The life of a busy professional is filled with a lot of meetings, projects, and deadlines. As a result of the requirements our busy schedule imposes on us, it is very easy to forget about basic personal needs, such as food, physical, mental and emotional health, and ensuring sufficient sleep. Here are some tips on staying healthy as a busy professional.
Remember to eat Breakfast
Don’t skip breakfast because you want to sleep a few more minutes.
There is a reason why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Skipping meals in the morning is associated with mood swings and an increased risk of diabetes and obesity.
City life and following the rat race is the reason why many people are neglecting their health needs. It is easy to incorporate your health needs into a hectic life. For example, your teeth are extremely important. Every morning, you should spend a few minutes to prepare and eat a healthy breakfast. Then, before leaving for work, always remember to give your teeth a thorough clean with an electric toothbrush for around 3 minutes, and its recommended to clean your teeth after your meal at work (so take or leave a toothbrush at work). If you ever expect problems with your teeth there are many dental treatments available, some treatments can help with pain, whilst others are more cosmetic to provide you with confidence in the workplace and when socializing.
Listen to the Clues
Your body may send you stress messages indicating that you need more self-care. Some signs include, but are not limited to:
- You have trouble falling asleep.
- You feel tired most of the day.
- Change in appetite
- You frequently suffer from constipation or diarrhoea.
- Your thoughts are rushed or blurred, which makes concentration difficult.
- You feel easily annoyed or tend to get aggressive with colleagues, peers or strangers easily.
- Mood swings
- Nervous energy
- You smoke, drink or use more substances than usual.
Some of these characteristics are more obvious than others, but once you notice signs that you are stressed, you must do something about it as soon as possible.
If your work schedule makes it difficult to make your regular doctor’s appointment, you should consider a private GP service that can be tailored around your schedule.
Maintain Healthy Sleep Habits
Studies show that most of the body’s reconstruction and repair takes place during sleep. This process not only restores your body muscles but also repairs the brain!
If you are not sleeping properly, your body and brain will not be able to exercise at full potential – which means it will affect your decision-making processes.
Focus on deep, high-quality sleep and staying on REM sleep cycles.
Stay Hydrated
The first signs of dehydration are fatigue and a headache which affects work performance. When you are dehydrated, your body cannot produce energy and its functions slow down, which makes you drowsy. However, after drinking water, these symptoms should disappear. Sometimes your craving for an afternoon snack also results from thirst, not hunger. Drinking enough water prevents excessive consumption of snacks in the office and helps you to maintain a healthy waistline.
Avoid Staying Seated for too long
Staying too long in a sedentary position can be detrimental to your health and wellbeing. However, most professionals have a lot to do at their desk. If you can create a working system that allows you to spend some time away from the desk, it will do your health a lot of good.
In fact, a 2015 study shows that taking a walk at lunchtime can noticeably and instantly improve your mood and ability to deal with stress at work.
Exercise Every day
Another way to stay healthy as a busy professional is to exercise every day. This does not mean doing sit-ups or deadlifts. Instead, you can engage in a vibrant slow-paced walk for at least 20 minutes every day. You can divide it into two 10-minute walks, but remember that this is the absolute minimum.
Spend time with Friends and Family
Finally, make time this year to spend some time with friends and family, either after work or during the weekends.
Admittedly, social media and handheld devices have made it difficult to focus on personal relationships, so the next time you spend time with close friends or family, put aside the devices and devote yourself completely to the present conversation.
By spending time with friends, family and even pets, you support the human need for social and emotional interaction.
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