Health tips for office workers
If you spend most of your day in the office or even working remotely from a desk at home, then you might find it hard to practice healthy habits. You cannot avoid spending long periods of time sitting stationary, hunched over your computer, and staring at a screen but you can take these small steps to help counteract some of the negative physical effects that you may suffer from your office job.
Combat computer vision syndrome
One of the main issues that office workers have to deal with is the effect that prolonged screen time has on their eyes. You may suffer from dry, itchy, and irritated eyes or even headaches and poor sleep. But thankfully there are some measures you can take to protect your eyes such as wearing blue-light-blocking glasses or sticking to the 20-20-20 rule. This rule states that for every 20 minutes of screen time you should take a break and focus on something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. These small changes can make a huge difference and you should be able to feel the effects fairly quickly once you start adopting these strategies.
Eat healthier
Office work usually includes a lot of unhealthy eating whether it is a quick lunch of fast food or overindulging on treats that your colleague brings in to share. Even if you are working from home, it is all too easy to wander into the kitchen and grab a bag of chips when you start to feel antsy. Try keeping a healthy snack nearby your workstation such as kale chips or a bag of almonds, so when you do start to feel peckish you have a healthy option right in front of you.
Keep moving
As well as the 20-20-20 rule to help with your eyes you should adopt a similar strategy for your legs. Every now and again get up from your desk and stretch, or maybe take a brisk walk around the office, at least once an hour. You can even try to do some of your work standing up if you are starting to feel a little stiff. Sometimes fidgeting is good, if you cannot keep getting up and stretching them get your legs moving under your desk to keep the blood flowing. There are also some great stretches you can do at your desk to help combat back and neck pain.
Stay hydrated
Keep a glass or a bottle of water on your desk at all times and get into the habit of refilling it as soon as it is empty. We often get too busy and forget to drink water so having some on your desk at all times helps to remind you to take a few sips every now and again. If you drink a lot of coffee, then you can try adopting the rule that for every cup of coffee you have to drink a glass of water. Staying hydrated will also help improve your overall energy levels and thus your productivity at work!
