Do you remember how many times you felt irritable, frustrated, and impatient, thinking about how to quit a job you just started? New job anxiety is common for most of us. But behind the scenes of office work there are more things that can provoke stress and make your mood and productivity worse.
Endless sitting at a desk, dehydration and a wide range of snacks that can be found in and around offices are the main factors of unwellness for office workers. After reading this article things may change for you as well as your mood. Here are 5 useful tips on how to start healthy eating at work and increase productivity:
#1. Learn about the nutritional value of food for a healthier outcome
The more you learn about the impact of foods and drinks, the more careful you select proper food. You should read as much as possible about the beneficial and harmful snacks in terms of nutrition which is a complex matter.
Reading is the best way to dispel many food myths, such as high cholesterol in eggs and sugar in granola bars. Your expertise in nutritional value is key for changing your eating behavior easily and better work performance hence.
#2. Build healthier routine with simple dishes
We usually don’t feel like planning and building a healthy routine and this is the highway to fall into bad habits. The smartest way to enhance your habits is to make your eating decisions before you are hungry.
By trying to choose the healthier options you can easily say no to a pie and prefer a homemade meal. Make some simple dishes to take with you into the office. Buy smart snacks such as nuts, seeds, or carrot sticks instead of potato chips, cakes, and candies.
#3. Never skip meals to get proper nutrients in time
The time for eating and quality does matter for the diet. Skipping meals or having long breaks between them leads to dropping glucose level. Your body will be unable to reproduce necessary quantities of blood sugar again, making you feel bad right after that, overeating or eating harmful food next time, and gaining weight over time.
It’s important to never omit your breakfast, as it means obesity with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Meals kickstart your metabolism, providing the energy to burn calories and repress raised cortisol that makes you feel anxious or jittery. Choose protein at breakfast and avoid sugary foods to feel good all day long.
#4. Pay attention to your lunch
Take it as a rule that even the busiest day should never exclude healthy lunches with the right balance of nutrients. A good way to ensure you eat a healthy lunch is to plan ahead again, avoiding processed or packaged food. Disregarding a burst of energy high carb meals give you, your motivation will be drained by a slump. High-fat food gives more sustained energy but reduces oxygen levels in the brain.
Fiber from fruits and vegetables is what can make us happy, creative and more engaged. Their nutrients are vital for dopamine production, making us feel curious and motivated. Moreover, antioxidants improve memory and enhance mood.
#5. Avoid dehydration to save productivity
Scientists have proved that dehydration slows down reaction times and reduces cognitive abilities, leading to poor productivity and morale. Always bring a bottle of water with you so you can take a sip whenever you feel thirsty, and with this, you can also fill it up from a water dispenser in your office. It’s better to avoid sugary drinks, alcohol, coffee or tea, or those energy drinks containing taurine.
Water is your best helper for staying hydrated, in other cases, you‘ll find out the adverse side-effects of major drinks (dehydration, hyperglycemia, and sleep disruption).
In a nutshell
We are all aware of the necessity of mindful eating, but many of us think that nine-hour work and the absence of lunch breaks make healthy eating almost impossible to accomplish. Poor nutrition affects our health and ruins our mood as well as our performance at work.
Still, there is a lot of research, approving that a balanced diet improves concentration, leads to better performance, and can be as effective as an additional productive workday. As soon as we understand the necessity to optimize our nutrition and plan the diet, our cognitive function and mental health will be improved.
About the Author
Gillian Grunewald
Gillian is a talented writer with a strong research approach in the career field. Has over 12 years of experience in resume, LinkedIn profile writing and editing. Education Master of Fine Arts, Writing Eastern Washington University.