How do I adopt healthy work habits?

Most people feel stressed and everyone is always grappling with trying to find more time to get everything they want done.

I feel like I am forever writing about it… maybe because I take on too much and have to write about it to remind myself. It’s important that we all remember that being healthy has a positive influence on energy and work performance. So it is not just in the employees’ interest to get healthy, but in their employers’ interests as well.
Here are some practical strategies for being healthy at work and a simple rating scale to assess yourself:

1. Take breaks and exercise
Sometimes we make it all a big deal, but it’s not about joining a gym and becoming a fitness fanatic. It’s as simple as starting to do some stretches at work, use the stairs instead of the lift, a walk at lunch time, not worrying about parking CLOSE and enjoying those few minutes and realising how good you feel to move.

Progressive companies help their staff – sometimes offering exercise breaks, having a gym, inviting a dance instructor in, providing bike racks at work or encouraging fun events like bowling, ‘walking’ meetings and so on.

Get buy-in from the leaders and show evidence of how performance is improved. Sometimes it’s about setting goals – starting with say a walk to the corner and back, then increase to around the block, then jog on and off between trees or parked cars and so on, then around the block three times, then five times and so on, enjoying the increase and the good feeling that comes with it.

At a very simple level make sure you take breaks form your computer. Take frequent breaks …get up and walk around (I don’t do this enough). Get your posture right.

2. Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water
What did you have for breakfast this morning? Nothing? Junk food on the run? It’s the most important meal and sets you up for the day… and you need lots of water, rather than coffee or soft drinks. Our body is mainly water – and it’s essential to be well hydrated. Drink water at room temperature, and don’t wait till you are thirsty. Sometimes I have been caught out – and the headache that I get is an indicator of lack of water. Enjoy fruit, vegetables – less packaged and processed food that often contain sugar, saturated fats and too much salt.

3. Think positively
The way we think affects our health. Too much of the time we succumb to negative thinking (wishing, wallowing and wasting time). So focus on being in a good mood. It’s wonderful to work with positive people and a pain to have negative people around who make you feel drained.

4. Talk about it – don’t bottle it!
Mental health leads to physical health… so make sure you have a say about decisions that affect you. Talk to your manager and request involvement where possible… make realistic suggestions to solve problems and make changes. If you are the CEO – talk to others, form a professional development group. Talk over issues that concern you… men should take note because they often bottle up their feelings more than women. Find the right person to discuss your issues and have a constructive discussion to move forward with a problem. Maybe seek professional help if it’s a serious problem.

5. Learn to manage conflict
Conflicts with partners, managers, co-workers, customers all cause stress which affects health. Identify the people with whom you have conflicts with and avoid them OR develop new ways of dealing with them collaboratively. Life is too short to be immersed in conflict – especially at work.

6. Make time for yourself
Manage your work boundaries. Remember there is life apart from work! Have times where you switch off the mobile phone and don’t check emails. Try not to think about work issues. Try to do something each day for you – just you – so you can nurture yourself.

TEST YOURSELF
Now take each of the six areas below and give yourself a maximum of 10 points for each one you do really well and 0 if you badly need to improve, or somewhere in between…

MY SCORE 0-10
1. Take breaks and exercise                                                   [    ]

2. Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water                        [    ]

3. Take breaks and exercise                                                   [    ]

4. Talk about it – don’t bottle it!                                                [    ]

5. Learn to manage conflict                                                    [    ]

6. Make time for yourself                                                        [    ]

TOTAL [    ]

SCORE

50-60 (you need to be a role model mentor for others)
40-49 Not too bad – but plenty of room for improvement
25-39 Take time out and rethink the way you are going – as you need to make some changes.
<25 You need to get some help to change your ways. Now!

See clip of 10 Healthy Work Habits.

Eve Ash is the co-author of ‘Rewrite Your Life!’ (Penguin) and she interviews psychologist Peter Quarry in ’10 Healthy Work Habits’ a new release DVD from the TAKE AWAY TRAINING SERIES.