Your 8-hour work day may help you get that promotion you have been yearning for, but it will not do your body and health any good. If you are stuck behind a desk the whole day, it should not be a reason to let your health slide. Maximize the use of your office space to be as healthy as possible, even if you take just a 10-minute break.
Here are 10 self-care tips that will help you transition from an unhealthy and unfit day desk jockey to a healthy and fit day desk jockey:
1. Stay Hydrated: While you are working, it is easy to forget to stay hydrated. This can result in stress and affect your mental and physical performance at work. Keep a bottle of water at your desk and keep sipping it when you are bored or thinking. This way you will keep your body hydrated. If sipping plain water gets monotonous, break the monotony by squeezing a lemon into the water.
2. Look for Reasons to Walk Around: Sitting all day behind a desk can be tiring and exhausting. So look for a reason to take a break and move around. Make it a point to take a short 10-minute break to walk over to your colleague’s desk to ask for something or make a trip to the water fountain. If you get a call on your cell phone, walk around while speaking over the phone. Taking short breaks throughout the day will make you feel less fatigued and you will be able to focus better at your work.
3. Take Care of Your Eyes: Sitting the whole day and staring at your computer screen can result in fatigued eyes, redness of the eyes, myopia or even astigmatism. There are special eye exercises to relieve the stress on the eyes and keep them healthy. Focus first on a nearby object and then look at a distant object for a few second. Do this every two hours. Alternatively, you can close your eyes for two minutes and move the eyeballs in circles clock wise and counter-clock wise.
4. Stretch Those Muscles and Aching Back: Sitting the whole day in your chair will not do your back and joints any good. Take some time out of every hour to do simple stretching exercises while you are seated. You can flex your feet, rotate your ankles and stretch your arms and legs. It will ease the stiffness and facilitate blood flow.
5. Take the Stairs: If you have to meet a colleague or supervisor on a different floor, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Not only will this give you some much-needed exercise, it also will help increase your energy levels. You will be able to concentrate better at work.
6. Bring Healthy Food from Home: Offices are notorious for having unhealthy foods, such as donuts, candies and chips. Instead of giving in to these foods, carry your own food from home. Pack healthy food that is balanced and nutritious. Also, carry healthy snacks, such as nuts, granola, fruit and raw veggies. Avoid burgers and fries and even too much of aerated drinks that cause more harm than good to the body in the longer run.
7. Keep a Close Watch on Your Posture: It is easy to let your shoulder hunch and curve your back when you are sitting for 8 hours a day. Incorrect posture leads to back pain, headaches and muscle inflammation. Sit close to your desk and keep the computer monitor at eye level. Keep your legs at a 90-degree angle and your back at a 130-degree angle..
8. Maintain Good Hygiene: In an office, you will be touching so many things that other people have touched. This is one of the ways to get infections. Make sure you wash your hands before and after eating and keep your desk clean. This will prevent you from falling ill or catching bacterial or viral infections from work.
9. Use Office Furniture for Light Exercises: If your office does not have a gym, don’t fret. Your desk or chair can be used to do dips. This will ease the stress on your body and mind and boost your energy levels.
10. Have Meetings on the Go: If possible, try and schedule walking meetings. You can do this in the building or outdoors, if there is a place. It will help you and your colleagues to get moving and avoid those love handles.
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