Life Hack: 6 Secrets to Keeping Fit And Healthy While Working Full-Time
Humans have always had an innate desire to survive. Our ancestors who lived during the Stone Age only worked about two to two and half days per week. In today’s modern world, the average person would easily be clocking in five working days per week. How should we keep up?
Here are 6 life hacks to maintaining optimum health while working full time.
1. Know that time is gold. Don’t give it away for free.
We all know the importance of a good night’s rest. However, sleeping long enough to allow your body to recover is hard to accomplish between work and personal time. So how do find more time to sleep? Easy. Treat your time as gold and you won’t waste any second of it anymore. Is your boss asking you to do overtime without getting paid again? Learn how to politely say no. Or ask them to pay for the actual hours you are working. Is your ex who cheated on you asking you to go for coffee after work? Tell them to get the hell out of your life. Well, if you are the nice kind of person, tell them you got other things to do like prioritizing your well-being. The people who value you will respect your time and will earn it from you. This goes both ways too, earn other people’s time and don’t just ambush them when it is convenient for you. You have to realize your value and other people’s value and you will find yourself easily catching up on some good night sleep.
2. Walk to your workplace.
Before you jump into reading no. 3 below, please don’t. While everyone knows that exercise such as daily brisk walking has been proven to increase energy levels, boost your mood, and reduce your stress, this is not the point of this life hack. Buddhist monks have long been practicing walking meditation. They believe that the simple act of walking is an opportunity to practice mindfulness and gratefulness. We all have that hippie friend who tells us to practice yoga or to go on a meditation retreat to decrease our stress levels. Well, let me tell you that you can do without those and instead learn and practice how to do a walking meditation. This is just perfect as this combines mediation and exercise. The walk does not have to be long, it can be as short as 10 minutes as long as you keep a focused intent.
3. Take on a hobby.
Taking on a hobby especially if it is a new one keeps us engaged in something that we enjoy. I am not talking about just any hobby for the sake of having a hobby. I’m talking about a doing something that makes you smile giddily! For me, that is salsa dancing. I took on salsa lessons this year and joined a salsa club. I met a lot of people from very different backgrounds than me yet who share the same interests as me. It is very refreshing to have an outlet where I can leave all the other going on in my life. I signed up for a Thursday cleaned now I have something to look forward to during the work week.
4. Embark on a career or a business that you enjoy.
This is pretty much self-explanatory. Nothing stresses someone out more than doing something that they don’t like. If you do what you love and love what you do, then you no longer have to work another day in your life. Look for a job where you don’t feel the need to take a holiday from. If not, at least take on a job which will help you get where you want to be in the future.
5. Look for a workplace that considers your health.
A lot of companies right now have adapted to this health and wellness era. Some are offering paid gym memberships to their employees, some have even had their own gym! Others allow flexible work hours and work days and this gives their staff a lot of breathing room to work around their busy schedules. Alternatively, find a job which requires you to be a role model for health and wellness. There is money in becoming a fitness instructor, a yoga teacher, a triathlon coach, a dietician, a dance teacher, a surf instructor, and the list goes on.
6. Create meaningful relationships with colleagues.
Even a lone wolf will appreciate a hyena every now and then. If you are too busy to catch up with friends, then it is time to befriend the face from the other side of the cubicle. Studies have shown that the health risks of being alone or isolated in one’s life are comparable to the risks associated with cigarette smoking, blood pressure, and obesity. If this is not enough reason, science has shown that having healthy relationships help us humans maintain a bright perspective and helps us stave off feelings of depression. How good are the relationships that you have with your colleagues? Read on…
