As the new year rolled around a few weeks ago, you likely set some goals for yourself: You want to eat healthier. You want to exercise more. You want to try some new hobbies. You want to spend more time outside. You want to commit some extra hours towards your family.
Great.
Do it!
But, what are some healthy habits you can embrace at work in order to improve your “work life” happiness and productivity?
5 Workplace Wellness Habits for 2020
- Lunch and Learn. Rather than spending your lunch hour scrolling through Instagram or catching up on your Facebook feed, devote that time to learning something new. The more we know, the better we feel, thus, THIS surely is a healthy habit! Brown bag it and pull up a new podcast to focus on, do some research on a new angle at work, or, even better, set up a “Lunch & Learn” meeting with a few of your colleagues to discuss a shared book, a mutually interesting topic, or even bring in a guest speaker. Stimulating your brain in a different way from your regular 8-hour humdrum will wake up new neurons and will also cause you to FEEL better!
- Walking Meetings. Schedule your meetings as walks around the building, around the block, or as loops around the nearby park. As you walk, you (and your meeting attendees) think, compose, and discuss the importance of the topic on hand AND you all receive the benefits of exercise and movement. Stretching your legs and directed activity stimulate the brain waves for greater productivity, as well as the endorphins for greater enjoyment throughout the day.
- Physically Send the Message. So, your colleague literally sits five feet away from you and you STILL send him that email rather than standing up and walking over to relay the message. Sure, email is faster and less personal, but getting up, stretching your legs, and interacting with another human being, face-to-face, as opposed to hiding behind the screen will break up your day, and just might make you AND your colleagues smile. Oh, and you’ll get more steps in (just a few) on your fitness tracker!
- Build a Team. What’s an activity you like to do outside of work? Softball? Soccer? Kickball? Chess? Guitar Hero? It’s likely others in the office enjoy that same thing. So, create a team, foster relationships, build comradery, and create some competition. Form a league and get outside and play. Just one night a week – you’ll be surprised by how much joy this added element to your work relationships creates and how productivity for everyone in the office increases.
- Avoid the Water Cooler. Seriously, stop the negative talk and gossip. Speaking poorly of others, engaging in unnecessary chit-chat and tittle tattle serves no one. NO ONE. It’s a waste of time and hurts you and everyone else around you. Grab your water, your coffee, and your snacks, and take a lap before heading back to your desk. For an extra bonus, shell out a compliment to a coworker on the way back to your chair.
Surely these small little things will motivate you towards a healthier lifestyle at work and at home. And, rather than resolving to do them, just embrace them!
