9 Easy Hacks to Stay Healthy at Work

SIMPLE HACKS TO STAY HEALTHY AT WORK ) 1 MAKE HYDRATION BENCHMARKS BUY A NALGENE OR WATER BOTTLE AND WRITE MARKERS ON THE OUTSIDE WITH TIMES (I.E. 11AM, 2PM, 5PM). DRINK WATER PAST THOSE LINES BY THE SPECIFIED TIME. HIGH FIVE COWORKERS 2 3 HIGH FIVES RELEASE OXYTOCIN (KNOWN AS THE "TRUST HORMONE") AND REDUCE THE STRESS HORMONE CORTISOL. INSTEAD OF THE TYPICAL "HELLO" WHEN PASSING BY A COWORKER, GIVE THEM A HIGH FIVE. PLUS YOU'RE LESS LIKELY TO SPREAD GERMS THAN IF YOU'RE SHAKING HANDS. AUTOMATE GETTING OUT OF YOUR SEAT WILLPOWER IS OVERRATED. SET A CALENDAR REMINDER FOR EVERY 30 TO 60 MINUTES THAT SAYS "GET UP AND MOVE!" WALK TO THE WATER COOLER, GET SOME FRESH AIR, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT GETS YOU OUT OF YOUR SEAT. (4 REWARD TASK COMPLETION WITH A HEALTHY SNACK HEALTHY SNACKS IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH, CURB CRAVINGS, ELEVATE MOOD AND BOOST BRAINPOWER. AFTER COMPLETINGA LONG TASK, REWARD YOURSELF WITH SOMETHING HEALTHY TO EAT. REJUVENATE WITH A WALK POP IN YOUR EARBUDS AND GO FOR A WALK DURING YOUR CALL WITH A CLIENT, VENDOR OR COLLEAGUE. WALKING WHILE ON A CALL CAN IMPROVE YOUR CONFIDENCE TOO, SO IT CAN BE A GREAT WAY TO CLOSE A DEAL. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY FOR POSITIVE PHYSIOLOGY 6. MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE FINDING THAT PRACTICING GRATITUDE CAN BENEFIT OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH TOO. FIRST THING AFTER YOU SIT AT YOUR DESK EACH DAY, WRITE DOWN 3 THINGS YOU'RE GRATEFUL. DON'T LET YOURSELF HAVE COFFEE UNTIL YOU'VE COMPLETED THIS EXERCISE EACH MORNING. RECHARGE WITH A ( TAKE THE LONG WAY NAP DURING LUNCH 8. NAPS REDUCE STRESS AND BOLSTER YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. 45 MINUTE LUNCH BREAK = 25 MINUTES TO EAT + 20 MINUTE TO NAP. FOR THE NAP, HOP IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF YOUR CAR AND SET AN ALARM. PARK YOUR CAR IN THE SPOT FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE DOOR TO THE OFFICE. THIS WILL FORCE YOU TO ADD A COUPLE EXTRA STEPS THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. STRETCH IT OUT SITTING AT A DESK AND TYPING FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY CAN CAUSE ALL SORTS OF ACHES, PAINS AND STRAINS. TRY THESE 3 SIMPLE STRETCHES WHEN YOU FEEL THE PAIN COMING ON: PLACE YOUR LEFT HAND OVER THE FINGERS OF YOUR RIGHT HAND. BEND YOUR WRIST DOWN SLOWLY UNTIL YOU FEEL A LIGHT STRETCH. HOLD FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS AND RELAX. REPEAT 3X THEN ALTERNATE TO BENDING UPWARDS. DROP YOUR HEAD DOWN SLOWLY TOWARDS ONE SHOULDER UNTIL YOU FEEL STRETCH. HOLD FOR 5-10 SECONDS. REPEAT 3X ON EACH SIDE. WHILE EXHALING, LEAN FORWARD, DROP YOUR HEAD TOWARDS YOUR KNEES AND LET YOUR HANDS DROP TOWARDS YOUR ANKLES. HOLD FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS. THEN INHALE AND BRING YOUR HEAD UP SLOWLY, REVERSING THE MOVEMENT YOU MADE GOING DOWN. REPEAT 3-5 TIMES. SOURCES SNACKNATION • GETHEALTHYU.COM/SECRET-HACK-DRINKING-MORE-WATER/ • LIFEHACKER.COM/THE-DESK-JOCKEYS-SCHEDULE-TO-HEALTHY-LIVING-BEHIND-A-D-516248751 • BLOG.PENELOPETRUNK.COM/2007/04/02/FIVE-WAYS-TO-D0-BETTER-IN-PHONE-INTERVIEW/ • EVERYDAYHEALTH.COM/DIET-NUTRITION/MEAL-PLANNING/HEALTHY- SNACKING-BENEFITS.ASPX • WEBMD.COM/WOMEN/FEATURES/GRATITUTE-HEALTH-BOOST • HUFFINGTONPOST.COM/2013/03/11/NAP-BENEFITS-NATIONAL-NAPPING-DAY_N_2830952.HTML • VANITY.WOMENSFORUM.COM/STAY-HEALTHY-BY-FIST-BUMPING-NOT-SHAKING-HANDS.HTML • NYTIMES.COM/2010/02/23/HEALTH/23MIND.HTML • MILLIONIDEAS.ORG/2014/03/03/INFOGRAPHIC-33-IDEAS-TO-STAY-HEALTHY-AT-WORK/ • MORETHANMEDICATION.CA/EN/ARTICLE/INDEX/WORK_DESK_STRETCH • POSTURITE.CO.UK/POSTURE-LEARNING-RESOURCES/WORKSTATION-EXERCISES/NECK-SHOULDER-STRETCHES • DES.UMD.EDU/OS/ERG/DESKBOUND.HTML