It’s easy to fall into bad habits and make excuses to not stop them. The reality is you aren’t doing yourself any favours by continuing the habits. With 2019 here and people vowing to make healthy life changes, it’s worthwhile noting how little tweaks throughout the day can make a big difference in your overall well-being.
Morning
A healthy morning sets you up for a healthy day. Maintaining a healthy morning routine can make your mornings a bit easier because it gives you something to look forward to. Morning routines can help you feel more productive, less stressed, more energized and ready to tackle the busy workday ahead of you.
No snoozing: Hitting the snooze button can actually cause you to feel more tired and groggy than you would if you got up right when your alarm went off.
Stretch: Stretching in the morning will help you improve circulation and give you some much-needed energy. Since stretching increases the blood flow to your muscles, you’ll feel more energized both physically and mentally.
Meditate: Meditating for even five to 10 minutes in the morning will help you enhance your awareness throughout the day, give you a boost of energy and help prevent stress and anxiety.
During the Workday
The daily activities that you do each workday have a great effect on your overall mental and physical health. By making these changes into a habit during your workday, you’ll start to notice positive changes in yourself, your productivity and your daily interactions.
Choose water: Staying hydrated is one of the most basic ways to improve your physical health. Not only will choosing water over pop or energy drinks help you stay hydrated, but it will help you avoid the negative effects of unhealthy, sugar-loaded beverages.
Get on your feet: Take advantage of your workspace. Whether you are in the office or on the road, dedicate at least 15 minutes during your workday to your wellness. It could be going for a walk on the walking trails, stretching outside of your truck, or taking advantage of on-site fitness facilities.
Eat lunch away from your workplace: Try heading to the lunchroom to unplug and avoid the temptation to check email/work notifications. Take the time for yourself and try reading a book or socializing with colleagues. Even this small change in scenery can help boost your energy levels and allow you to de-stress.
Focus on posture: Correct posture is a simple but very important way to keep the many intricate structures in the back and spine healthy. Back support is especially important for people who spend many hours sitting in an office chair, truck or bending throughout the day. Sitting and standing with proper postural alignment will allow one to work more efficiently with less fatigue and strain on the body's ligaments and muscles.
Engage in work wellness programs: Participating in employee wellness programs helps employees develop healthy lifestyle habits and learn more about their health. Employees with strong stress-management skills take advantage of the opportunities, educational events, health screenings and other resources that their wellness program has to offer.
Evening
Make time for your hobbies: Creative outlets are a great way to practice self-care. Pick up a hobby that interests you and work on it during your free time. Spending your downtime creating something will bring you a new kind of satisfaction.
Meal prep: Pick one night a week to go to the grocery store and cook meals for the rest of the week. Meal prepping will help you create portion control, avoid fast-food and plan meals that fuel your body.
Prioritize sleep: Getting enough quality sleep is one of the best ways to help manage and reduce stress. Individuals with strong stress-management skills practice healthy sleeping habits. This includes going to bed early, getting a long enough sleep and waking up around the same time every day.
Being healthy doesn’t have to include expensive and time-consuming health behaviours. The most sustainable healthy lifestyles are built on small healthy habits that you can do every single day. These small habits can be the easiest, healthiest choices you ever make.
Sources:
http://info.totalwellnesshealth.com/blog/8-no-excuse-habits-for-a-healthier-workday
https://justworks.com/blog/improve-mental-health-work-midday-break-ideas
http://info.totalwellnesshealth.com/blog/7-steps-to-a-healthy-morning-routine
