How to Stay Active at Work
Employees should always stay active at work because it is the only way to increase the organization’s productivity. An employee can be tired or fatigued because of work-related stress and can take several cups of coffee just to finish a task. Work-related stress reduces the activeness of employees and makes it very difficult for them to finish a task. Staying active at work is highly beneficial because it makes employees concentrate, sharpens their focus, and helps them to finish a task at the appropriate time. Medical research has also discovered that employees that stay longer at a particular spot such as; sitting on a desk for several hours because of work are at risk of diseases such as; heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. The World Health Organization has ranked inactivity as the fourth biggest risk factor for global adult mortality. The following are tips to stay active at work:
Take a break
Sitting for a long time on your desk is not healthy at all and so whenever you noticed that you have been sitting for too long, take a short break. You can move around your office to meet your colleagues for a chat, make a cup of coffee or just move around the office for 5-10 minutes. This will keep you relaxed, refresh you, and energize you. This will also activate muscles and promote blood flow. If you are someone that is so much entangled with work, and you often forget to take a break; set an alarm for once an hour as a reminder. Taking a break is highly beneficial because it helps you to clear your head.
Stretching
Take out some time to stretch at your desk for at most 30 minutes. It is medically recommended to stretching out your chest in order to expand your spine to reverse the hunched position of sitting. This will reduce back and neck pain and as well increase your vigor. Stretching will also make your joints and bones healthier.
Stand instead of Sit
You don’t have to sit at the desk all the time; there is no law for that. You can stand if you feel tired to continue your work. You can look for a taller platform, place your computer there and keep working. Furthermore, you can try a standing desk because standing helps you to burn more calories compared to sitting. Moreover, you can also walk around to pick calls instead of sitting at your desk. Stand up every one hour to stretch your chest and extend your spine to improve your posture.
In addition, have standing or walking meetings. There are meetings that take a shorter duration like 15 minutes instead of sitting you can stand for such meetings. Walking and standing meetings help employees to cohabit, and it increases creativity.
Use the Stairs Instead of the Elevator
Make it a habit to use the stairs instead of the elevator because using the stairs is highly beneficial. Taking the stairs daily will help you burn calories, energize your body, and increases your heart rate. For instance, an employee that uses the stairs at the first hour of work will be more energized than an employee that uses the elevator. Taking the stairs once a day will be of tremendous benefit to you.
Go for Lunch Breaks
Studies have shown that taking a lunch break is beneficial for your health and wellbeing, and it is a great opportunity to be active. Do not be so busy at work to forget your lunch break because it will energize you. Some employees take the option of sitting at their desk to have their lunch, but that is not recommendable. Go for a lunch break in order to get a chance to walk around and get your blood pumping more and more. You can even jog on the stairs or run to get your lunch.
Walk instead of Calling, Messaging, or Emailing
Maximize every opportunity to get up from your desk because it will increase your energy. Pretend like it is the 80s – instead of asking someone to pick a cup of coffee for you; do it yourself. Instead of emailing, chatting, or calling your colleagues to do a particular task; walk around the office to inform them. This gives room for more social interaction and makes your blood pump faster. For Instance, if you are working as a Secretary of an organization; instead of calling your boss all the time to inform Him that he has visitors, you can move around his office to inform him about the visitation.
Exercise for 10 Minutes
Some offices offer flexible working hours or breaks. Use that extra time to do some exercise like squatting, jogging, running, and dancing. Physical activity relieves you of work-related stress and increases your energy. For instance, if you work in an organization where the working hour is from 7 am-2 pm and there is no official break hour for employees. You can stand up for like 10 minutes and do some exercise to feel refreshed.
Make Use of the Office Gym
Some organizations are very sensitive, and they install a gym machine in the office for employees to work out. If you are fortunate enough to find yourself in such an organization then maximize it at all costs. Take a regular gym and spend some hours on it to burn some calories. Some of your coworkers are on a similar desk as you; you can go to the gym together and interact while you work out.
Play Office Games
Some offices have games like chess, solitaire, and many other card games that employees can play during break hours. Do not dull around but play these games with other coworkers; this will make you feel relaxed and refreshed. If your office did not make provisions for such games; you can play video games or other games at your disposal with employees.
Conclusion
In activeness at work can hamper an employee’s productivity and efficacy due to work-related stress. As an employee being active at work should be your paramount obligation and follow the tips above to remain active in your workplace.