Is it possible for your time spent at work to be balanced? Could your office…dare I say it…help you reach your health and wellness goals?
For many of us, we spend more time at work than anywhere else. Sad, but true. Our office – whether it is a cube, kitchen table, corner space with a gorgeous view, coffee shop, car, airplane or classroom – is a crucial space where we spend a lot of our time and behaviors and routines are established.
In the last few weeks, I have been asked to be a part of a few corporate wellness programs and it has been quite the learning experience. It is common slang to call the area where snacks live in offices, the “Diabetes Closet” – I find that quite disturbing. No wonder so many of my clients are having a hard time reaching their goals when there is candy, chips and junk food within a few steps of their desk! How can you resist? It is like asking a recently recovering alcoholic to start working in a bar – not an ideal situation.
So what can you do?
Step one: Figure out who is buying the junk food. Who is actually making the order? Talk to them and management and figure out if things can change. Instead of cookies, candy, chips and soda consider whole grain crackers, nuts, yogurt, fruit, veggies and seltzer water.
Step two: Realize that these foods are addictive in nature. You do not have to have a cookie every single day at 3pm. It is not necessary to eat pretzels and cheese crackers at 11am because you need something salty. You are eating it because it is there, it is free and you want to procrastinate working!
Step three: Get some coworkers on your team! Start a competition at work to get healthy. Get your friends at work on board to eat better and exercise so there is some accountability.
Step Four: Help me help you! Get a nutrition expert to restock your pantry, order different food for work meetings and create behaviors to support a healthy work environment.
Make money and get healthy at work….it is possible to live well at the office.
Make work work for you!