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By Landyn Saputo, Wellory Health Coach
Okay, let’s be real - the fitness and nutrition tips we all read on Instagram are great until you’re running around all day at the office and trying to fit a meal in when possible. When I started my corporate job, I went into full panic mode thinking about the fact that I would not have a blender at my office to make my morning smoothie or the ability to cook a healthy meal at lunchtime every day. Not to mention, I usually was rushing out the door just to make it on time to the office - my spare time in the morning was spent taking out the trash or making my bed, on a good day.
I started to make tiny shifts in my schedule to help keep my wellness on track and not give in to the sugary snacks at my easy disposal in the office all day long!
Here’s 10 simple steps to stay healthy at your job:
1. Keep a bottle of apple cider vinegar at your desk and fresh lemon in the fridge at work to splash in your first cup of water when you get to the office. Make sure you constantly have a cup of water next to you that you are sipping from. See how many cups you can refill in a day.
2. On your lunch break, go outside and get a walk in. It’s also a great opportunity to get your 15-20 min daily exposure to sun for Vitamin D!
3. Bring lunch and eat it outside. Eating while sitting at your desk can be stressful, which is never a good combination with food.
4. Leave your wallet in your car. Sometimes I’m tempted to go out and buy coffee or little snacks just as an excuse to get up and do something other than work. I rack up a huge bill for coffee by the end of the month which is SO not worth it. Leaving your wallet in your car might help deter you from unnecessary spending.
5. Make sure you keep a stash of healthy snacks in your desk. My company always buys candies, chips, soda, etc. to have in the office and it can be so tempting to eat out of boredom. But if you MUST snack, make sure you have some good alternatives on hand - some examples might be raw almonds or cashew nuts, a piece of fruit, or carrots and hummus to munch on.
6. At least once every hour you should get up and get your body moving - go for a walk down the hall or make an excuse to walk somewhere else in the office. Even if it’s just 30 seconds of movement. And if you’re drinking a lot of water as you should, you will probably need to go use the restroom anyway!
7. Use your the quiet time to listen to health podcasts. I learn so much about different wellness and nutrition techniques while also getting my work done!
8. Find healthy co-workers! If you can find a co-worker or group of colleagues that are also focused on hitting some target health goals, it’s easier to stay accountable. My co-workers and I exchange ideas for healthy snacks or even bring each other healthy treats!
9. If you find yourself reaching for the unhealthy snacks at the office or that extra cup of coffee at 3pm, take a moment to ask yourself “why?” Often we reach for food or caffeine out of boredom or because we actually just need WATER!
10. Take advantage of your commute! Whether it’s in traffic or on the subway, spend the time listening to something you enjoy. Wait until you get to the office to dive into emails and stay off of Instagram if you can. I like to go until 10am if possible without checking any social media. Give yourself those extra few moments in the morning to either meditate (carefully if you’re driving!) or listen to a podcast/album that gets you motivated for the day.