It doesn’t matter whether you work from home, in an office, or factory, if you don’t take control of your health, work can get very toxic. More than five hours spent sitting down in the same place could take a toll on your body.
When the workload becomes too high, the body sends out warning signals. Sometimes, it’s too late and burnout is already knocking on your door. So, how can you take charge of your work environment and ensure you stay healthy while being optimally productive? Let’s find out.
1. Take time off.
If you ever get under the weather, here’s a plan that will help you financially while focusing on full recovery — take out income protection insurance or disability income insurance.
An income protection insurance policy could help to pay 75% of your pre-tax income in the event of an accident or sickness. Also, if you have a short-term disability or long-term disability, income protection will help. This means you’ll still cover regular expenses and stay on top of those taxes, depending on your chosen policy. You won’t have to worry about future expenses, and will have more time to focus on your recovery.
To find suitable insurance, check out iSelect, an insurance comparison site. It’s Australia’s go-to destination for comparing income protection insurance quotes. On the site, you’ll discover many beneficial insurance policies offered by various providers to ensure financial security in the long run.
2. Take regular breaks.
You have a tight schedule, impossible deadlines, several meetings, so you turn into a robot and try to finish the day’s workload. That’s great, but your workload shouldn’t stop you from taking regular 30-minute breaks. Knowing how to take regular breaks will ease stress, boost your energy levels, and help you think clearer. Get up from your desk and stretch your body or take a little walk.
3. Stay hydrated and eat healthily.
This next tip might sound simple, but is it? Ask yourself, how many times do you remember to drink water when completing a task at work? You almost can’t remember, right? Plus, most of us substitute water with carbonated drinks and fruit juices, which may quench your thirst but won’t do much for your health. So, drink lots of water and reduce those carbonated drinks.
Also, have you ever heard of stress eating? It’s a thing. When there’s a lot of work to do, it’s easy to binge. The snacks available around the office or the eatery across the street are mostly high-calorie. Add that to sitting down all day, and that’s a doctor’s appointment waiting to happen. If you can control stress eating and focus more on healthy foods and portion control, that’ll help immensely.
4. Meditate.
Meditation requires a quiet mind, and maybe a few mantras to think on. “So, what does this have to do with improving my health?” You may ask. There are numerous benefits to meditation, even if you’re doing it for 10 to 30 minutes. It lowers the heart rate, reduces stress, calms the mind, enhances your mood, and even improves digestion. So, before jumping on the next task, find a quiet place or put on some earplugs and focus on calming thoughts.
5. Avoid straining your eyes.
Sitting in front of a computer for long hours can cause eye strain, which is not suitable for health. Those headaches you have when you get home could be a side-effect of prolonged screen time. Plus, it also increases your sensitivity to light and affects your ability to focus. How can you avoid this? Creating a little more distance between yourself and the screen should help. When seated, check that the screen is at least an arm’s length away, then reduce the screen brightness.
