5 Everyday Health Hacks For Those With Computer Jobs

We all know it isn’t healthy to sit staring at a computer 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. In addition, many of us do this without taking breaks, exercising, eating regularly, or getting out of the “blue lights” and into the sun.

Well here are 5 simple changes you can make in your daily routine that will have a big impact on your health and productivity.

1. Be Intentional About Breakfast

The word break-fast should be self explanatory. You are breaking the long fast that you performed while sleeping. Your body is deficient and needs food. Make this your important meal of the day and choose wisely. Studies have shown time and time again the importance of breakfast in boosting energy and focus, weight gain prevention, decreasing bad cholesterol, heart attack risk, and on and on. Make it a resolution to eat breakfast each day.

2. 7 minute workout

No this isn’t the end all of exercise but it is GREAT start and has become very popular. In fact this type of High Intensity Training can be extremely effective. Best of all, it’s just 7 minutes. Anyone can find 7 minutes of free time in their day. Perhaps get up 10 minutes early in the morning or do it when you get home from work. There is even a free app you can download to help you time the exercises.

3. Vitamin D Balance

Now this varies with skin tone, but we all should shoot for at least 10 to 15 minutes of direct sunlight daily. Its 2017 and everyone’s vitamin D seems to be low. Try to take your lunch breaks outside. Anyone, if intentional about it, can find 15 minutes of day to expose their skin the sun. Make your phone calls outside. Roll down your car window and throw that arm out!!

4. Stand Up Desks

These really are catching on. We know the dangers of a sedentary job….excessive sitting. The past solution is something like, make sure you get up once an hour and stretch, etc., etc., but we can do better than that. We can work standing up…at least part of the day. Here are four reasons you should consider using a stand-up desk. Here is one you can build for just $22. Perhaps if you work on a laptop you can just move it to a counter for a while or somewhere you can stand up and work. Take the initiative. Your body will thank you later.

5. The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is so important. Our culture finds it “cool” to brag about our lack of it, but in reality it is just foolish. There will always be the temptation to trade sleep for more time to get things done. Unfortunately, you forfeit mental sharpness, memory, emotional and physical health, and ultimately get less done. In fact, one study demonstrated that people going on six hours of sleep a night for two weeks functioned at the same level of impairment as someone legally drunk (that doesn’t allow for great leadership, right?). But those who got eight hours demonstrated no impairment at all. People who sleep longer get more done, period! We should make it a priority to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.