When clients want to improving their lifestyle habits, they often talk about the actions they want to take outside of work- for example, motivation to prioritise the gym or get to bed earlier. However, the reality is that most people spend more waking hours at work than anywhere else. It’s also likely that you spend more time with colleagues than they you do with your family or close friends. So if you want to improve how you feel each day, one of the most effective ways to do this is through your habits at work.
Most people have some sort of habitual work pattern or routine which can be tweaked. You may park in the same place, pass the same people, say the same things (to yourself and others) have the same type of meetings. With that in mind, the workplace is an ideal place start making small adjustments to everyday habits and behaviours which improve your health and your wellbeing. You can cultivate healthy habits at work and breeze through your day in a healthier way.
Here are some simple changes which you can implement in work. They require minimal effort, but like all habits at work, they add up to have a significant impact on your resilience and how you feel each day. If your not convinced, consider how all the negative stuff quickly accumulates and leaves you feeling stressed.
- Increase physical activity. If you take the lift each day, start my taking the stairs every other time; even once per day is better than none. Make you first assent of the day the stairs. Parking further away in the car park is another way to increase movement and energy levels.
- Reduce the sugar in your tea by 1 or ½ a spoon. Working out how much less sugar you will intake over a week can help with motivation.
- Let go of tension. Doing this during the course of the day will help you to sleep better as well as keeping muscular tension and anxiety at bay. Schedule in five minutes to breath deeply. Notice if you are holding tension in any part of your body so you can let go, move or change posture. This will prevent any build up of tension and reduce your risk of chronic muscular skeletal problems.
- Give your back a break. Have one standing meeting this week or stand every time you take a call on your mobile. Notice how your energy levels increase.
It’s surprising how these small actions at work can add up, helping us to feel more in control of our behaviours. These feeling of motivation and empowerment can provide the confidence and energy that you need to tackle bigger challenges at work, in your personal life or anywhere else.