Resolution #2: Create a Healthier Workplace

New year, new start. Create a healthier workplace with these staff tips!

With a fresh start to the year and new resolutions in place, BC Dairy staff compiled their healthy workplace tips as group inspiration and motivation. Here are our suggestions for a healthier workplace:

1. Be more productive. Take time to increase your daily productivity by spending 30 minutes each morning to review your day and set daily goals. The more organized you are, the more focused you will be for the day, the week, the month! Keep it up and you’ll find more accomplished tasks and less wasted time.
2. Eat lunch! Have a nutritous meal in the lunch room with your colleagues. Spending social time with your coworkers build better relationships and gets you away from your desk for a well-deserved and re-energizing mental break. Take time to eat mindfully and don’t talk shop.
3. Work with a clean slate. After a busy day of work papers are shuffled, files are everywhere, and there are probably a few coffee spills along the way. Your mental health is just as important as physical health. Leave the office with a clean workspace for a great start the following day.
4. Work hard, play hard. The amount of time you spend with your colleagues should be both productive and fun! Having a balance of the two ensures better work relationships and a social element with the people you spend so much time with each week.
5. Work / life balance. We know life and work are busy. There may be days where you bring work home or days when personal things happen betwwen 9-5. Each day is unpredictable and different. Know when to put in a few extra hours and know when to stop to take care of yourself.
6. Let’s get physical! Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, you can always fit in some sort of physical activity. If 5am yoga or 8pm kickboxing isn’t your thing, try coordinating lunch walks with your colleagues or organize a mobile instructor to visit your workplace.
7. 1-2-3 stretch! It’s easy to get caught up on emails and stuck at your desk for hours. Take a few minutes to stretch every so often to refresh. Remember to stretch from your head to your toes and rest your eyes from the computer screen.
8. Keep your eyes healthy. We’re not talking carrots, here. Instead, bring in a potted plant for your desk. Chances are, you’re staring at your computer screen for hours. Take a break and admire your plant to refresh your eyes and brain. And let’s be honest, carrots aren’t such a bad idea either. Pack a small bag for a healthy snack.
9. Culture Club. Don’t be afraid to change the corporate culture – in a good way! If your office traditionally has celebrations with cake and chips, don’t be afraid to change it up with healthy options like veggie dip or power bars. If your colleagues have a tendency to sit and chat in the lunch room, suggest a brisk walk around the block. Grabbing a coffee at the café with coworkers? Try ordering a smaller size while adding a tall glass of water. And skip the sugary treat every so often.
10. Snack drawer saviour. Keep healthy snacks at your desk to steer you away from making poor choices while you’re hungry. Keep nuts, dried fruit, whole grain crackers and canned tuna or salmon to help curb your hunger pains (and act as a lunch back up).
11. Bike exploration. Set a simple goal to ride to work once a month, then, increase your frequency when you’re feeling a little more confident. You’ll incorporate a workout into your day and discover new neighbourhoods along the way. Can’t commit to a round trip? Make arrangements with a coworker to carpool one way and take your bike the other.
12. Run club. Perhaps biking isn’t your thing or that you don’t own a bike. Try running! Arrange a run group with your colleagues and train for an upcoming spring event like the Vancouver Sun Run with SportMedBC’s Learn to Run 10K Program.