10 Tips to Staying Healthy During the Work Week
The work week can take its toll on our bodies in any number of ways, which is why staying healthy is such a challenge nowadays. Long hours spent sitting in front of a screen or out in the burning sun can slowly but surely degrade health. In fact, there’s much proven research on the fact that long work weeks lead to higher health risks.
But there’s always a way to stay healthy if you put in enough effort. So today we’ll be going over some of the easiest and most important ways to staying healthy during the work week.
1. Eat Healthy
You’ve probably heard it a million times before, but there’s a reason for that – it works! Eating healthy is one of the best ways to stay healthy, but what does “eating healthy” mean?
The short answer is, it means avoiding snacks and fried food while keeping a balanced diet consisting of meat and vegetables. Of course, having snacks or fried food once in a while doesn’t really hurt. But frequent snacking can really add up, and couple the unhealthy diet with long hours in the office and you’re risking conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol, or even heart disease.
Try bringing your own healthy meal to the office, consisting of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, legumes, etc. so that you’re not tempted to eat unhealthy snacks.
2. Make Exercise a Habit
One of the main risks that a work week poses which most people aren’t even aware of is sitting for too long. Human bodies weren’t made to sit for long periods of time, which is why sitting for long durations is linked with back pain, obesity, psychological stress and general feeling of tiredness.
The best remedy to this work week stress is exercising regularly. Whether you do it at the gym, or through a sport or simply just go for a run, exercising is essential in staying healthy during the work week. Even getting up and stretching regularly at work can go a long way in mitigating the risks of sitting for too long.
3. Get 8 Hours of Sleep
Sleeping is the body’s way of recovering from the daily grind. That’s why experts suggest that adults should sleep between 7 to 9 hours every night. Adequate sleep is the remedy for a number of health risks including exhaustion, stress, laziness and many underlying conditions like heart disease.
Not to mention, a better sleep schedule also contributes to better performance at work. So sleeping for eight hours every night won’t just keep you healthy but will also contribute to better performance. Adequate sleep is also linked to a happier mood and better memory, which are all around good things to have.
4. Short Breaks Go a Long Way
Have you heard of the Pomodoro technique? It’s a time management technique that involves working for 25 minutes at a time and then taking a 5 minutes break. This technique is popular because it beats procrastination, keeps energy levels up, and improves focus. In addition, this technique also reduces the impact of a long work week.
After all, 8-10 hours at the office every day can seem daunting and exhausting. But breaking down the work day, and by extension work week, can go a long way for your health as well. With the Pomodoro technique, you’ll be able to minimize stress and tiredness while improving your own productivity.
5. Give Your Eyes a Rest
For millions of people around the world, a job means sitting in front of a computer or a screen for multiple hours each day. This takes a heavy toll on the eyes because of the continuous strain on the eyes and the blue light coming off the screen. In addition, tracking the movement on the screen for long durations of time makes it harder to focus and leads to eye fatigue.
That’s why taking a rest every now and then is essential in staying healthy during the work week. The Pomodoro technique may help you stave off eye fatigue as well. In addition to giving your eyes a rest, using larger fonts and high screen brightness may reduce the stress on your eyes as well.
6. Work But Don’t Overwork
Working long hours and doing so frequently is one of the classic ways to overwork yourself. Studies have shown that overworking causes laziness, reduces fitness levels, may lead to anxiety and could even contribute to depression.
Ensuring you don’t overwork yourself is fundamental to staying healthy. This requires maintaining a work-life balance where you give as much time to family, friends and self-care activities as you do to work. Combining such a healthy lifestyle with proper diet could improve your health multifolds over a course of just a few short weeks.
7. Personal Hygiene is Important
Personal hygiene is always important and even more so in the time of the coronavirus. Make sure you properly wash your hands when you get to the office to wash off any germs you might have picked up. This won’t just limit the spread of germs but also encourage others to follow your lead in staying clean and healthy.
It’s also important to take a “pamper day” once in a while where you dedicate an entire day to simply taking care of your body. You can do this in any number of ways but most people prefer booking a spa appointment and getting massages to stay refreshed and healthy.
8. Keep Your Surroundings Clean
In addition to personal hygiene, keeping your surroundings clean is also important for a healthy lifestyle. You’re already probably used to sanitizing your home thanks to the pandemic, but it’s also good practice to keep your work environment clean as well.
That’s because your workstation is one place where you spend a majority of your day. Sanitize your workstation and get rid of any trash laying around. You also want to clean your equipment from time to time especially if it’s electronics. Dust tends to settle and solidify in hard to reach spaces which just makes it harder to get rid of. That’s why you should keep disinfecting your workspace and tidy it up regularly to stay healthy.
9. Drink Water!
This may not be news of the century, but water is really good for your health.Not only does water keep you from getting dehydrated, but it also has a number of other health benefits such as aiding digestion, preventing constipation, normalizing blood pressure, detoxifying organs and regulating body temperature.
For adults, four to six cups of water daily should be enough. But drinking water is only one part of the equation to staying healthy. The other part involves staying clear of alcohol or fizzy drinks that may end up damaging the liver, causing obesity and contributing to feelings of laziness and low energy. So be sure you drink plenty of water while avoiding drinks that damage your health.
10. Take a Deep Breath, Often
And finally, breathing deeply is one of the most effective ways to keep yourself calm, healthy and refreshed. Not only does frequent and deep breathing improve blood flow but it also contributes to better immunity and better sleep. Not to mention, deep breathing stabilizes your heartbeat and reduces anxiety which is always handy when you’re stressed at work. So be sure to breathe deeply and frequently whenever possible.
Conclusion
There’s a whole number of ways you can stay healthy during the work week but the ten ways we’ve described above are the easiest to follow and provide the best results. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to take care of your health and balance work so that it doesn’t negatively impact your long term health.
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