5 Healthy Habits of Working in the Office

Its hard enough juggling home and work life, let alone when to go to the gym; however, it’s important to take the time to schedule healthy habits at work. Although desk jobs do have perks (such as the slim likelihood of being exposed to hazardous work environments and irregular hours, which helps you maintain a healthy sleep schedule), they can also affect your health. Did you know just a couple of years at the office can start to decline your health if you don’t take proper care of yourself? The more your health declines, the harder it is to be a better you at work and in life. Here are some office tips to keep you in shape!

Move It or Lose It

Develop an office workout routine. This doesn’t mean we’re recommending you to go all out and do a Zumba or cardio routine at work, but simply make time in your busy schedule every two hours to do some five minute stretching and circulate blood flow in your body. Try taking mini power-walks outside every other lunch break.

Watch Your Posture

Believe it or not, this is easily the number one thing that gets people into the downfall of their health. Bad posture can lead to an unhealthy spine, migraines, muscle aches, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc. Muscles are weakened by poor posture. Making some simple ergonomic changes can really make a difference. Give your monitor a second look—Is it at eye level? Make sure your keyboard isn’t too high or too low. When sitting, your legs should flexed at a 90-degree angle with your feet resting comfortably on the floor.

Go Surfing… on the Web

Research by the National University of Singapore discovered that exhausted employees were able to boost their energy and productivity after 10 minutes of web browsing every few hours. According to scientists, they also reported employees who are given this leisure time to surf the web were found to be more effective at their tasks, as they experienced less mental exhaustion and boredom.

Cut Down on Coffee

Ouch… This might come off as the worst news in office history and sound impossible, but too much caffeine throughout the day can make it difficult to fall asleep at night, which is a definite way to ruin your health. Instead of drinking coffee to combat your afternoon lethargy, try eating fruit or drinking juice—both are richly packed in Vitamin C, a proven energy booster!

Skip Happy Hour

Whether it’s happy hour for those cupcakes/brownies/cookies disguised as drinks at Starbucks or happy hour at the local bar with your co-workers after work, skip it! It just isn’t great for your health or finances. Find a healthy substitute instead, like getting a group of your friends together and go jogging. Save special nights out for the weekend when you’ve got time to recover before work and won’t be breaking the bank.

Keeping up with a healthy office lifestyle can make the difference between night and day. You’ll be able to function better, have fewer muscle aches, and feel better overall, leading you to have a higher performance rate at work. So remember to take time for yourself!