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In this corporate, work-driven society, the 40-hour work week seems to be vanishing. No, not decreasing in hours- we are often expected to work way over that amount, and often not gain additional recognition or even overtime pay for this lifestyle.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this hectic lifestyle is hard on the health of a person, who often has to prioritize work and then family and friends over his or her own needs. Forget the gym, cooking from scratch every night or even finding time to take a bath instead of a quick shower. It’s no surprise that more and more people are suffering from stress-related illnesses that only get worse with lack of exercise and a poor diet.
Though we appreciate how difficult life is for these people right now, it’s imperative that they be selfish and take their health and well-being into their own hands, and here’s how!
- Move
Though you are spending hours at the office, hospital, factory, or where ever you work, it’s important that you do not spend the entire time sitting. Try to make your one-on-one meetings ones where you go for a walk together, try pacing while you brainstorm ideas, or even consider redesigning your work station so that you can stand and work instead of sitting. If you are already moving or don’t have the flexibility of moving how/when you want, consider spending your breaks walking around your workplace, find a local spot that has a quick fitness class or even go for a short run or interval training session in a nearby park. It might seem like a hassle, but it’ll be your best decision all day.
- Eat Good Food
With the recent push towards wholesome and healthy foods, you most likely have an understanding of what you should and shouldn’t eat. Actually sticking to that is a different story. When all you have is a minute to refuel between meetings or the only kitchen appliance you have access to is a microwave, maintaining a wholesome diet can seem impossible. Though there might be some local take out spots or restaurants that offer a healthy option, consider a home or office catering service. You can get fresh, gourmet meals delivered right to your door without the hassle or time commitment of grocery shopping or cooking. If you can find some time during the week to cook something, make sure you make a big batch of it so that you can freeze the leftovers and have them for busy days on which you simply don’t have the time. These are great for lunches or office dinners too! Want an even better deal? Team up with some friends at your workplace and take turns making nutritious lunches for the rest of the crew. That means that you only have to prepare it once in a while, and still get to benefit from a good meal every day.
- Sleep
It always seems to be a “later, in a bit, just 5 more minutes” in the evening when our tired body already knows that it should be tucked into bed. This is when we finally find the time to catch up on social media, read that overdue book from the library or actually meet up with friends. But how can we expect to do any of those things properly if we are fighting our tired body that really needs rest? Get in tune with your body and listen to the cues that it gives you. You need sleep to be successful at work, at home, and in your personal relationships, even if it means sometimes saying “no” to something in order to catch up on some much needed rest.
Though this might seem near impossible to start fully implementing all at once, recruit some of your office buddies, commit to a couple of “nights off” for sleep and start moving- whether that means biking to work a couple of times a week or lunging down the hallway when no one is looking.
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