5 Ways to Stay Healthy at the Office
Staying healthy at the office can be one of the last things to think about at the office behind trying to meet deadlines, keep customers happy, and trying to close that last sale of the week. Without proper care and maintenance, though, falling ill during the transition into fall and winter happens to ten of thousands of people every year. Try out some of the tips we’ve compiled to stay healthy this fall and winter!
Drink Plenty of Water!
One of the most universal health tips is still relevant at the office, especially as flu season approaches. Water has so many benefits (healthy skin, helps control calories, assists with fatigue) it’s almost a given that it would show up on our list. Be sure to set daily benchmark goals to help build drinking water into a natural, every day habit for you. Below, you can find the schedule that I maintain daily as an example.
This is my personal schedule of staying on track with water consumption. Most days I have an alert on my iPhone to remind me if the day is moving too quickly or if I’m in and out of meetings. Creating a schedule that’s easy for you to follow is very important to making drinking water a good habit.
Full water bottle: 16.9 oz.
Half water bottle: 8.45 oz.
- Immediately after waking up – (1) full water bottle
- After getting settled at office – (1) half water bottle
- 30 minutes before lunch – (1) half water bottle
- Mid-day break – (1) half water bottle
- After arriving at home or during dinner – (1) half water bottle
- During exercise or snack – (1) full water bottle
- Before bed – (1) half water bottle
Wash your hands often
In many cases, the average office desk holds much more bacteria than a toilet seat. I’ll give you a second to let that sink in. This is important to remember because even though you wash your hands after a restroom break, it’s vitally important to wash your hands before and after meals at your desk. Washing your hands is absolutely the number one way to prevent yourself from catching an illness at the office.
Keep your workstations clean
Remember what I said about how messy your desk can be? Well, you can combat bacteria at your desks by keep a clear, clean workstation. Using sanitation wipes and spray often can help fight off some of the natural bacteria that get brought into an office daily. Take a few minutes at the end of the day to tidy up your space and wipe everything down.
Eat Healthier
Say it ain’t so, those McDonald’s lunches are my favorite quick and easy option! But if you’re committed to living healthier and avoiding illness (which I mean, you’re reading this article so…), knocking out fast foods is a change you can make immediately. Plan and cook bulk meals on Sundays, not only to get a little healthier, but also to save a little money here and there. Check out www.reddit.com/r/mealprepsunday for some tips and great recipes!
Get up and out!
Working is great and makes the world go round, but how are you going to accomplish your tasks when you’re sick in bed? Take 15-20 daily to get up out of your chair and get outside, talk to a co-worker, or simply walk around the office. Get your daily dose of Vitamin D by taking your 20 minute lunch break outside, if possible!