Your health is an important factor in your happiness at work. Feeling good about yourself mentally and physically makes you more energetic and productive at work You feel more committed to your organisation and get more satisfaction from your job. But how do you maintain your health when you have to combine a demanding job and busy personal life? We will help you on your way.
Choose an employer that pays attention to health
Besides our job, we also want to work on our health by exercising or working on our mental well-being in the limited private time we have. But where do we find the time for all this? The solution: choose a working environment in which there is space and attention to the health of its employees.
Work and personal life are increasingly an integrated package, especially now that many of us work from home for a large chunk of the time. This is one reason why companies should invest in the health of its employees by encouraging healthy lifestyles. A healthy workplace is a place where the physical strain of work is taken into account, where attention is paid to work pressure and stress and where you have the opportunity to exercise sufficiently while working. Moreover, many companies are integrating ‘the new way of working‘. Employees are given more freedom to decide how, where and when they work. That way, you can better schedule family, social life, sports and work according to your own needs. These are all things you can look out for while applying for a job.
Besides the new way of working, several organisations are investing in a healthy workplace that takes the health of their employees into account. They do this by implementing an internal well-being policy where attention is given to both mental and physical health. A good example of such an integral well-being programme is ‘100 Days to an Energetic Workplace’, an online programme that activates employees to assume a healthier lifestyle.
Smart combining
Work and private life are less and less separate: we work from home, quickly check our emails from the couch in between or go for a walk during lunch. How do we ensure a good work-life balance while making sure there is enough time to do all the things we like to do? One solution: smart combining.
- Cycle or walk to work. That way, you will have immediately made a healthy effort and arrive at work fit and with a clear head.
- Take an active break: After half an hour or hour of exercise under your lunch break, you will have much more energy to get going for the rest of the day. You are also much more resilient to stressful situations that come your way. A lot of companies provide a gym or yoga sessions during working hours.
- Mindful work: Your mental health is also very important and there are even opportunities to integrate techniques like mindfulness into your work, which can help you unwind at stressful times.
Healthy food, healthy mind
To get through the day and keep your focus sharp, it is best to eat enough. That starts with a healthy breakfast.
- Having breakfast while going through your mailbox? No problem. But be sure to choose a breakfast that is nutritious for your brain. Eating the right things will improve your brain function and focus. Those good nutrients are also called brain food. Examples include raw cocoa (put it in your yoghurt), nuts and seeds, eggs, whole grain products, summer fruits like blueberries and raspberries, green vegetables and leafy greens.
- Definitely do not skip your breakfast. Not eating breakfast lowers your glucose concentration and this reduces your cognitive ability. Glucose is therefore the food for your brain and is made up of slow and complex sugars found in cereals, fruits and vegetables.
- You can easily make healthy choices for your lunch and snacks too. Planning is important here. For example, there are quite a few supermarkets that offer the option of ordering your groceries online. This way, you avoid impulse purchases and can consciously choose things that are good for your body. Healthy eating not only makes you feel better about yourself physically, but also has an impact on your energy and ability to concentrate.
