Make Your Office Life Healthier and Happier

You spend most of your time at work, so it’s essential to make your workplace a happy, productive, and healthy environment. Many jobs come with unhealthy habits, sedentary behavior, and stress that can have adverse effects on your health. The good news is that whether you work from a corporate cubicle or home office, there are a few things you can do to make your workplace more energetic, productive, and efficient. Here's how you can make your office life healthier and happier.

Use Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has been around for centuries because of its health benefits. It is the practice of using plant oils, essential oils, and other natural substances for physical and psychological well-being.

Essential oils have qualities that can truly boost your health and work environment. Mental, emotional, and physical stress can be a big part of daily office life. Using aromatherapy and essential oils can help reduce that stress and calm you down.

Diffusing essential oils in your workspace can be therapeutic and enjoyable. However, you should check with your colleagues before diffusing essential oils in your office. If you share the workspace with other people, remember that scents that may smell wonderful to you could cause a headache or an allergic reaction in another person.

Check out these scents for improving your mood, productivity, and more at work:

• Cinnamon - Cinnamon has stimulating properties that can help improve your concentration and overcome mental exhaustion.
• Geranium - This floral fragrance oil works on your senses and emotions to rejuvenate and tranquilize your body and mind.
• Lavender - Lavender essential oil is one of the best smelling essential oils for your office. One of the main properties of Lavender is that it instantly relaxes your body and mind.
• Rosemary Oil - Rosemary oil has a refreshing, uplifting, and stimulating aroma that makes it perfect for diffusing in the office. In fact, it is one of the most popular essential oils to increase focus and productivity.
• Lemon - Lemon has antibacterial and antiviral properties and can help fight colds and sore throats by improving circulation and boosting your immunity. Apart from this, it increases your concentration and has calming properties that are helpful when you're feeling down or angry.

Dress up Your Desk

Decorating your desk can help you feel comfortable, which can decrease workplace stress and frustration. Several studies show that personalizing your space gives you more control and helps you better cope with stress and distractions. So, put a framed picture of your spouse or partner on your desk and hang photos of your friends and family on your cubicle wall. Surrounding yourself with photos of people you love is one of the best ways to feel at home and make your office life healthier and happier. 

Bring Nature into Your Office Setting

Introducing nature into your workspace can be a great way to inspire a feeling of wellness and creativity. Office plants can add a touch of style to your workspace, improve air quality, and increase the humidity around your desk. In addition to this, studies have found that plants significantly boost productivity and reduce workplace stress.

Here are some of the best plants for your desk or office.

• Gerbera Daisies

Brightly colored gerbera daisies are perfect for your office because they can lift any mood and liven up any space. These flowering plants are excellent at cleaning the air in addition to being beautiful.

And they need a little bit of light daily and watering every week.

• Peace Lily

Spathiphyllum, or the peace lily, makes a great houseplant for the office. Most commonly, it has white flowers and green leaves. The peace lily is really good at filtering the air of the room it is in and brightening up a drab office space. Like many houseplants, this plant enjoys medium to low light.

• Snake Plant

The snake plant is one of the best office plants because it is low maintenance. It likes to be at room temperature and requires very little light and water. Plus, it’s visually stunning with its twisting, dark green leaves that reach toward the sky. The snake plant produces oxygen even at night and is awesome at purifying the air in the office.

• Chinese Evergreen

Also known as Aglaonema, Chinese Evergreen needs minimal maintenance and is a perfect office plant. While the plant produces flowers, it is grown mainly for the attractive leaves. It can eliminate toxins from the air and thrive in medium to low light conditions.

So what are you waiting for? Decorate your workplace with these beautiful plants! 

Short Workouts Can Work Wonders

Short workouts can help boost your positivity, reduce your weight, and build your muscle. Bring in some skip equipment and exercise bands. Engage in bodyweight exercises such as jumping jacks, push-ups, and squats. Short workouts will help decrease your stress and power you through your day.

Try a Standing Desk

Sitting too much is not good for your health. You’ll be surprised to know that people who spend most of their day sitting have an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. In addition to this, sitting all the time has been associated with obesity and weight gain.

Thankfully, standing desks are becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Studies show that these desks can significantly reduce chronic back pain caused by prolonged sitting. Other than that, they can alleviate feelings of fatigue and stress while boosting your energy levels and mood.

However, if you don’t want to be on your feet all day, try an ergonomic chair that evokes good posture and supports your lower back.

Eat Smart

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Healthy eating is essential to your well-being and overall health. As a matter of fact, healthy nutritional choices can shape a healthy office. By making healthy nutritional choices, you can keep your blood sugar levels, weight, and blood pressure in a healthy range. Moreover, keeping healthy eating habits can help minimize the risks of diseases, such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Certain nutrient-rich foods, such as spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and oily fish, contribute to a stronger immune system, decreasing absenteeism in the workplace.

What’s more, eating right can help you stay happy and productive at work. When you eat a healthy snack, lunch, and breakfast, your productivity soars. Nutritious foods provide you with the essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins your brain needs to function properly.

Get a Glimpse of the Outside World

Exposure to natural light boosts your energy, productivity, and overall well-being. A 2014 study showed that employees with more natural light exposure at the office had a better quality of life, physical activity, and sleep compared to their counterparts with less natural light exposure at the office.

Here are some of the ways to get more natural light during your workday.

• If you have a lot on your plate and don’t have time to leave your office, try facing your desk towards the window, so you can enjoy the natural light all day long.

• Head out to have a cup of your favorite brew or grab a bite to eat and soak up some of the sun’s rays.

• Pick a quiet, short path for a phone call or walking meeting.

Conclusion

Since you spend most of your active hours at work, you should try to make your office life healthier and happier.

When you make your mental and physical health a top priority, your ability to succeed at work, stay productive, and focus will happen effortlessly and naturally.

How do you make your office life healthier and happier? Let us know in the comment section.