It’s Wellness Wednesday so I thought I would share some tips that I have gathered on cultivating a healthy lifestyle at work. Apply some intention to cultivating your own healthy lifestyle at work and you will find benefits for you as well as your team. And here’s the best part – there’s no additional time needed, all of these tips can be woven into your current workday.
- Start your day with meditation. For six years, I have started my work day with a meditation. It was an awkward practice at first…sitting in my car alone with my eyes shut while others rushed into the office. But I soon found that a regular meditation practice helped keep me calm and present throughout the day. While others swirled, I remained anchored to my breath, cool as a cucumber. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise given that a regular meditation practice has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety, open creative doorways in the brain, improve conflict management and interpersonal skills and increase your overall happiness. If you are ready to start your mediation practice, check out this YouTube library of meditations that I have complied that are well suited for work and all under 10 minutes at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCNnsL3QVxxpwi8xpclCUUqbniR_fY_tS
- Walking meetings. While they aren’t always possible and it can feel uncomfortable asking someone at first, the health benefits include: improved health, lower health care costs, and a lower number of sick days. And since movement yields circulation; circulation yields energy and who doesn’t want a more energized team? As a leader, it also shows a caring and altruistic side as you are not only improving your own health but the health of your team. One word of caution – always check the weather forecast. I am often reminded of the time that I scheduled a walking meeting with my team in San Francisco and ten minutes into the walk a huge storm hit and we were forced into a local drugstore to buy flimsy umbrellas. While the walking meeting was a bust, it did give us something to laugh about for months to come.
- Find a reliable, healthy lunch spot. One of the hardest things about maintaining a healthy lifestyle at work can be the barrage of catered lunch meetings that include sandwiches, chips and the ever present platter of cookies and brownies. Why not suggest some healthier options for the team? I know many executive assistants who are open to new places and want to support the team’s healthy lifestyle. Why not ask them to help you find a reliable option that fits this desire? Zoe’s Kitchen is one of my favorite go to spots for healthy options and they cater.
I hope you find these tips helpful for you and your team. If you have any additional tips, I would love to hear about them in the comments section below and if you have any questions or would like to discuss further, feel free to reach out to me at Miranda@Adaptive-Talent.com. Cheers to healthy living in the new year!
Adaptive-Talent 