Sure we all love to visit Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory every now and again but if you find that your working diet is more sweet tooth centred than nourishment based then maybe it’s time to rethink your office eating habits.
It has been widely proven that sugar based snacks like biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks provide an inefficient sugar high followed by an even worse sugar crash. So, if you find the wait between breakfast and lunch to be a bridge too far there are many other options open to you:
In the modern world of office multi-tasking it may seem that embracing your inner caveman/woman and focusing on one thing at a time might be luxury you cannot afford; however, recent research suggests that many employees work most effectively when absorbed in one task exclusively.
If your job simply does not permit this the key is to finish what you have started. Finishing an individual task and knowing that we can mentally compartmentalise it in the ‘done file’ gives us a dopamine high and increases our motivation and concentration for the tasks to come.
“To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer”
The above quote is attributed to the American scientist Paul Ehrlich and it is true that computers occupy a strange position in our modern lives. They are at once our inseparable companions and our greatest sources of frustration when they don’t do what we need them to do as quickly as we want them to.
So it is worthwhile taking stock and respecting the powerful role computers have on our lives; and the effect they can have on our eyes, our postures and our nerves if we don’t.
Therefore:
It depends on your office culture but with exercise’s stress busting effects it is no surprise that many modern companies include gyms as part of their office amenities. If you are not lucky enough to avail of a workplace that encourages midday exercise try to improvise. Sometimes a brisk lunchtime walk can be enough to get the blood flowing and to view the tasks before you in a more positive light.
Yeah I hear you. This is quite an obvious one because if we forget to breathe those reports due today really won’t be all that important after all.
However what I really want to emphasise here is the importance of conscious attention to our breath. In moments of high stress one of the most effective methods of calming our bodies and minds is to concentrate and to slow down and deepen our breathing. There are many techniques available and if you wish to learn more about the practice of mediation and mindfulness this website is a good first port of call.
A simple technique however is to take a few moments to yourself and listen to your breathing. Then consciously deepen your breathing and as you exhale gradually add the word relax and as you do this imagine your entire mind and body relaxing. You might just be amazed by the effect this can have and, on the other hand, what have you got to lose.
Unless you are an engineer working out the calculations for a bridge suspension or a brain surgeon carrying out an operation most of the tasks we do contain a variety of factors by which they can be judged successful or not.
Therefore try not to expend your precious energy on parts of your job that might ultimately be irrelevant in the long run.
For example if you find yourself looking for just the perfect tone of blue on WordPress for that presentation tomorrow realise that what you say and how you say it will be of much more relevance than the background you choose. For more on the dangers of perfectionism check out this article in Medical Brief.
It is natural for people to form groups based on their personalities or their status within a company and nobody wants to deny you the opportunity to occasionally laugh at the absurdities of office life. Yet if you find yourself in a group who are constantly complaining about the company or your co-workers beware. Yes, a lot of what they are saying may be true and you may be in the wrong company nevertheless it’s just as possible that you are in the wrong group. Either way surrounding yourself with people whose conversation regularly focuses on the negative is a sure fire way to bring you down too.
As in life in general our professional lives work best when we have a sense of balance. It’s good to introduce healthy eating habits but don’t be too hard on yourself if you break them. It’s fun to hear a bit of office gossip but don’t be the person who is always providing it. Work hard when you need to but remember to leave early when you can. Take your work seriously and yourself less so.
Written for CareerJunction by Mark Dempsey.
