Your career at the office has often needs a boost, but you need not look at how you impress the boss or play the office political game. You can work to get the upper hand by making your office better for your health. When your body functions better, you perform better in your job and that improvement by itself could provide the impetus that takes your career to the next level.
To help you get started, here are 10 tips to make your office healthier.
- Stop slouching: When your posture isn’t good, you risk permanent damage to your skeleton, muscles, and nerves. Sit up straight and keep your back against the back of the chair so your head and shoulders get the support they need to avoid strain. Make sure that your chair fits your body, allows your feet to naturally rest on the floor and makes it possible to have your arms at a 90 degree angle while working at your computer.
- Create a liberating decor: You don’t have to sit and stare at those drab office or cubicle walls and allow boredom and depression to overtake you. Improve your mental healthy by putting meaningful pictures on your walls to give you something to think and dream about. When stressful moments occur, a small photo of the spa where you have many relaxing moments.
- Get some plants: Plants do more than just beautify your office: they help to naturally purify your air, keeping you healthier. The increased concentration of oxygen can give you that extra energy you need to tweak your job performance.
- Carry your lunch: You no longer have to be lured into poor eating habits by following your coworkers to restaurants where dangerous menus threaten your wellbeing. Instead, bring your lunch so you can count your calories and monitor your nutrition. You will be healthier while saving money, the environment, and your time in the process.
- Improve your lighting: Natural light will help you be more productive on the job. Replace the common fluorescent bulbs overhead with bulbs that emit a broader spectrum of light that more closely emulates sunlight. The better light will ease the strain that is on your eyes and enhance your mood, giving you an important edge in a competitive environment.
- Check up on the air you breathe: If your work area is near a copier or laser printer, the particles those devices spew into the air could be killing you. Also, you should check with the building supervisor to see when the last time the air ducts and report high dust levels and flaking ceiling tiles. Report leaks air and water leaks too because they often lead to conditions that promote mold.
- Stretch: Sitting too long can lead to tension in your body as well as stagnant mental processes and productivity. Take a break ever half hour to stand up and move around. Stretch your hands, arms, legs, and back and occasionally go out for a short walk. Your mind will be refreshed, your energy will be restored, and the stress will leave your body.
- Ease up on the keyboard: Don’t press those keys so hard! Office workers make hundreds of thousands of repetitive motions every month while typing, so minimizing the impact will help your joints, muscles, and nerves stay healthier. Hard typing could prove to be a difficult habit to break, but if you do it, you will have a better life.
- Pass up the free food: One of the worst hazards of office work comes in the form of food brought in by customers and vendors. Pastries, donuts, and cakes are the worst offenders, but so are some of the catered meals. Part of the problem is poor nutritional content, but much worse is the danger of eating too much. If you don’t get control over your mouth intake now, you could develop weight problems that threaten your well-being.
- Create a pleasant aroma: Aromatherapy can help make your office a healthier place to work. Bring in some oils and a diffuser to help eliminate stress and mitigate psychological issues in your mind. Stress is the silent killer in the modern workplace, so everything you do to combat it will help you live a healthier life.
Use these 10 tips to make your office healthier so you can excel at your job and in life.
Today’s article was contributed by John Brook who works for OfficeKitten.co.uk as a writer who reviews presentation supplies and office supplies. John is also a regular contributor to other blogs where he enjoys writing about productivity and efficiency in the office.
Image by genildo