In the office or working from home, full-time or part-time, we spend a considerable part of our daily lives at work. Any behavior we adopt there has consequences for our health, whether we like it or not. It is therefore crucial to form good habits. Here are our 10 tips for staying fit, both physically and mentally.
1. Take active breaks
According to the FOPH , we sometimes sit up to 15 hours a day. Even with an ergonomic chair and an adjustable table, this can lead to long-term health problems: back pain, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, etc. To overcome the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle, you need to “break” these long periods when you are sitting at your desk with active breaks. These can take many forms: in the office, you can walk in the hallways and stairs, take a short walk outside, go and have your meal or your coffee in the cafeteria rather than eating in front of your screen… In telework, your possibilities are even more varied: whether it’s a short jog with your dog during the lunch break, a short walk to the mailbox to collect the mail or a little improvised choreography on your favorite music, you have many many options to move your Work standing
Active breaks are not the only way to break the sedentary lifestyle at work: regular posture changes are just as beneficial. For example, you can vary the work phases where you are seated with those where you are standing, using a modular table. If your current business cannot afford to invest in such desks or if you are unwilling or unable to purchase one for your Home Office , you can still work standing up for certain tasks, such as making phone calls. Tip: try to hold meetings while walking, you will be more dynamic and creative, and may find innovative solutions.
2. Take care of your eyes
If you work all day with a computer, you’ve probably had your eyes tired from staring at the screen. To remedy this, get into the habit of taking small breaks a few times an hour during which you stare at another part of the room, while your eyes rest a little. Also take advantage of your breaks to look at something other than a screen, for example by reading a book or taking a walk outside. Finally, do not hesitate to adapt the parameters of your screen until you find a display that is comfortable: you can lower the brightness, activate the night lighting or even increase the size of the characters displayed. There are also special glasses on the market that filter the blue light from the screens and thus protect your eyes.
3. Stay hydrated
Water makes up more than 60% of our body, and its lack quickly has consequences on our health: dry throat, fatigue, headaches, dizziness… This is why it is important to drink regularly throughout the day. , preferably water or other unsweetened beverages. If you tend to forget to drink while you work, you can for example keep a small water bottle or a bottle of water close to you and set yourself the goal of drinking one every half day. If despite this, you still have trouble thinking about it, you can even program reminders on your phone or download an application that reminds you to stay hydrated.
4. Eat a balanced diet
Everyone knows that foodhas an extremely important role in health. Unfortunately, when the days are busy at the office or when urgent tasks need to be done quickly, the lunch break often takes a back seat. Although a hastily devoured sandwich in front of the screen calms the stomach and saves time, it should not become a daily habit. On the Internet, there are many easy,
5. Do physical exercises
Active breaks and changes in postures are very beneficial for your physical health. If you can’t integrate these two elements into your daily work life or if you want to go even further, you can add some physical exercises to your routine. You don’t even have to join a sports club or sign up for a gym: there’s a whole range of exercises you can do at home or even in the office.
6. Arrange your office for telework
If you work totally or partially from home, you will be more comfortable and more efficient working from a space specially dedicated to teleworking. It is not necessary to transform an entire room into an office : a corner of the living room or bedroom
7. Pay attention to hygiene and cleanliness
The health crisis has made us all more sensitive to cleanliness and more attentive to small daily hygiene gestures. These little habits will be all the more important in the months to come, with the arrival of winter and the illnesses that come with it. While some of them are obvious and almost automatic, such as coughing into your elbow or disinfecting your hands
8. Keep in touch with colleagues
Your colleagues may have been working from home since the start of the pandemic and days when everyone is in the office are rare. Even though working remotely has many benefits, it can sometimes cause feelings of isolation and estrangement from the rest of the team
9. Leave work behind at the end of the day
Finally, when you’re done with your tasks for the day and you leave the office (or your telecommuting space), try to really leave the work behind you: turn off your computer, disable work-related notifications on your phone, leave your documents in your bag, etc. There’s no point in worrying about the emails you need to send the next day or scheduling
