- Wake up earlier to exercise.
It doesn’t have to be very early. 10 minutes earlier is more than enough for you to stretch and do some warmups in the morning. You sweat a little, produce happy hormones, endorphins will be flowing, you will feel ready to seize the day.
Breakfast is the last thing on the mind for a lot of people as you struggle with being on time at work, being stuck in traffic. For you to stay alert all day, at least till lunch time, breakfast is your source of energy. There is an easy tip for people who miss their breakfast. At the end of a day, buy some easy snacks that you can just quickly grab and go for breakfast, for example, an apple, a slice of bread or a box of soy milk.
- Take public transport. Or park further from the office.
Driving can be stressful, especially in the rush hour, where everybody is just ready to break rules to get to work faster. Having someone else drive for you, that is, taking a taxi or a bus is actually better for your stress level. There is a better chance that you will get some exercise in the morning by taking a bus. Or if you absolutely have to drive, try to park further from the office. You don’t have to fight for parking spots, at the same time get some steps in the morning. The best advice is to avoid rush hour to reduce road traffic-induced stress.
- Practice handwashing and mindfulness.
These two practices seem completely irrelevant to each other but both are very important for a good start of the day.
You are going to spend your entire day at a small area of the office. At least your hands should be clean.
Try to meditate for a few minutes. Be mindful of each breath you take. A lot of big companies are trying to implement this habit of mindfulness at the start of day. This can calm your mind and boosts your energy and productivity for the rest of the day.
- Let’s move a little at the office!
Don’t you feel lazy from sitting for long hours at the little desk of yours? Are you on the computer all day typing away, forgetting to rest your eyes and stretch your neck? Do some simple and easy exercises that can boost your mood and avoid after lunch sleepiness. Choose a short easy to follow exercise video from Youtube. You think you will be awkward moving around on your own? Ask your work best friend to join you!
Don’t forget to rest your eyes every 20 minutes. Look away at some green trees. Exercise your eye muscles.
- Don’t ignore your body needs.
Drink water. It can be easy to forget to hydrate yourself when you don’t move around much and don’t sweat in the air-conditioned room. Don’t hold your pee, urge to poop or fart! No work is important enough for you to refrain yourself from using the toilet! You can get exercise from walking back and forth the toilet as well.
Don’t bring your work home. Don’t carry your stress home either. You get off work to give time for yourself, for your family and do your chores, not continue stressing about what you should be or should not be doing for work. Get enough sleep. If you didn’t get to finish what you were supposed to, try to come in early to work instead of bringing them home. Oh, and don’t forget to buy breakfast for the next morning on your way home!
Now let’s look back at your day. You exercised 10 minutes in the morning. You had your breakfast and your lunch. You fullfilled some steps. You also moved enough at work. You didn’t forget to rest your eyes. You took time to be mindful. If you followed all these steps, I would say you had a pretty productive day at work. Good job! You remembered to take care of yourself!
In this age and technology, you are supposed to work smart, not hard. You can be busy but your quality of life shouldn’t be affected. If you practice these habits every day, you could say goodbye to your old unhealthy lifestyle and come to love your Mondays.
