your workplace.
Look at the big picture and focus on the small parts that complete it and make it appear as a whole.
The little things in your every day can significantly improve your quality of life. Don’t underestimate them.
I hope this article motivated you to keep going with your wellness journey with more confidence.
Also, let me know about your nutrition and wellness struggles in the comments below or fill out my survey. Once I know what bothers you, I will put an end to it.
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