If you’re a student right now, between classes and studying, keeping yourself healthy when sitting at your computer takes up a big chunk of your life is probably a concern. Fortunately, there’s a lot of simple stuff you can do to help keep yourself healthy, as sourced from Business News Daily, Health.com and Mindbodygreen. As you enter the working world, you’ll need to work on your health, and there’s a chance your workplace will have an expert who’s dedicated to it. If you were to enroll in our Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion program, you could become that expert.
One of the first programs of its kind in Canada, Wellness and Health Promotion is a graduate certificate program recognized by leading employers. Through special projects, practical learning, and field placement, you learn how to promote the wellbeing of people within companies and the community. If you’re working in workplace wellness and health promotion, it’s your job to keep the people you work with happy and healthy, and you’ll be starting with simple tips like these.
Do anything but sit still
If you need to stay seated, switch your position. Consider swapping your chair out for a yoga/exercise ball, or getting a standing desk, or even just making your own by standing at your desk as often as you can and propping your computer and keyboard up to eye and hand level. If you need to get up and walk around, then do so once an hour, even if it’s just to stand up while a program is loading. If you need to talk to a co-worker, walk to them instead of calling them. Take the stairs when you go to another floor instead of an elevator. There are apps for your phone, like Move or Big Stretch Reminder or RegularBreaks.com, that can help you remember to take breaks. The important thing is not to spend time seated.
Posture is important
When you are sitting, pay attention to how you’re doing it. If you must stay seated, be sure you’re not slouching. Sitting tall will make you actively feel better, while slouching can tire you out, and lead to back pain. It’s worth the time to get an ergonomic desk chair that’ll help you sit up straight.
Mental health breaks are just as important as physical breaks
When studying or working, you can wind up spending vast amounts of time sitting in meetings or in front of a computer. It can become hard to focus or think if you do it for too long. That’s why it’s important to take breaks for your mental wellbeing. Go for a walk, go outside, go somewhere and check your phone, or even talk to your fellow workers or students. You’ll help reduce eye strain, reset your brain, and foster better relationships with the people around you.
Add some greenery
Speaking of cutting out the drudgery, add a plant, or something else natural to your workspace can go a long way to making you feel better. Green, leafy plants or flowers work best, and some species can even make the air cleaner where you work.
Eat breakfast
Honestly, this is a good life tip in general, but if you have a long day of office work or studying ahead of you, it’s incredibly important, because it’ll give you a boost of early-morning energy, and also prevent you from snacking as the day goes by. Speaking of that…
Avoid office snacks
In an average office, there will be enough events happening, and enough generous coworkers that you’re sure to see piles of free snacks and candy. They can be tasty, but they won’t fill you up, can lead to sugar crashes, and the bad things in them will add up. Avoid eating them, or even bring healthy snacks of your own.
Eat somewhere else
Bringing your lunch with you from home instead of buying one on-site is good for both your health and your wallet, but that doesn’t mean you should never leave the office and eat your lunch there. Having a dedicated area where you can escape to while you eat lunch can get you the mental break you need, and it makes sure you don’t mindlessly overeat at your desk.
By Anthony Geremia