August 16, 2017
In the office, it is easy to prioritize productivity over your own personal well-being. Even with the best intentions, this mindset can lead to high levels of stress and even damage your quality of work. Taking care of yourself will help you when taking care of business.
Around the office at LCWA, we know how productivity and personal well-being go hand in hand. Here are some tips from our staff on how to stay healthy in the workplace—mind, body, and spirit:
MIND
- Cluttered Desk, Cluttered Mind. Tidying up at the end of each day for five minutes can help put a pin in the work you just finished and save valuable time by having a clean start in the morning. For more tips on office organization, check out our recent blog post Time Management Made Easy.
- Address Your Stress. While some pressure in the workplace can help boost productivity, unmanaged levels of stress can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Finding time to prioritize yourself will lead to your best work and your healthiest mind—so book that spa day, spend time with your family, or just curl up with a good book. A healthy balance will do you some good!
- Let the Sunshine In. Even on your busiest days, it’s important to step away and regroup. With our offices across from scenic Millennium Park, we know what a little Vitamin D from a brisk walk can do. Take a few minutes and see how a breath of fresh air can add a breath of fresh air to your work.
BODY
- Bend So You Don’t Break. Even a little physical activity inside the office can do
LCWA team members during the daily plank break wonders for centering yourself. Get together with a group of coworkers and try a few minutes of afternoon yoga to shake off the 2 p.m. blues. Or do what we do! A minute and a half of planking in the afternoon helps build the core muscles and brings focus to the last few hours of the day. Check out more office fitness tips here.
- Keep a Productive Posture. It is far too easy to go day after day hunched over, staring at a computer screen. A very simple fix that can bring many health benefits is addressing your posture. Chair type and height, spine position, as well as computer screen and keyboard position all can affect your short-term and long-term health.
- Pick the Right Fuel. Swap out that last cup of coffee for water and you might be surprised that you didn’t need the extra caffeine. An extra boost of hydration helps keep you alert and focused, and can boost your metabolism. Keep a bottle on your desk for a constant reminder and boost of energy.
SPIRIT(S)
- Set a Happy Hour. Always been meaning to try the happy hour near work? It may even help you in ways you may not expect. While you spend all day with your coworkers, stepping out of the office to have a drink or two will help you strengthen interpersonal relationships. We get better at our jobs through working together, and what better place to forge a happy workplace than happy hour.