Most effective tactics you need right now to have healthy office habits

You might not be as productive as you want at work. You are coming early and leaving late to meet the deadlines. That could not be the solution. What you need is healthy office habits to improve your productivity and performance. You are already drinking more water, that’s good but is not the end of the story. A few more tips to be at your best and your health is the real wealth, not gold or silver.

The article brings you simple yet effective techniques so you can improve your performance at work and maintain your health at the same time.

Reconsider food and drink options

You don’t care about your food and water, and you won’t have a good performance at work. Healthy office habits start with watching over your food and hydration. But is it that serious?

According to the Journal of Nutrition, even slight levels of dehydration causes fatigue, moodiness, and focusing problems.

Washingtonpost article shows that unhealthy food at work like junk food can lead to:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease and stroke
• Cancer
• Digestive issues
• Depression
• Obesity

That salty yummy snack you have every day will cause you serious health issues in the immediate future. The more you repeat your unhealthy habits, the more likely you face the consequences.

How to eat healthy at work?

One healthy office secret is water. You need to drink enough water depending on your age, gender, physical activity, and season. According to the National Academies, men need about 15.5 cups of water per day while women need 11.5 cups of water every day.

If you are not fond of tap water, you can use different water options available. For instance Tahoe Springs Water provides alkaline, spring mountain water, and purified water which have better taste and provide many more benefits.

Aside from water, you take 20% of your fluid intake from food. You can have fruit and vegetables like carrots, cucumber, tomato, milk, or broccoli at work to get further hydration.

If you can not visit the water dispenser, a bottle of water can be your solution. James Clear says, “when you want to start a new good habit, make it obvious.” The bottle of water with a health slogan in front of you makes the habit obvious.

You can do the same with healthy snacks. Get the nutritious snacks you like and put them on your desk. Limiting the unhealthy options could help you as willpower is like a battery. The more you have to use it, the harder it becomes to resist the unhealthy options later in the day. If you have the bad habit of eating junk food, make them hard and hide them. That is the opposite of making a good habit easy. That’s a healthy office secret you should know.

Don’t underestimate the Power of Writing

When you go to your bed, the list of things you have to do tomorrow comes up. It often takes a bit of time until you can sleep. But you can trick your mind into avoiding this issue.

Get a pen and notebook or use a Note application on your smartphone. Write down your tasks, phone calls, or emails you have to send. By writing, you get rid of the Zeigarnik effect. The effect says an unfinished task will bother your mind until you finish it. Yet, scientists did some experiments. They divided people into three groups and gave them a few tasks. One group had to set a plan while writing it down. It was revealed this group had a clear mind rather than others.

That might be one of the philosophies behind list-making applications like Trello. Using applications can help you to reduce your daily stress as well.

Physical exercise

You and I have a desk job, and doing a bit of physical exercise more might seem hard in the office. But you can make a few physical moves even behind your desk.

If your boss is caring and understands, explain to him/her that you will be more productive with some physical movement. If you mention the issue, you get the advantage of being a Giver, as Adam Grant explains in his book “Give and Take”. You and your boss might come up with an effective plan or strategy for the office.

Do you have to talk on your cell phone? You can talk while walking. If possible, go to an empty room and do stretching. Ask your colleague to walk while discussing the business.

If there is a park near the office, get out after lunch and make a few of your phone calls there walking. You could avoid the afternoon slump as well.

Reduce the eye strain

Today, you and I have to look at monitors for a long time every day. According to the University of California, eyestrain can:

• Increase your sensitivity to light,
• Make focusing difficult,
• Cause headaches.

You should keep a safe distance with your screen. It should be an arm’s length away. In case you can’t read, increase the font size to your desired one.

Eye strain relief techniques

The 20-20 rule is a healthy office habit that can reduce your eye strain. It’s like this: close your eyes for 20 seconds, and when open, look at the furthest point for 20 seconds. It will reduce your eye strain and lift the pressure. You can do it every 30 minutes or every hour at the office. The frequency depends on the duration you look at your computer screen.

20-20-20 rule

There is another rule for eye strain called 20-20-20. It says that every 20 minutes, look at the 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It will help you rest your eyes.

You might forget this useful healthy office idea. You can set reminders or install extensions on your browser so as not to remember doing it.

Turning the brightness of your screen down is another way to help you reduce eye strain. There is an extension called “Screen Shader.” I use it at work. It helps you to reduce the brightness and adjust it to your conditions. Don’t forget the right posture and always sit up straight.

Have your lunch away from your desk

In his book “When,” Daniel Pink explains amazing techniques to make the best of your time. He mentions that, contrary to popular belief, one of the most important meals is lunch. It’s not just that you have to eat lots of food, but the rest and getting away from work is important. Having lunch where you work is not a healthy office habit. Try to separate the place for lunch and eat with colleagues. It could have a better impact on your mood.

Try talking about a fun subject, not the work. If you know a funny colleague who makes you laugh, sit by him/her. Start a conversation and try to enjoy life for a little while. The fun time will make your afternoon much more productive than eating alone.

Bringing your lunch will be healthier than eating fast food. You can control what you eat this way. I know you might be busy, but your health is worth much more.

When to drink coffee

If you drink coffee, try to have up to 2-3 cups a day. Bear in mind that coffee might interrupt your sleep pattern if you drink seven to eight hours before sleep.

Daniel H. Pink says that the best time to have coffee is between 2-4 in the afternoon. To get most of the coffee, you can have a 20-minute nap after drinking. It takes 20 minutes until the caffeine runs into your blood. When you wake up after the coffee and nap, it’s like you have more energy to do work.

Bottom Line

Working harder or coming to the office on the weekends may not be a good way to meet deadlines. You could be more productive by healthy office habits and have a balanced life too.

The article brought you smart strategies proven by science. The point is that they are small changes that can have a huge impact on your work and life.

As explained, one healthy office secret is to drink enough water. As you may not like the taste of tap water, dehydration becomes inevitable.

Tahoe Springs Water has worked hard to be your solution to avoid dehydration at the workplace. Call us at +702-903-1433 to order alkaline, Spring Mountain, or purified water for your health right now. Feel free to ask your questions from our experts.

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