The hectic routine of office-goers in today's time has created an adverse impact on their health. Statistics show that most of today’s health issues are due to lifestyle. The same bad habits repeated over time accumulate toxins in the body. As per nature cure, accumulation of toxins is the single cause of any disease. In this article, we discuss why it is considered a difficult task to stay healthy naturally for a regular office-goer, along with the solution in the form of simple steps that can be incorporated to ensure a healthy work-life balance.

Why does taking care of health become difficult for office goers?

Consider a situation when you have a regular 9-5 job.

You wake up early in the morning, get ready, and head towards your office after a cup of coffee. Long hours of commute involves sitting most of the time. Breakfast is something on the go or a quick one at a roadside café.

During the work hours, in-between multiple meetings and many cups of tea and the usual workload, you just order your food from one of the numerous food delivery apps or have a quick bite at the office canteen.

The office hours end and you begin the long commute home sitting again. You may opt for a fried snack or biscuits and tea, head back to your home, glued to a TV series or a movie or messaging friends and family. Dinner maybe something unplanned or a heavy cooked meal often consumed late.

When this routine repeats itself for a long period of time, it begins to show its negative impact on your health. It is one of the primary reasons that office goers begin to witness health-related issues.

The problems usually start small with episodes of constipation, gas, acidity, headaches, fatigue, sleeplessness etc. The fatigue issues increase to a level where there is no other option than to visit a doctor. A series of medication begins and you are caught in the web of a never-ending spiral.

What if you were told that all you had to do was make some simple lifestyle changes to maintain both your health and office work efficiently?

What easy steps can you take?

The solution to this problem exists at 3 levels – physical, mental and spiritual. As human beings function properly when all these 3 aspects are in perfect sync with one another, it becomes imperative to pay equal importance to each of them.

1. PHYSICAL LEVEL:

At the physical level, you can make dietary habit changes and modify your lifestyle to maintain balanced energy levels throughout the day.

Dietary changes:

• Start your day with fresh, seasonal fruits for the best energy to last you through the day. Eat fruits in whole form or as smoothies rather than taking their juice. If you are not hungry before heading out to office, do NOT eat.
• Carry your fruits along and have them when hungry at your workplace. No cooked food in the morning means one less meal to prepare and clean-up.
• Always include a raw vegetable salad along with your meal. Else prepare your own vegetable juice, carry in a glass bottle or order in sugar free natural juice. Consume it before your lunch.
• Carry nuts & seeds and store them in airtight jars at your workplace. Replace them for fried snacks or cookies in the evening. Even fruits make the best option for snacking.
• Replace the habit of consuming coffee/tea withtulsi tea or other herb infusion teas.
• Keep higher intake of coconut water and lemonade. There is an app called as Milk basket that delivers daily need material early in the morning. You can order coconut water from it, carry with you and consume throughout the day.
• Be mindful of what you consume during meetings or business dinners. Keep a check on what you drink and try to choose the healthiest meal from the menu. Most chefs are willing to make a nice, hearty salad as per your wishes.
• Once a week, you can opt to eat only fruits to reduce the load on your system.
• Get a health buddy at your workplace to keep each other motivated and accountable.
• Buy a small blender which can be packed in your suitcase to make smoothies during official travel.
• During office trips, buy fruits or juices at airports, try the local fruit delicacies. Carry homemade nut bars or find a healthy brand in case of emergencies.
• In case of important meetings, fast! That will give you the most energy.

Lifestyle changes:

• Keep taking frequent rest (breath awareness, nap, nature walk) for a few minutes every couple of hours to keep the energy flow.
• Perform any physical activity either in the morning, before heading out or evening after work hours at least 5 days in a week. Gym, dance classes or some sports are other options to stay active.
• You can include running, walking or yoga. Many offices today also have activities like yoga sessions planned out during lunch time.
• Take care of your posture while working. Keep your back straight; do not slouch as it can affect your spine.
• Keep eyes away from the screen after every 30 minutes to relax ciliary muscles of the eyes.

Last but not the least, remember to get at least 30 minutes of sunshine everyday however busy you are. You can easily manage this by hacks such as a walking outdoor meeting, lunch time outdoors, walking home a few blocks instead of taking an auto or just waking up 30 minutes earlier.

2. MENTAL LEVEL:

Employees are an asset to any organization. The quality of a company's work is directly proportional to the mental health of its employees. Perform the following to stay mentally alert and ensure a better quality of mental and emotional health:

• Exposing ourselves to technology as first thing in the morning is the worst thing you can do. It invites unnecessary stress. So, have a simple meditation or chanting ritual in morning.
• Read books like ‘The 5 AM Club’, ‘The Power of Your Subconscious Mind’ and ‘The Alchemist’. They help you stay in a positive state of mind.
• Use eye pack frequently to relax eyes.
• You can also do a focussed breathing session for 10-15 minutes. It helps in relieving from anxiety and stress, in general.
• Last hour of the day is equally important as brain transitions from highly active stage, i.e., beta to alpha to theta (sleep stage). Again, avoid the use of technology and instead dim lights, play soft music, inhale natural aroma, take bath or soak your feet in Epsom salt.
• One of the most important aspects is sleep. Make sure you get quality sleep, without any disturbance. If lack of time is your reason for not getting enough sleep, try the practice of Yogandira. Yoganidra is a powerful technique derived from the tantras in which you relax with total awareness. 10 mins of Yoganidra is shown to be equal to 40 minutes of sleep. When you do it consistently over a period of time, you can expect dramatic results on your health.

3. SPIRITUAL LEVEL:

Man is a social animal and spirituality stays at the core of our existence. At the office, we interact with different kind of people. At times, it can become difficult to handle situations and think realistically. Make sure you do the following for a healthy body-soul connection:

• Begin your mornings with gratitude and hope for a pleasant day ahead, for you and everyone around you. Remember: good energy is infectious.
• Have a positive outlook towards life.
• Spend time with family and loved ones. Remember that one is always remembered for what he/she did in life, how many lives he/she changed rather than the bank balance or monetary success.
• Last but not the least; encourage people to grow along with you. If you have a strong team by your side, your thought-process will be more positive, which will lead to healthy professional life.
• Try to soak in sunshine and walk in parks as nature connects us to our spiritual selves.

Conclusion:

We all play different roles in our personal and professional lives. As important our careers are, our overall health holds the same significance; in fact even higher! As an office goer, if you just follow the tips mentioned above, you can strike that balance of good health and productive career. Remember, planning is half the job done. So remember to plan out your meals, exercise, self-connection time, getting up early and retiring to bed early etc. to live a healthy, productive life.

All you need to do is make a choice and take charge of your life!

Additional Resources:

• 30 ways to revamp your evening snacks
• Chop, steam, cook oil-free - Learn 3 kitchen skills for a healthier you
• Equip your kitchen, equip your family's health - Guide for essential kitchen tools for healthy eating
• Replacement chart for your kitchen - Add natural foods