Improving your health and wellbeing at the office

Considering how much time you probably spend at the office, starting to think whether the environment you are working in is appropriate for your health or if your daily work habits are affecting your wellness can make a significant difference. Employees tend to get focus on their professional activities too much to actually notice if their job is causing the harm from a health point of view. If you have decided to make a few changes in order to ensure your constant well-being, even when you are at your job, gaining a few insights on the topic might help you out. Among the numerous things you would be able to do on the matter, the following pointers come as the most relevant and with the most positive effects, so read them carefully and start thinking about pursuing them yourself:

First things first – don’t overwork yourself

Before looking into ways of upgrading office design, replacing furniture items or adding new elements that promote wellness into the workplace, you should first take some time to think about just how much of your time you are dedicating to your career. While spending between 8 and 9 hours at the office is perfectly ok, this being the schedule of almost any job on the market, anything that goes beyond that timeframe can quickly start affecting you. Overworking yourself is the first mistake you can make in terms of health degradation. As fast as you may want to complete certain projects or achieve impressive work results, your health should come first, and taking enough breaks is recommended. Overworking will lead to tiredness, increased stress, various health issues and over time, it can actually impact your productivity, making your effort wasteful. So try to keep a balance!

Replace your chair with an ergonomic model

Bad posture is one of the most frequently encountered problems in traditional office environments. Your body will not respond positively when forced to stand in one position for long period of times, and inconvenient symptoms such as back pain and sore muscles can soon appear when using the wrong office equipment. Sitting at a desk in front of your computer for more than 6 7 hours a day in a chair that doesn’t provide lumbar support and is designed in a stiff, traditional way can lead to serious health conferences, one of them being heart disease. One of the main changes individuals working in an office are recommended to do is replacing their chair with an ergonomic model. The EvoChair of Autonomous has increased in appeal lately, its ergonomic, adjustable features being extremely advantageous in the posture improvement department. Corporations focused on implementing healthy workspaces have resorted to ergonomic chair models, which provide flexibility, comfort and protect the health of users long-term. With the possibility of adjusting the height, stand depth as well as the position of the chair, you can maintain a comfortable and adequate posture throughout the day, escaping back pain and keeping your body healthy and protected from potential future conditions.

Opt for a standing desk – active workstation upgrade

While having an ergonomic chair at your disposal will instantly improve the way you are working that doesn’t mean that sitting for long hours will become entirely risk-free. A healthy way of working involves switching from a sitting position to a standing one for as frequently a possible. This might not be possible in a classic office space, but nowadays, you have the possibility of upgrading your workplace design and creating an active space that promotes wellness and health. The simplest way to do that is by adding a sit-stand desk to your office. This would be the second best investment you make, after your ergonomic chair purchase. A standing desk can easily be adjusted to the height of your needs, and you can switch between positions several times a day, ensuring thus an optimal working style. Once you look into the subject and perhaps read a few studies on the matter, you will find out that sitting for long hours can lead to multiple health problems, starting with obesity and diabetes and up to heart conditions. A simple office change such as the installation of a sit-stand desk can do wonders, helping you maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

Exercise!

It might seem silly to exercise at work, but the effects of 10 or 20 minutes of exercise a day at the office can influence your well-being more than you think. You don’t have to carry out a strenuous routine, this being something that you can do in your free time, but a few simple exercises are recommended. When you have already taken the first step into creating a more active workplace environment and that is installing a standing desk, you can use this new element to create a daily office workout program. There are plenty of easy ways in which you can keep your body fit and healthy, just look into a few exercises that can be done at work and start doing them regularly.

Don’t forget to drink water!

Despite the great importance of staying hydrated, it’s surpassing to see just how many of use actually neglect how much water we drink on a daily basis. When you are cut up in work, have to handle important tasks or are eager to complete a project, you can tend to forget about hydrations. Always keep a bottle of water on your desk, and refill it every time you run out of it. If you drink enough water you will not only feel better, improve your health and actually live longer, but will also be able to think better and improve your endurance and work performance.

As an individual that values a balanced, healthy lifestyle, it’s important to be aware of the hazards of an improper office environment or bad habits in the workplace. It’s your responsibility to ensure you have done everything possible to keep your wellness in-check even when you are working, and the above-mentioned suggestions are quite relevant on the matter. By pursuing these ideas, starting from acquiring an Autonomous ergonomic chair and up to installing a standing desk, you will be able to notice an improvement in your general level of wellness, and when you feel better, physically and mentally, you will naturally be able to perform better at work.

Cynthia Madison is a young blogger and economics and marketing graduate. She writes about home, lifestyle and family topics and is a senior contributor to popular niche publications.