How to Keep Healthy in a Busy Career

In this article, we lay out our top tips for health changes that will boost your career, as well as how these changes could boost your work-life balance.

What is a healthy lifestyle?

What makes a lifestyle healthy? Of course, you already know the obvious aspects like eating plenty of vitamin and mineral-rich food and getting enough fibre. Then there’s exercise and trying to fit it into your busy schedule. Not to mention making time to chill out, get a manicure or take a spa day. It can all get a bit daunting.

The primary way to build a healthy lifestyle is to find what works for you. You don’t have to go out and buy a gym membership while cooking gourmet, artisanal macro-balanced meals - unless this is what you like doing. But there are simple ways to work good habits into your daily routine. For example, you could try getting off your bus or train a little earlier to walk more, parking further away from the office, or preparing balanced meals in advance for when you don’t have the energy.

It boosts your productivity

When you feel better, you work better. It’s not just a myth. A good work-life balance can make employees more productive. Indeed, people who feel as though they have flexibility with how they complete tasks and take care of their home respond to the challenges in their working lives in a proactive, engaged way.

Accordingly, other studies have found that people who work more and have less work-life balance and a less engaging workplace are less productive in their work, with more absenteeism, less energy and more stress.

It promotes good decision making

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sleep deprivation can have a detrimental affect on your health. Even the Chornobyl disaster is thought to have been caused by sleep deprivation.

Sure, some famous business leaders and influencers like to get up at the crack of dawn. However, the co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian, sleeps in until after 10 am!

Yes, eating the right foods and getting enough sleep can go a long way in boosting your brainpower. These habits, in turn, increase your ability to make sound business decisions. So, no matter your role in the business, healthy living is imperative.

It allows you to focus on the essentials

When you have your lifestyle organized, you’ll have more time to focus on what’s important. After all, when you have healthy meals in the fridge, 10,000 steps logged and a good night’s rest, all that’s left is to relax on the sofa.

How can I develop a healthy lifestyle?

Find your work-life balance

A good work-life balance is paramount for an overall healthy lifestyle. Studies show that a better work-life balance leaves you more productive, better at your work and healthier in general. So, to avoid the adverse effects of poor work-life balance, be sure to avoid taking on too many responsibilities at work: setting firm boundaries will let you take control of your health.

Organizations today are increasingly investing in programs that promote their employees’ wellbeing. Check if your workplace offers programs like this, and if not, see if one can be put into place.

Try co-working

It may seem obvious, but new research suggests that a good work experience with a well-designed workspace leads to higher productivity and job satisfaction than in traditional offices. Even among traditional workers, co-working spaces appear to make a better alternative to the standard office. This may be because co-working offers people a more flexible schedule and more autonomy, as well as control over their jobs and more self-responsibility. In addition, real co-working spaces allow people to come and go freely from different jobs.

Exercise

It may seem like a cliché, but getting regular exercise has countless benefits for your body and mind. Not only does regular exercise give you better overall health and a more toned body - perfect for lifting all those stacks of paper at the office - but it also boosts your mental health and helps to regulate your mood.

We get it - it’s challenging to find time to exercise when you have a busy schedule. One of the best ways to make sure that you exercise regularly is to work out with a friend. This way, your workout buddy can hold you accountable. You’re also less likely to want to cancel on a friend, whereas it’s all too easy to roll back over in bed when you have a lonely 6am gym run scheduled.

Or why not turn your commute into a workout? It’s no fun being stuck on the train or bus, so why not try cycling or running? Or, if your commute is quite long, you could always stick with the bus but get off at an earlier stop.