Workplace Wellness
The physical and social environment is the culture of an organization as experienced by its employees. There must be good ergonomics, health practices, resources and a social environment. All of these enable and support healthy workplace behaviour and coping skills. We have listed some common-sense information below to enhance your daily life at work.
EAT BREAKFAST LIKE A KING
LUNCH LIKE A PRINCE OR PRINCESS
DINNER LIKE A PAUPER
BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY. Why? It kick starts your metabolism in the morning, when your blood sugar is low and improves your concentration at work, home, or school. We use more energy early in the day. Did you know that if you constantly skip breakfast, you're putting yourself at high risk for diabetes.
To get a head start on your body's "good food" it needs cereal, fruit and milk for a good source of fibre, calcium and B vitamins. As the day wears on, it's more sensible to eat smaller meals, as you become less active. If you have a big lunch, then sit at your desk all afternoon or have a huge dinner and go to sleep; then you're not giving your body the time to digest it and burn off the fat. Your body will then have to store it. In these "fast food" times, it's also tough to make smart food choices. However, if your body lives on a constant diet of caffeine, sugar and fat - YOUR BODY AND HEALTH WILL PAY THE PRICE. In general, your diet should consist of fruit, vegetables, protein (fish, chicken, meat) and grains.
DRINK LIKE A FISH
DID YOU KNOW THAT WATER IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS TO YOUR WELL-BEING? It delivers nutrients and removes waste from every one of the 3 trillion cells in your body. Our body is about 70% water; the percentage varies with gender, age and fat to muscle ratio. On average water composes 90% of lung tissue, 75% of skeletal muscle, 70% of the brain, and 55% of the blood. The better your health and physical condition, the higher the water percentage. Contrary to popular belief, you can NOT substitute pop or coffee or tea for water. In fact, coffee and tea are diuretics and create WATER LOSS.
Drinking 8 glasses or 2 litres of water is not an option, but ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE. Our kidneys process 140 litres of fluid a day. It's easy to sip bottled water throughout the day or have a glass every 2 hours. Help your kidneys and yourself have a healthy lifestyle.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
OUR BODY'S ABILITY TO HANDLE STRESS AND BALANCE IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO OUR NUTRIENT STATUS. The higher our nutrient intake and reserve, the greater our ability to handle stress. Think about this - many times no allowances are made for special nutritional needs when our bodies undergo constant stress, infections, diseases, chronic conditions, physical injury recovery or prescription drug use. Some of the latest stats show that many of the Hurricane survivors will unfortunately suffer heart attacks due to the volume of stress they experienced. Please consult with your doctor or health advisor to find out what is the best solution for you.
SLEEP WELL
A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP IS IMPORTANT TO REMAIN ON THE BALL MENTALLY. Major research shows that sleep deprivation impairs the brain's ability to think clearly. Sleep loss can cause health problems like cancer and obesity; and even road accidents. Japanese researches who followed more than 104,000 people aged 40 to 79 for l0 years found that those who slept 7 hours had the lowest death from all causes. The optimal number of hours of sleep appears to be SEVEN.
GO OUT AND PLAY
All work and no play makes Jack or Jill a dull person. EVERYONE HAS PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS. It is only by paying attention to all needs that we can feel happy and fulfilled. Only some of these needs can be met at work. Many in our society have become workaholics. So don't forget to balance work and play - it may just save your life.
THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IS COMMON SENSE
MAKING WISE CHOICES, GETTING PLENTY OF EXERCISE, EATING A DIET RICH IN WHOLE GRAINS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, AND LEAN PROTEIN IS MOST IMPORTANT TO OUR WELL-BEING. Reducing your stress can reduce your "real age" and lower your risks for heart disease and strokes. The latest stats are that one out of every 2 women in the U.S. will die from a heart attack. Be smart and be your own best friend. It's an investment that will pay off over time.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
IN ORDER TO WORK EFFICIENTLY WE NEED TO PLAN AND USE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. Do you have a chair that supports you, good lighting and the right telecommunication equipment? Are you handling an increased workload with outdated equipment? Is your workspace designed and utilized by you in the best possible way? Visually, can you make it more attractive and add green plants to help your air quality? If you are always so busy that you never have time to catch up, do you need to stop and re-organize your office to work better for you? Ask a colleague to help and do the same for them.
IF ALL YOUR FRIENDS JUMPED OFF A BRIDGE, WOULD YOU JUMP TOO?
According to Kerry Gordon, an executive life coach and clinical member of the Ontario Society of Psychotherapists in Toronto, what distinguishes the great from the mediocre leaders in our society is the willingness of the great ones to be authentic. BEING AUTHENTIC MEANS KNOWING WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE, THEN HONOURING THEM BY BEING CONSISTENT IN THOUGHT AND ACTION. In authenticity we care for our soul. We are our own best friend. It takes courage to step out of the crowd and take responsibility for our own special purpose.
BE A FILTER, NOT A SPONGE
ARE YOU TRULY LIVING YOUR LIFE WELL OR ARE YOU JUST STUCK? ARE YOU HAPPY OR ARE YOU JUST EXISTING? DO YOU CONSTANTLY INTAKE, BUT NEVER EMPTY YOUR WASTE-BASKET? Then perhaps its time to stop and figure out your personal, family and professional priorities. Have you outgrow certain friends, have you forgotten your major goals and dreams, is there never enough time for you? We have to make time for what's important and filter out the garbage. It's like cleaning out your closets of clothes that you haven't worn for years. All they do is take up space, they no longer fit, and you could donate them to charity. Why is this and other things and people weighing you down? ( I know, you don't have time). WE HAVE TO MAKE TIME FOR WHAT'S IMPORTANT. It's the only way our life gets better.
LEND A HELPING HAND
IN THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES OF GREAT DISASTER, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EACH OF US TO HELP THOSE WE CAN. There is no time for ugly spirits or selfishness anymore. We've all seen the results of Hurricane Katrina and Wilma; the earthquakes in India and the mudslides in China. WE ARE A GLOBAL VILLAGE AND WE COULD BE AFFECTED NEXT.
Even if you can only contribute a few clothes or a couple of dollars, please help someone. Many people don't have the ability to help themselves any more. It doesn't matter if it's World Vision, the Red Cross, or Canadian Food For Children. It could be a women's shelter or that homeless man down the street. Please do your part to help; and they will thank you from the bottom of their heart.
The above mentioned information came from Canadian Living magazine, May, 2005, Family Health Section and our duo book BY FORCE OR BY CHOICE, Managing Stress in the Workplace and LIFE IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL, Personal Stress Management.