How to Prioritize Your Wellness at Work

How to Prioritize Your Wellness at Work

Performing your best at work isn’t about working as hard as possible. It’s about optimizing how you approach each day in an effort to prioritize your health and well-being. Because when you feel good, you’re going to do well.

Most of us have an idea of what our greatest career strength, skill, or asset is. For some, we rely on our technical knowledge of in-demand skills like programming, coding, or copy-writing.

For others, we fall back on softer skills like public speaking, leadership, and creativity. Then there are those who are simply charming people with great personalities who can get along with anyone. But truth be told, none of these skills or traits are truly a person’s greatest asset.

To put it simply: There is no strength or asset more integral to your career success than your wellness. Your physical and mental health will make or break your career.

Most people fail to grasp the direct correlation between physical and mental health. But if you can discover the sensitive relationship here, you can use human biology to benefit you rather than hold you back. Treat your health as your greatest asset and everything else will improve as a result.

4 Tips for On-the-Job Wellness

In theory, you know that wellness matters. But it’s much more difficult to prioritize such. Understanding this, here are a few simple tips you can turn into daily habits for success.

• Use Lunch Breaks Wisely

The workday can get busy, so you have to plan ahead and use pockets of time wisely. If you’re like most people, your morning hours will be your most productive (so you want to preserve this part of your schedule for meaningful work). The end of the day is also conducive to getting work done (as you feel the pressure to finish up before clocking out). But it’s those hours in the middle of the day where things get dicey.

Your lunch break – the midpoint of the day – is an ideal time to step out of the office and get some exercise. It doesn’t have to be intense, but it should get your heart rate up and allow you to take your mind off work. For example, a brisk walk is a great option. Also, consider finding a workout partner in the office. This creates built-in accountability.

• Eat Healthy

You are what you eat. And while most people are focused on calories and weight gain, eating well is about the fuel you’re providing your body.

Eating healthy is one of the most positive things you can do for your physical health at work. While there’s certainly a tendency to gravitate toward unhealthy options that are quick and easy – like vending machine snacks and fast food – you can improve how you feel and your overall level of focus by slowing down and consuming freshly-prepared options.

Eating healthy takes time – there’s no way around that. But you can save time and stay on track by prepping fresh meals at the start of the week. This allows you to pack your own lunches each morning. Plus, by preparing meals ahead of time, you can free up your lunch hour to get more exercise. 

• Try Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Are you familiar with the vagus nerve? It’s one of the longest nerves in the entire human body (running from your brain down through your stomach). And because it connects the brain to almost every vital organ, it acts as an information highway between your mental and physical health.

Through a process known as vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), you can actually tell the vagus nerve to calm down and relax. In turn, this helps you physically release stress and can optimize focus. While previously only available in clinical settings, VNS can now be delivered via patented electronic devices like Xen, and is easy to use.

• Focus on the Positive

The power of positive thinking might sound like a new-age technique or something out of a “pop psychology” book, but it’s actually scientifically proven to promote better health.

There are plenty of ways to shift your brain into a more positive gear, but there are two that we believe are most powerful:

The first step is to stop gossiping and/or putting yourself in situations where others are gossiping. Gossip destroys mental health and makes it impossible to put yourself in a positive frame of mind.

The second tip is to begin a positivity journal and to write down one thing you’re thankful for each day.

Become Your Best Version

You are not a stagnant person. You might feel like you’re stuck, but you’re a dynamic being who is constantly evolving (for better or worse). By prioritizing your wellness at work, you can ultimately become the best version of yourself. It’ll require hard work and discipline, but you’ll ultimately come out on the back end with a new appreciation for who you are and what you bring to the table.