5 Simple Practices to Bring Wellness into the Workplace
1. Take Breaks and Move!
- Set an alarm to incorporate movement every hour.
- Bring your own lunch and eat in the office as a group – then utilize your lunch break for an hour long walk – this will increase your daily steps and you will return to work refreshed and in good spirits.
- Periodic Breaks will help you work longer and be more productive throughout the day. Try cycles of (50 minutes work / 15 minute break) or (20 Minutes of work / 5 minute break).
- Challenge: Experiment with work to break ratios and find your sweet spot.
2. Hydrate
- Adults should be drinking 10 to 15 cups of Water Per day.
- BYOB – Bring your own Bottle and take ownership of your hydration and health! Stop wasting cups and help the environment (it will make you fee good!).
- Water is still the #1 substance for Detoxification – helping your body flush out toxins.
- Adding Citrus Fruit Slices to your water can help your digestive system and add a hint of flavor making hydration that much more delicious! (Most Fruit-juice drinks are Loaded with Extra Sugar).
- Challenge: Note how often you are drinking and adjust accordingly to meet daily requirements – Knowledge is power!
3. Bring the Outdoors In
- Host a DIY Terrarium Team Building experience (we did!) and create a terrarium for your desk.
- Plants help reduce stress and create a feeling of well-being.
- The green guys also improve air quality – Reducing carbon Dioxide and certain pollutants, such as benzene and Nitrogen dioxide levels.
- Not into green? Bring in and display your favorite rocks or gemstones from your travels!
- Challenge: Find one natural thing that inspires you and bring it into your workspace.
4. Love What You Do
- Find something about your work that you love. Consider bringing your favorite things into the work place (pictures of your family or pets, sports memorabilia, memories of fun times).
- Work can be a significant cause of stress – Consider career counseling or a career change, it could add years to your life!
- Read one of our Blog posts about becoming a Pilates Instructor. Many people in the Polestar community have made career changes and love their new lifestyle in the health and wellness field.
- Hey Joe! – Know that person you’ve walked by 20 times in the hallway? Learn their name and introduce yourself.
- Challenge: Say Good-morning to someone everyday before you walk into the office!
- Feeling tired? Standing increases your level of alertness and can give you a boost of energy. It requires alignment of the spine and opens your entire torso encouraging diaphragmatic breathing.
- Sitting for long period of time can cause back pain. Taking standing breaks will help, also try raising your computer screen to be directly in-front of your gaze. We lifted out monitors and felt instant neck relief
- Standing burns more calories than sitting! If you stand one hour per day you will start to burn more calories. Multiply that over 6 months or one year and you could end up burning 1000’s of extra calories.
- Challenge: Take a pause in your work to notice how you sit – Do you lean to one side more than another? Try to sit evenly between the sits bones – this will set the foundation for your spine to thrive!
The Essentials are Polestar’s interpretation of Joseph Pilates’ 9 original tenants of the Pilates Method of Health and Wellness. They include: Movement, Mindfulness, Relaxation, Recreation, Sleep, Hygiene, Work, Nature and Nutrition. Tune in for weekly updates and Essential tips in the Polestar Life Weekly.
Leave a Reply