Wellness Practices That Are Totally Doable For Every Tired Office Employee
Feb 19, 2020 • Kyzia Maramara
You find yourself in the office once again (like every day) plopping down on that chair and saying your first sentence for the day: “Uwian na ba?” We all have those dreary days where we have to drag our feet out of the bed and into the shower but as the strong independent people our moms raised us to be, we won’t let our mood get in the way of our work. We’re professionals. (Or, you know, we need money to survive.)
If you’ve been on that tiring 8-to-5 for years, you’re prone to encounter burnouts and you wouldn’t want that. That’s why it’s important to take care of yourself and your well-being. The best part is you don’t even need to book an expensive spa session just to do that. Here are some wellness ideas for employees that you should try out.
Quit slouching, stat!
Breathe if you’re guilty of this one. Sitting for hours on end — even if it’s on an expensive ergonomic chair — won’t do you any good, especially in the long run. Be conscious of your body and remind yourself to straighten those shoulders every time they’re hunched forward. Put an end to this sedentary lifestyle and remember: fix your posture, fix your life!
Unplug from social media for an hour
A social media detox? In this day and age? Impossible! While you don’t have to set unrealistic goals such as deactivating your social media accounts for a month, you can take it easy and start for an hour daily. Spend time away from your phone for 60 minutes a day. Talk to your officemates, take a walk, journal, go people watching — whatever suits your mood. Just lay off that phone, it’s bad enough you have to stare at your computer for 8 hours a day.
Keep healthy snacks in your drawer
Ah, birthday blowouts, the bane of every person attempting to go on a diet. There will never be a shortage of pizza, chicken, and cake at the office — and this is exactly why sometimes you have to let these things pass. You don’t need us to tell you it ain’t healthy gorging on triple-cheese pizza twice a week. Snack on sliced apples, bananas, oranges, or really any fruit you can afford. Every sahod, fill your drawer with low-sugar protein bars and trail mixes. Stock up on probiotics and store in them in the office fridge (but remember to write your name in bold letters to mark your territory).
Eat on time and make sure you’re hydrated
Have you ever really eaten on time since you started working at your office? Or do you always grab either an early lunch (because you skipped breakfast) or a super late lunch (because you were “too busy to eat”)? meeting. Having a regular eating pattern will not only make you more organized, but also aid your physical well-being. Sometimes you don’t notice you’re hungry or that you’ve already spent half a day with only one glass of water to drink because you’re too focused on work. A healthy body equals a healthy mind.
File that leave every two months
Even the most hardcore workaholics need rest. You can’t power through for long periods of time or you’ll burn out. Take advantage of your vacation leaves and file for a long weekend every 2 months. Book that flight, take that random (but planned) road trip, explore local sites — do whatever you want — just get out of the office to allow yourself to reset.
Take 30 minutes of your morning to just chill
Create a daily morning routine you can do before you get swept by the wave of tasks that await you at the office. It could be stretching before taking a shower, meditating and journaling, reading a chapter of a book, or relishing your breakfast. These moments of calm allow you to reflect on yourself and mentally prepare you for another day.
Choose the people you spend time with
Although Filipinos are generally friendly, there are just some people we cross paths with that we can’t describe other than ‘toxic.’ They’re negative Nancies, always finding something to complain about. The gravity in their orbit pulls a little stronger so they always think the world is riding on their shoulders. Run away from these people for your mental health’s sake! Choose to be with those who are made of sunshine and rainbows, or, you know, just regular people.
Laugh the stress out
Brighten your day with comedy! Read a few humorous comic strips (H8 Mondays, Strange Planet, Poorly Drawn Lines), watch 5-minute sketches from Key and Peele and SNL, or spend 10 minutes with the hilarious Trevor Noah. Because writing an impossible article or coordinating with pain-in-the-ass clients aren’t worth getting fine lines from scowling for so long.
What’s your wellness tip for office employees?
