Working the nine-till-five tends to put us down, especially if we're trying to implement some sort of new healthy habits in our personal lives.
I want to bring up a few ideas on how to influence not only your life, but your entire workspace's lives by trying to create happier and healthier habits for the office.
In turn, it could help the entire group dynamics and the best part is that hopefully it will leave everyone feeling good.
1.
Group together: Buying food in bulk is definitely the way towards a healthy work environment.
Each week, we suggest, asking your team or closest colleagues to contribute to a "healthy food fund".
Contributing just £10 each can leave you with ample healthy treats to snack on during the week.
It's also considered a great way to help the team interact with each other, and could be seen as a weekly group team-building event.
2.
Implement a no junk rule: Implementing a no-junk food rule between your colleagues is a great way for you all to stay in shape.
It is a well-known fact that mutual support from peers, towards the common goal of implementing a strict healthy food policy, increases your chances of success and will help everyone stick to it.
Especially if you are in an office group dynamics, being physically unchallenged at work makes this rule crucial for a healthier life style.
No MSG's, no deep-fried food, no high-sugar content snacks will definitely help promote productivity as they take a lesser toll on your body to digest, helping you reduce the fatigue after lunch break.
3.
Learn about each other: Everyone has different tastes and individual preferences about the food they enjoy.
One thing we all have in common, however, is that we all want to be healthier.
So see this as an opportunity to learn more about the foods your colleagues like.
So at the beginning each week, choose a snack that everyone enjoys to fill the fridge with.
You can take in turns to change the weekly snack (nuts, apples, bananas, granola, carrot sticks, natural yogurts, etc...
) and enjoy learning more and more about your colleagues, as you share great food.
The great thing with this approach is that you might start trying food you had never considered eating before (like hummus for example which I never realized how delicious it is until one of my colleagues introduced it to me through our office weekly snacks).
4.
Buy a food basket: If you prefer to add more food variety to your new workplace habit, why not try a food basket.
Not only will a food basket look incredibly cute and inviting at the end of your desk-bay, but it can keep all the good food in one place and offers great variety.
5.
Start a running team: It's common nowadays for every employer to encourage colleagues to take their lunch breaks.
So why not use your lunch hour as a way to get fit and stay healthy? If you don't fancy running, why not try a different sport each week, like football over the park, or cycling around the town.
The possibilities are endless.
You might discover you have much more in common with your colleagues than you imagined.
6.
Get a delivery man: There are plenty of organisations nowadays, including most supermarkets that will happily deliver a range of fruits, vegetables and whole grains straight to the office.
You could put together an office fund which everyone contributes to each week to pay for the delivery.
Not only will it save time, but ordering food you each enjoy can also offer great team interaction.
7.
Water for all: If the water cooler is tucked away in a dark corner of the office, chances are no one will venture there very often.
Bring the water cooler closer to your desks.
Alternatively, buy a mini water cooler to keep on your desks at all times.
This will keep the whole office well hydrated, which contributes to a healthier, happier place to work.
8.
Caffeine's out: (at your own risk!) Try to tempt your colleagues to partake in a caffeine reduction.
Start a chart with everyone in the office listed on it and keep a record of how many coffees each person drinks per day.
Then make it the office aim to reduce this to no more than two (or more...
) during the working day.
A challenge that can be collaborative as well as fun.
9.
Break time: Make it the rule that everyone in the office must take regular break.
Breaking during the working day helps the mind to stay relaxed and enables a rejuvenation of productivity and lowers stress levels.
You could start a rotation, whereby two people take a ten minute break at a time; one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Each day, each person partners with someone new.
Again, this is a great way to team build.
10.
Keep it light: Lastly, keep any new habit implementation fun.
Yes, the aim is to create an on-going, healthy office, but laughter is also great for your health - so remember not to execute a new regime too strictly.
Leave room for flexibility and creativity and make sure everyone has an input.
This will leave everyone feeling happy and healthier in the work place.
As you can see, the options towards a healthier and happier office are endless.
We can each make excuses not to shake-up the hum-drum office atmosphere, but I think that with these simple-to-implement strategies, everyone will support a new healthy vibe.
I want to bring up a few ideas on how to influence not only your life, but your entire workspace's lives by trying to create happier and healthier habits for the office.
In turn, it could help the entire group dynamics and the best part is that hopefully it will leave everyone feeling good.
1.
Group together: Buying food in bulk is definitely the way towards a healthy work environment.
Each week, we suggest, asking your team or closest colleagues to contribute to a "healthy food fund".
Contributing just £10 each can leave you with ample healthy treats to snack on during the week.
It's also considered a great way to help the team interact with each other, and could be seen as a weekly group team-building event.
2.
Implement a no junk rule: Implementing a no-junk food rule between your colleagues is a great way for you all to stay in shape.
It is a well-known fact that mutual support from peers, towards the common goal of implementing a strict healthy food policy, increases your chances of success and will help everyone stick to it.
Especially if you are in an office group dynamics, being physically unchallenged at work makes this rule crucial for a healthier life style.
No MSG's, no deep-fried food, no high-sugar content snacks will definitely help promote productivity as they take a lesser toll on your body to digest, helping you reduce the fatigue after lunch break.
3.
Learn about each other: Everyone has different tastes and individual preferences about the food they enjoy.
One thing we all have in common, however, is that we all want to be healthier.
So see this as an opportunity to learn more about the foods your colleagues like.
So at the beginning each week, choose a snack that everyone enjoys to fill the fridge with.
You can take in turns to change the weekly snack (nuts, apples, bananas, granola, carrot sticks, natural yogurts, etc...
) and enjoy learning more and more about your colleagues, as you share great food.
The great thing with this approach is that you might start trying food you had never considered eating before (like hummus for example which I never realized how delicious it is until one of my colleagues introduced it to me through our office weekly snacks).
4.
Buy a food basket: If you prefer to add more food variety to your new workplace habit, why not try a food basket.
Not only will a food basket look incredibly cute and inviting at the end of your desk-bay, but it can keep all the good food in one place and offers great variety.
5.
Start a running team: It's common nowadays for every employer to encourage colleagues to take their lunch breaks.
So why not use your lunch hour as a way to get fit and stay healthy? If you don't fancy running, why not try a different sport each week, like football over the park, or cycling around the town.
The possibilities are endless.
You might discover you have much more in common with your colleagues than you imagined.
6.
Get a delivery man: There are plenty of organisations nowadays, including most supermarkets that will happily deliver a range of fruits, vegetables and whole grains straight to the office.
You could put together an office fund which everyone contributes to each week to pay for the delivery.
Not only will it save time, but ordering food you each enjoy can also offer great team interaction.
7.
Water for all: If the water cooler is tucked away in a dark corner of the office, chances are no one will venture there very often.
Bring the water cooler closer to your desks.
Alternatively, buy a mini water cooler to keep on your desks at all times.
This will keep the whole office well hydrated, which contributes to a healthier, happier place to work.
8.
Caffeine's out: (at your own risk!) Try to tempt your colleagues to partake in a caffeine reduction.
Start a chart with everyone in the office listed on it and keep a record of how many coffees each person drinks per day.
Then make it the office aim to reduce this to no more than two (or more...
) during the working day.
A challenge that can be collaborative as well as fun.
9.
Break time: Make it the rule that everyone in the office must take regular break.
Breaking during the working day helps the mind to stay relaxed and enables a rejuvenation of productivity and lowers stress levels.
You could start a rotation, whereby two people take a ten minute break at a time; one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Each day, each person partners with someone new.
Again, this is a great way to team build.
10.
Keep it light: Lastly, keep any new habit implementation fun.
Yes, the aim is to create an on-going, healthy office, but laughter is also great for your health - so remember not to execute a new regime too strictly.
Leave room for flexibility and creativity and make sure everyone has an input.
This will leave everyone feeling happy and healthier in the work place.
As you can see, the options towards a healthier and happier office are endless.
We can each make excuses not to shake-up the hum-drum office atmosphere, but I think that with these simple-to-implement strategies, everyone will support a new healthy vibe.
Source...