In a fast-paced and competitive work environment, you may forget to look after yourself from time to time. It's completely normal — sometimes, one can get so wrapped up in your work and performing optimally that one may get sidetracked from actually paying attention to what your body is telling you. What you should remember, though, is that your body is what keeps you going and enables you to get up in the morning, go to work, have a full day of stress and tasks and then go home and do it all over again the next day. That said, here are 3 tips on staying healthy while working and performing much better, and delivering more optimal results.
By Team Savant
Image: Rawan Yasser
Drink Water, Plenty Of It
You may have heard this a thousand times before, but it's the truth. Drinking water holds a variety of benefits — from flushing out toxins from your body to preventing dehydration which can cause you to feel fatigued and experience headaches. Water has tons of nutrients and minerals, which are essential for a healthy lifestyle, and is the best alternative for soda or coffee, which is what most people drink while working. Drinking water also normalises your blood pressure and stabilises your heartbeat, which can skyrocket in a stressful and high-pressure work environment. The bottom line is water is your best friend at work, so you should always have some on hand and drink as much of it as you can.
Exercise
It doesn't have to be a two-hour workout session at the gym, but getting in some exercise on a daily basis will do wonders for your mentality as well as your health. If you have a job that requires you to sit for long periods of time, sometimes hours on end, make a point to take a walk every now and again, even if it's just a walk outside and back to your desk again. Concentrating for too long, especially on a computer screen, can increase the number of headaches you experience tremendously and can even bring about feelings of nausea. Taking a walk will also promote proper blood circulation throughout your body and brain. It will increase your blood's oxygen levels, which will boost your concentration and focus immensely when getting back to your desk.
Listen To Your Body
If you feel off, listen to your body because it is trying to tell you something. Being especially in tune with your body can help you realise when something is wrong much quicker and handle it before things worsen. Work has a stressful effect on your body, which can cause muscle pain in some regions of your body, like your back, shoulders, and neck. If you feel any of these muscle pains, the wise thing to do would be to consult with your local osteopath as soon as possible before the muscles start to spasm or make it impossible for you to work correctly.
The above guidelines may help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while working and keeping your body in an optimal working condition. After all, your body is the one doing all the heavy lifting, the least you can do is take care of it properly.