Ah, the daily grind. For many of us doing office jobs, there’s truly no escaping it. Whilst working at our desks is almost certainly healthy for our bank balances, it’s unfortunately not always the best for our actual physical – and even mental – health. Whilst anecdotal stories are not necessarily conclusive when it comes to data, many office workers agree – the availability of various snacking temptations soon do serious damage to our waistlines!
In fact, in a recent challenge by Myprotein undertaken by three staff members at Voucherbox, the staff said they found heading to the gym difficult. Keeping to strict diets was almost impossible until they received individualised diets and encouragement.
What can we do to combat these issues, then? Well, according to Cosmopolitan, it’s not simply about reducing the intake of junk food. As we all know, hydration is another key factor which should not be ignored. Not only is the amount of water we drink very important generally, but it also supports concentration in addition to keeping us looking and feeling great. Almost two-thirds of office workers don’t drink enough water, and yet most offices have freshwater sources for employees to use. Get up and get some!
Nutritionist Amanda Hamilton also recommends limiting the amount of caffeine consumed. It all seems like fun and games to keep you up through the day, but when you’re drinking large amounts of coffee, the combination of diuretic and stimulant very often leads to the body feeling overloaded and producing some nasty side effects – much of the energy you feel will be short-lived, too.
If you really want to improve your health in an office, preparation is absolutely key. Instead of picking up snacks with dubious ingredients, you can readily prepare healthy ones to eat in between meals from your desk. The NHS Change4Life initiative has plenty of medically approved choices to help you literally change for life! You could also get into meal preparation by cooking all your meals for the week in bulk, which should save you some cash as well! Remember, it’s all about moderation and making sure that your food is wholesome – don’t starve yourself, and allow yourself the occasional treat!
Of course, moving more helps, too. Signing up to exercise classes is a great social way of fitting in some exercise in a structured manner so that you’re not tempted to skip out after a long day at work. Whilst rest is important, and a routine can really help motivate you in your health goals! During the day, you should ensure to get out and about – take walks, and make the most of your lunch break even when busy. Your physical health benefit will not only benefit, but your mental health and productivity levels will also improve, too. You can even purchase little pedals for under your desk to keep your feet busy whilst you type! Camping or hiking on the weekends is a great way of restoring physical and mental health.
Our jobs are critical to sustaining our way of life, but they need not be why our health diminishes. Providing you’re making a conscious effort can be very easy to make a few small changes. After all, when you eat better and move more, you will see changes which stick.