The majority of our working week is spent at work, which means we need to maintain our positive lifestyles even when we’re in the office. Certain jobs provide a clear definition of how it can be harmful to our jobs, but for office employees it can prove a little more difficult. However, there are many downfalls to office jobs including stress and unhealthy snacking.
Whether you work from a home office or find yourself commuting to the office itself, there are always methods that can be introduced to make your office space cleaner and healthier leading to better wellbeing and improved physical health.
Sit Less Often
Believe it or not, sitting down for long periods of time during the working day can have serious implications to your physical health. Sitting for long periods can have us easily feel back pain, neck pain and other physical issues. Your eyes can become easily strained as you rarely take your eyes away from the computer screen. This is why it’s important that you do so in your normal working schedule.
Include Nature
Plants and flowers in an indoor environment has been known to improve productivity and allow for better air circulation in the office. Considering many offices tend to be on industrial sites or in busy city centre areas, it can be easy for the air to become polluted in your four walls of an office, even if you can’t see it.
Psychologically, it can also help to improve productivity as plants can relieve stress and anxiety that humans feel throughout stages in the day. For the most effective greens, we suggest using leafy plants that are green in colour rather than those with a less obvious appearance such as a cacti. Also, try to avoid flowers that have a strong sense of smell as this can often be distracting for employees.
Promote Healthy Eating
As employees are not regularly active throughout the day in the office, it can be easy for them to succumb to snacking and grabbing chocolates from the vending machine. There’s also the common habit to eat your lunch at your desk which doesn’t allow your brain to turn off from work and escape to recharge. To prevent this occurring for your workers, offer break out spaces for them to get away from the office for a bit and encourage them to take a break. There’s also the option to offer breakfast or canteen lunch where they can have their meal in the morning and then pay for healthy lunches in the afternoon. As an employee, you could also take steps into your own hands and re-energise yourself through high strength fish oil supplements. Sometimes it can be difficult to gain the vitamins and minerals you need in your normal diet during a busy working week.