Boost Your Career With These 5 Tips for Healthier Living

In the US, employees take an average of about five sick days per year. That might not seem like a lot but consider the number of times you work when you’re sick with a cold or some other ailment. When you’re ill you likely are not working at peak performance.

In order to excel in your work and career you should also pay close attention to your health. Below are five simple strategies for improving your health and boosting your performance at work.

Sleep 7-8 hours. Getting adequate sleep provides many health benefits and studies have indicated that getting 7-8 hours of sleep reduces stress, increases creativity, improves memory, and sharpens attention, among other things. On the other hand, sleep deficiency has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.

Meditate. A brief, daily practice of meditation can result in significant health benefits such as reduced stress, better sleep, and perhaps even improved immune functioning. Meditation can also help you focus on positive and encouraging thoughts, which can lead to more joy and greater focus throughout the day.

Drink (a lot) of water. Staying properly hydrated is important to provide energy, strengthen muscles, improve skin, and keeps your gastrointestinal tract functioning healthily. As we’ve all heard, our bodies are mostly water and we need to drink enough daily to avoid fatigue, headaches, and other issues.

Move 30 minutes. Our bodies are made to move and we need to ensure some basic level of movement daily in order to stay healthy and strong, and to avoid illness. You don’t need to train like a professional athlete or body builder to see results. Get out and walk two miles on your lunch break, or bike in the morning before work … or, better yet, bike to work. Schedule this time every day just as you would any other important meeting. You’ll soon find that you have more energy and accomplish more throughout the day.

Avoid alcohol. While a drink at a social event or company party might lower inhibitions and help manage some social anxiety, frequent alcohol consumption has many negative consequences—damage to the brain, heart, and liver—and can lead to addiction. In addition, alcohol is a depressant and if you struggle with depression it can exacerbate it. To be at your best limit your alcohol intake.

Implement these five simple strategies and you’ll soon feel healthier, stronger, and more energetic.  

5 Steps to Stay Healthy at Work

For many people the work hours are sedentary. We sit at a computer all day or have one or two tasks that we accomplish at a work station. It can be easy to find ourselves gaining weight and feeling lethargic at work.

If this describes you (and even if it doesn't) then consider the following five ways to stays healthy and fit while at work.

1. Move. Make an effort to get up and walk around every hour or so. You don't have to walk for long; simply getting up and moving for 3-5 minutes will help. If you can get outside all the better. Breathing in fresh air and being out in nature helps us relax and has other therapeutic benefits. If your job does not allow you to get up every hour then make sure you move when you get an opportunity, such as your lunch break. Movement is critically important to our health.

2. Eat healthy snacks. Many workplaces have vending machines offering snacks but many of these are unhealthy and filled with sugar. You can avoid the temptation to grab a candy bar by bring in some healthy snacks to munch on throughout the day. Consider bringing in some nuts, carrots, banana or apple. You'll feel better and have more energy when you snack well.

3. Bring in a plant. In many work places the windows don't open and you're stuck breathing in stale (and sometimes unhealthy) air. Bring in a plant or two for you work area. The plant will clean the air around you and, as mentioned above, having a bit of nature nearby can enhance your mood.

4. Exercise and stretch at work. Just because your at work doesn't mean you can't get some exercise and stretching in. Take a few minutes to stand on your toes and reach up for a good stretch. Or do some arm circles. You can even bring in a rubber ball or grippers to squeeze to strengthen your wrists and forearms. There are many other simple exercises you can try with a little creativity.

5. Don't neglect your mental health. As we've discussed above, taking a walk and being among nature has emotional and mental impacts, too. Be sure to consider your emotional and mental well-bing while at work. Bring in a poster with a motivational quote you appreciate, or write a personal mantra on a 3 x 5 note card and post it somewhere you can see it regularly throughout the day.

Implementing these five simple steps will go a long way to help you feel healthier and more energetic at work.

4 Keys to Work Productively from Home

Many companies now allow employees the flexibility to work from home at least part-time, or occasionally. In addition, many people leave the work force and start businesses from their homes.

So how does one stay productive and focused with the distraction of home?

Here are four keys to manage your work at home situation and to maximize your productivity:

1. Set aside a dedicated space. You'll want to have a space to work that is located in a comfortable part of your house or apartment, and that you can use every day you are working. It is distracting and unproductive to change work spaces every time you're at home. Set up a dedicated place for you to work and ensure that you have everything necessary to do your job within arms reach.

2. Disconnect. Turn off the TV and put your mobile phone on mute. If you like a little background music feel free to have the radio on but for many the radio will be another distraction. Check your phone at designated times but otherwise leave it alone so you can focus on the task at hand. Speaking of focus ...

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To be most productive you want to give 

your attention to one thing at a time.

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3. Focus on one thing. Get rid of the multi-tasking mindset. To be most productive you want to give your attention to one thing at a time. Set yourself up for 45-50 minutes of uninterrupted time to focus on tackling one specific task before moving on to something else.

4. Move around. It's important to your energy levels and to aid in creativity to move around. If you have stairs go up and down a few times. Or take a walk around the block. A good way to manage this it to schedule time (5-10 minutes) to move after each working session described above. You'll find yourself energized and focused to move on to the next task.

4 Practices to Implement in 2016 to Improve Your Life and Career

Let's not call these resolutions, ok? Resolutions can be daunting and we often implement them for a few weeks (or days) before dropping them and never looking back.

If we look at the following practices as just that, simple practices or strategies that can bring added value to your life but don't require fierce diligence, then perhaps we'll be more likely to incorporate some of them into our routines.

1. Meditation. No, we're not suggesting you become a monk or anything but a regular habit of even brief meditation has been shown to bring great benefits such as reducing stress and boosting productivity. There's even an app for it!

2. Sleep. Yes, this is often the first casualty of a busy life but 7-8 hours of sleep is critical to functioning effectively and being at your best every day. Research indicates that losing four hours of sleep at night produces a state near drunkenness and going to work in a drunken state is not likely to result in a good day.

3. Movement. We now live primarily sedentary lifestyles as we spend increasing amounts of time in front of screens every day. To be at our best and have increased energy we need to move. A simple practice of getting up every hour and taking a brief 5 minute walk will do wonders. As Tom Rath notes, "If you eat, move, and sleep well today, you will have more energy tomorrow. You will treat your friends and family better. You will achieve more at work and give more to your community."

4. Relationship. We need other people to be at our best and to live well. Make a practice of eating lunch with colleagues and scheduling monthly (if not weekly) time to spend with a close friend. Ensure that this time allows for some dedicated and concentrated time to talk.

5 Habits for a Successful Career (and Life)

Habits. There are good habits and there are bad habits and all of us have a mixture of both. The challenge is to encourage and build upon the good habits and eliminate the bad.

Our habits can have a significant impact on our careers and that is one reason it is so important to build on and add to our good habits.

With that in mind here are five habits that can enhance your career and life:

Sleep. It is important to your intellectual and emotional well-being to ensure that you get enough sleep every night. Set a bed time that allows you to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night and stick to it. Avoid watching TV or drinking alcohol right before bed.

Meditate. You don't have to be a monk to enjoy the benefits of meditation and you don't need to meditate for long periods of time. A simple practice of 5 minutes of attention to your breathing can bring great benefits.

Eat. Focus on eating healthy and energy-producing foods, while avoiding a lot of sugar, salt, and alcohol. You'll feel better and have more creative energy to apply to your work and home life.

Move. Avoid a sedentary life. This is especially important for those who spend long hours in front of a computer. Be sure to stand up and take a break every hour. Walk around the office or get outside. Do some light stretching.

Thank. If needed adjust your attitude and be grateful: for your job, your family, your co-worker, where you live. Find something to be grateful for every day. And a bonus habit: journal. Keep a daily journal where you can write about your progress and note those things in your life you are thankful for.

A great resource for developing good habits is Gretchen Rubin's new book Better Than Before. Learn more about it and check out helpful resources at her web site.