Many people are at work for a large portion of their lives. This means that it is crucial to do everything that you can to ensure you are looking after your body, not just at home, but at work as well. As it is such a big part of your life, neglecting your health, both mental and physical, at work will take a toll on other parts of your life.
Below are some things that you can do to ensure you are looking after your health at work:
Stay hydrated
When you are busy, it can be easy to forget to drink water. You need to ensure you are drinking enough water so that you don’t get dehydrated, and become tired because of it. Not drinking enough can also make it more difficult to concentrate. To make it easier to remember to drink, bring a water bottle to work with you that you can keep with you or put in an easy to reach place. At lunch, make sure you fill it up again.
Wear protective gear
If you work in a warehouse, or in a job that is more hands-on and industrial, you need to make sure that you wear the protective gear that is provided for you. It will ensure that you are doing everything to keep you and the people around you safe. It could be a hi-vis jacket, so you are visible to others, hearing protection to protect your ears in loud environments, or any other type of PPE. If you work somewhere where the PPE is only needed in certain areas, it is your responsibility to make sure you are wearing what you need to be wearing.
Set boundaries
It can be hard to say no when managers ask you to do extra hours, but you don’t have to say yes if it is outside of your set hours. Set yourself limits, so you don’t exhaust yourself, and so that you have the time to do things that you love outside of work. It is okay to do extra shifts if you want to, but don’t feel pressured into it, or let it interfere with other plans in your life.
Be aware of your posture
Posture is vital in any job. If you work in an office, you should make sure that you are sitting straight so that you aren’t straining any part of your body. You should also make sure that you are moving around and stretching during the day.
If you do a lot of manual handling, make sure you stick to your training so that you don’t injure yourself. If you do notice that you are in any pain, get it sorted out straight away so that it doesn’t get worse.
Ask for help when you need it
There is nothing worse than feeling stressed or overwhelmed by a workload. In these cases, you need to be able to ask for help. Even if it feels like you are letting the team down, it is better to ask for help then overworking yourself and potentially making more mistakes. It may also encourage others to ask for help when they need it.
