October is “Healthy workplace” month and a busy one in the business world.
With sunshine time shorter, we enter the seasons of darker days. And this time of year can be downright scary on your body, mind and productivity. Not to mention indulgences of Halloween trick or treating!
To avoid falling into scary health habits, here’s 4 small tricks to help make your life… well… a treat!
1 – Get enough sleep
Most of us are getting far less sleep than we need for healthy living. When we get enough sleep, we feel energetic and balanced during our awake times. This helps with work productivity but also sustains many health benefits.
Set a goal for a solid 8-hour sleep nightly. That may seem impossible for our busy paced lifestyles but aspire higher! Slowing down to the concept can be accomplished through intentional pre-sleep routines like meditation (Headspace and Calm are both great apps!), not eating 2 hours before bed, and omitting screen time for a minimum of an hour before bed.
Pay attention to the time you go to bed. Most set wake times on their clock but it all starts the night before. If it helps, set a notification or alarm to remind you to go to bed!
2 – Manage daily notifications
A simple productivity tip is to turn off notifications during your workday on your computer or phone. Every 25 minutes give yourself permission to use 5 minutes to walk around, peek at messages, or get some water. Set a “tomato timer” to protect your productivity plan. Avoiding distractions by notifications will help calm your mind and stir creativity and productivity at work. Focused work can be the secret to feeling calm and productive rather than panicked and scattered.
3 – Use lunchtimes and breaks to recharge
Sitting at your desk for lunch and snacks, while on social media, is a recipe for burn out. The best way to recharge during a break at work is to completely unplug.
A lunch break should be intentional time away from screens to mindfully take in the nutrients from your meal and nourish your need for connection or solitude – whatever is a recharge for you. With so much sitting in the office, take opportunities for movement to improve circulation and focus. Nature and natural light are medicine for the soul, so even creating a cozy space at work with a window or taking a walk outside will do wonders for your spirit and work brain to be recharged.
4 – Pick high-energy, healthy snack options at work
Having healthy, simple snacks in the office can be more challenging than we care to admit! And with surplus Halloween candy appearing in lunchrooms (and our usual influx of sugary options), it is easy to cave when hunger hits.
Don’t choose snacks that fuel fatigue – instead, choose snacks that promote energy and focus to get through the workday.
Snack expert Nicole Haney of Boho Bars suggests to “eat a healthy snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon.” Here are some tasty ideas from Nicole…
- Seeds & nuts for a quick granola-style option
- Hummus with veggies
- A clean energy bar like Boho Bars or Larabars
- Homemade smoothie
- Natural peanut butter or almond butter with crackers
Have fun and be healthy this month. Wear the Halloween costume, decorate for some season celebration but give yourself a treat and feel better and productive!
Having healthy options at work will support your good habits. And we want to help!
You could win one of 3 variety packs of delicious, healthy and Canadian Boho Bars!
And to be entered, follow atWork on facebook or instagram, and like the article photo
Draw happens Nov 7, 2019.
Open to Canadian residents only.
