You don’t normally think of sitting around as something that will kill you. However, the reality is that your sedentary office lifestyle might be hazardous to your health.
It’s never fun to think that your everyday habits could lead to an untimely death. Or, at the very least, that you could wind up having health problems down the road. You want to think that your body will always work properly.
If you have a sedentary office lifestyle due to your work, or to your entrepreneurship, you need to figure out how to avoid letting it negatively impact your health and wellness.
Here’s how to get things done in the office without sacrificing your health.
Find Ways to Inject Activity Into Your Day
First of all, sitting all day can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other problems. One way to combat a sedentary office lifestyle is to find little ways to be active throughout the day.
One thing I’ve done is set my FitBit so that it buzzes at me to get 250 steps an hour. It reminds me to get up and move around for a few minutes if I haven’t had any activity that hour.
Another thing you can do is get up and take a brisk walk partway through the day. I often go for a walk in the afternoon to get the blood flowing and enjoy some activity. I also start my day with 15 minutes of yoga, just to kick things off with movement.
Any improvement in your activity level is a good way to battle some of the impacts related to sitting for long periods of time.
Give Your Eyes a Rest from the Computer Screen
It’s not just your activity level that impacts you when you have a sedentary office lifestyle. You also have to think about how your eyes are affected. Staring at a computer screen can lead to blurred vision and even headaches. Additionally, the way you work on a computer can also result in neck pain.
Give it a rest by looking away from the computer every so often. You can give your eyes a break when you get up to move around. Plus, you can use a service like Desk Yogi to do stretches that can help you reduce neck pain over time.
Finally, be careful about doing work late at night. Using a computer close to bedtime can impact your sleep. Poor sleep habits can have negative health impacts, as well as affect the way you make decisions for your work or business.
Take a Break from Work
Americans don’t use their vacation time, and it can lead to health issues. Don’t let stress keep you down all the time. It’s important to get a break so you can de-stress and rejuvenate yourself. Taking a break from work can give you a much-needed physical and mental rest.
Even if you don’t go on a vacation more than once a year, you can still get a break. Take time each day to do something you enjoy that has nothing to do with work. For entrepreneurs, it can be especially hard to stop working and relax. However, it’s vital for your health so that you don’t end up over-stressed and burned out.
In the end, you don’t want your sedentary office lifestyle to ruin your health and your enjoyment of life. Instead, make it a point to try to inject healthy habits into your work day so that you are less likely to suffer later.
