Staying fit and keeping up with daily workloads are two distinct missions, but they are actually linked more closely than casual observers might think. The truth is, eating right and adjusting certain behavior leads to fitness-friendly approaches proven to enhance performance and productivity at work.
If you are struggling at the workplace; running out of steam before the workday ends, challenged to concentrate throughout the day, or feeling listless as you conduct your business – it might be time to get proactive about work- friendly eating habits and other healthy, productive approaches.
Eat Right to Increase Focus and Stamina
Productivity at work is closely linked to energy levels on the job. Mental acuity goes down when you are tired, hungry, or otherwise slowed physically, so work output naturally suffers when your body is stressed. For greater productivity at work, use healthy eating to reinforce your physical condition.
Sugar and Junk Food
Eating too much sugar leads to inconsistent energy levels throughout the day, as your body processes sweet foods. While the short-term impact of a glazed donut or two might feel like an energy boost, the downside of eating sugar cancels out the short-lived benefits.
In addition to sugary offenders, junk food loaded with carbs elicits similar responses from the body. Eating a carb-heavy lunch, for example, slows workers in the middle of the afternoon, as the body assimilates the junk food.
Eat Breakfast
Eating a worthy breakfast starts you off on the right foot, so you are not chasing hunger all morning long. Rather than loading-up on caffeine, productive workers balance morning intake, including fruits, grains and cereals.
Light Lunch
The most productive afternoons start with a light lunch comprised of healthy foods. Ideally, afternoon hunger pangs are addressed using raw vegetables, which carry workers to the dinner hour without slowing them down like carbohydrates do.
Moderate Activity Enhances Productivity
Too often, job responsibilities revolve around computer work and other stationary tasks. Too maximize output, productive workers look for ways to remain active throughout the day, rather than settling in for the long haul.
Seek Stairs
Taking the long way around furnishes daily opportunities to enhance productivity. Rather than riding elevators between floors, productive workers seek ways to stay active – taking the stairs instead.
Exercise at your Desk?
It may seem unconventional, but desk workouts enhance productivity, keeping blood flowing and workers healthy. Workout balls, for example furnish flexible alternatives to desk chairs, enabling staff to do resistance exercises without slowing output. Miniature pedal devices, placed under desks, simulate bicycle workouts without leaving the office.
Breaks and Lunch Hour
Lunch breaks provide opportunities for staff to reinvigorate, preparing for the afternoons’ workloads. Increasingly, employers furnish workout rooms and fitness equipment for employees to use on the job. Walking during breaks and even standing up periodically as you conduct business are additional ways to stay tuned-in and productive throughout the day.
Proactive efforts to eat right and stay fit promote good health and employee productivity.
This is a guest post by Sarah Brooks from Freepeoplesearch.org . She is a Houston based freelance writer and blogger. Questions and comments can be sent to brooks.sarah23 @ gmail.com
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com
