Five Tips for Workplace Wellness

Take a look around your office...chances are you’ll see a lot of unhealthy habits going on and a lot of stressed out, overweight people with bad posture frantically working at their computers.  Could your co-workers benefit from a health coach?  Read my 5 tips for workplace wellness, and lead by example by being the healthiest one in your office:

1. Bring your lunch every day and only eat what you bring - The worst thing you could do is wait until you’re starving, run out to “grab something”, and then you find yourself at the drive-thru ordering everything off the menu and you don’t even know how you got there...does this scenario sound familiar?  Instead, try taking 5 minutes to pack your lunch the night before or the morning of (I prefer morning).  When I do this, I eat much healthier and tend to only eat what I bring - plus it saves money!  Need some inspiration on what to make?  Check out the recipes section for lots of yummy ideas.
   
   
2. Pass on the freebies - Another thing that happens a lot in an office environment is that a client brings in bagels, or you celebrate a co-worker’s birthday with cake.  It’s important not to get caught in the "well it's here and free" approach - a client brought in donuts, so what?  These foods are completely void of nutrition and are loaded with sugar - just because it's there doesn't mean you have to have it.

"Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to have it."

3. Don’t be a hero - You’re sick as a dog but come to work anyway, you never take lunch breaks, and vacation...what’s vacation?  If this sounds like you, you need to change your ways fast, or you will burn out!  Make sure you take your vacation days.  Even if you can’t afford to go away, then take a “mental health day” every so often to relax, go to the spa etc.  Overall, taking time off will help you recharge your batteries and you’ll come back invigorated.
   
   
4. Back away from the coffee machine and hydrate! I know this is a touchy subject but hear me out...excessive caffeine consumption wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels, immune system, adrenal function and more.  (This applies to coffee, soda, and energy drinks too!) I know you need your coffee to get up and going in the morning but try to limit yourself to one cup per day and never have the afternoon cup past 3pm (even if you think it doesn’t affect your sleep, it does).  And for every caffeinated beverage you drink, you should have 1-2 glasses of water to compensate.   If you’re looking to phase out coffee/caffeine out completely (yay!) there are so many ways to kick the habit - keep an eye out for more info in future posts.
   
   
5. Get moving - Most jobs these days require sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours per day.  Then you sit in the car or train on the commute home, then you get home and sit on the couch.  To combat your butt getting flatter by the minute, get up and go talk to your co-workers instead of emailing, take the stairs whenever possible, and take a walk outside during your break (because after reading #3 you’re no longer working through lunch right?)

What other issues affect you working in an office all day?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!