Driving to work at 8. Reaching at 9. Starting at 9:30 and finishing at 5:30, do you sometimes feel like you’ve merged with your chair into a single entity? That, you and your chair are now destined to creak together forever and ever?
Doctors call this workplace fatigue, but in normal lingo, it’s known as the glued-to-the-chair syndrome.
Before you start rolling eyes with “and who’s going to do the work?!”, allow us to inform you that our body is the humblest gift from the Maker. It only demands a reasonable amount of rest and nutrition to sustain itself for the daily grind. You wouldn’t be expected to go missing from desk for hours at a stretch.
Here are a few tips to keep you active and productive without sacrificing your well-being:
- Look away from the screen
Pay close attention when we say “screen”, which not only means your laptop but also the tablet, phablet or whatever smartphone you happen to be carrying at a given moment. As absurd as it sounds, eyes need plenty of rest too because they generally work overtime. Good news is that it only takes a few minutes of rest to rev up for the rest of the day.
- Walk around a bit
Sitting for hours at a stretch can be motivating enough to make you want to get up and stretch your legs. The downside of sitting down continuously isn’t just fatigue; it affects your joints and spine too. Human body was not designed to be still during the waking hours. Therefore, long hours at the work station make your joints less flexible. Even if your office is posh and richly furnished, it’s advisable to take walk/stroll breaks. Even walking up to the end of the hall is better than lulling on chair. Make sure to take 3 to 5 minute breaks every 20 minutes, to walk, stretch and warm your body up before resuming work.
- Stop talking about work all the time!
Modern offices have all the systems in place to monitor your work productivity. Therefore, it’s okay if you don’t talk about it all the time. Keep the lunch time and tea breaks for yourself. Stress doesn’t happen only when you’re at your desk, struggling to meet a deadline. Even thinking about it is enough to send you into a panic attack.
Discuss food, weather, movies or even your commute if you must, but avoid work conversations during your breaks.
- Too much on plate? Eat it all.
Skipping meals for work has helped a total of zero people so far. It just makes you crabby and ill. If you have too much on your plate (metaphorically of course), then plan ahead. If that seems too difficult then keep aside 15 minutes at least for a peaceful meal. If you cannot do that then you should seriously consider planning your day better.
And, if you really have a lot on your plate then keep your health at the top because regular rest not just prevents functional breakdown but also allows your body to recharge and resume work with renewed vigour.