5 Simple and Easy Ways of Encouraging Workplace Wellness

Everyone working a job anywhere in the world can call themselves a juggler. Balancing personal and professional lives can be the toughest part of the day, between project deadlines, friends, family, trips and many others. Yet despite all the chaos, we forget to consider ourselves and our health.

Doing everything at the same time is hard. You can’t attend a family function and reach your project’s deadline at the same time; however, you can work while still maintaining your health at the same time. It’s easier and cheaper to promote wellness at the workplace than it is to buy a gym membership that you end up never using.

Below are some ways you can encourage wellness at your workplace:

Drink adequate water.

Any physician in the world will provide you with the following advice. Water is our most basic necessity and staying hydrated should be your top priority. However, it’s not limited to only the workplace. Wherever you are, drinking water at regular intervals throughout the day is essential for your body. Drinking adequate water provides benefits like:

• Reduced Fatigue.
• Increased energy and metabolism.
• Weight loss.
• Flawless skin.
• Immune system boost.

The benefits are endless.

Wellness promotion is just a bottle away. Buy yourself a separate water bottle for your workplace, keep it filled and always on your desk, then you don’t have to continually remind yourself to drink water. It’s advisable to consume between 103-105 ounces (3.1 liters) of water every day. Every drop goes a long way.

Restrict caffeine intake.

Most anyone who works, studies or has a routine of some kind, also has an addiction to caffeine. It’s your partner when your workday increases or your study session lasts until 4 a.m. Caffeine is a nervous system stimulator because it creates alertness in your brain. It’s the reason why gulping a shot of espresso gets you 3-4 more hours of productivity.

Caffeine might not seem so dangerous right now, but it can cause real damage to your nervous system in the long run. It induces anxiety, nervousness, tremors, a fast heartbeat and much more.

Rather, drink water or green tea. Both are miraculous. Green tea energizes your body, promotes weight loss, burns belly fat and intoxicates your body. But don’t get hooked on normal tea because it’s just as dangerous as caffeine. Instead, get addicted to the good stuff.

Pro Tip: Anything consumed in excess will harm your body. Use common sense.

Climb the stairs.

People dislike using the stairs. They turn their faces sideways when they see the stairs to the fifth floor where their offices are situated. People succumb to the need for luxury and take the elevator. But taking the stairs won’t make you late. Well, maybe the first week, but then it becomes easier and you will start to feel good and light.

Advocating for taking the stairs is a best practice when it comes to promoting workplace wellness. If you have an apartment, take those stairs too. You will thank yourself when you are in your 50’s. So, spare yourself the extra 5-10 minutes—take the stairs and encourage others to do the same.

Eat sensibly.

When we’re stuck in our 9 to 5 jobs, people always lose track of their time, food and money. Sometimes, the job simply sucks—it sucks your money, your time and your health. Don’t give into your wants and desires! Be aware of everything you do when you’re at your job because people tend to lose track of things they do while they are there.

A project must be finished before the deadline, so you skip dinner at home to instead order from your office. But soon, projects overwhelm us and we forget whether and what we are eating.

Stop doing this now lest you regret it later. Be aware of your time and what you are doing and eating. Form frequent but healthy eating habits. Snack on fruits like apples and bananas throughout the day. Drink juice from time-to-time. This way, your stomach won’t be completely empty and you’ll be able to stretch your workday without giving in to your desire for a last-minute pizza or burger.

Say “no” to cigarettes.

For people working 9 to 5 jobs, this is a very difficult habit to break. Perhaps your boss is always yelling at you; your colleague is a jerk continually spreading rumors about you; and your superiors take credit for your work. These things combine to make you go nuts. The easiest way to let off steam and reduce frustration is to go and smoke the hell out of it.

Quitting smoking will be one of the hardest things anyone can do in their life. It’s always tough to break habits, but it’s not impossible. Review this list of things to help you take that first step to wellness.

Work pressures are the biggest smoking triggers, but they can be resisted. Focus instead on the work instead of the pressure. You are stronger than you think.

Small changes in your work routine can make all the difference in promoting workplace wellness. Share these tips with your co-workers too. We spend nearly 92,120 hours of our lives at our workplaces. That’s a total of 14% of our waking hours and 76 years old is the average life expectancy.

So, stop thinking and start doing today. It’s never too late to start taking care of yourself.