Prioritizing Workplace Wellness… Especially At Home
Published: May 5, 2021
Written by Devon Smout at The Collective
Whether you are working at home or back in the office, staring at a computer screen and the same four walls for over eight hours a day is mentally and physically exhausting. Below are five tricks to staying healthy in the workplace… wherever it may be.
Get up from your chair once every hour.
Human beings were not designed to sit sedentary for 8+ hours a day. Sitting for too long is not good for our physical or mental health and may increase the risk of chronic health problems. Break up long sitting periods with movement – even just 1 to 2 minutes can help. The key here is to move more and sit less. After all, your next posture is your best posture.
This one goes hand in hand with staying hydrated – if you’re drinking plenty of water, getting up once every hour should be easy!
Stay hydrated.
Have you ever looked at the clock and realized that it’s lunchtime before you haven’t even had your first sip of water? Water is so important to prevent brain fog and flush out all the toxins in your body. I have had many conversations with others who gripe that drinking water “means I have to go the bathroom too much”. Going to the bathroom is actually a good thing! It means your body is benefiting from your intake of liquids and flushing out all those toxins.
Take breaks and make them productive.
It is so easy when working from home (or anywhere really) to forget about lunch. Eat a healthy lunch. So that lunchtime doesn’t become a burden during the workday, try planning ahead. Meal prep on Sundays and midweek – chop your veggies, cook your quinoa, OR if meal prep isn’t for you, make extra dinner the night before so you have lunch already prepared for the next day. Easy!
Incorporate movement as much as possible. My favourite part of the workday is a quick walk around the neighbourhood. If you can, 30 minutes at lunchtime, after you eat, can work wonders. If you don’t have 30 minutes to spare, even just 10 minutes will positively affect your mindset. Plus, if you’ve already prepped your lunch, you can use the time you would have spent making food to incorporate a daily walk instead.
Keep organized and shut it down.
At the end of each workday, clean and organize your workspace. Put away your laptop and shut it down, like really shut it off. Cleaning and organizing your workspace at the END of each day helps keep your mind clear in the evening, and you will be starting each morning fresh.
If you find yourself working late at home, try putting your documents away after dinner, at least in some organized pile. Organizing your workspace won’t tempt you to return to work later in the evening and stay awake into the night. Not to worry, your work will still be there tomorrow.
Practice self-care in your free time.
Self-care is different for everyone. It doesn’t necessarily mean a bubble bath with a face mask and a glass of wine. It can mean spending time outdoors, connecting with friends and family, exercising, journaling, practicing a mindfulness exercise. Take care of yourself by doing the things that you really LOVE to do.
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