All too often, clients come to me complaining of work-related stress. Sadly, a growing number are trying to mask the symptoms by popping the trendy anxiety and\/or pain med du jour rather than digging down to understand and manage the underlying cause(s) of their stress.<\/p>\n
I believe the root cause of much of our stress can be found in the structure of the modern-day workplace. We sit too much\u2014too often hunched over a keyboard (I\u2019m guilty of this!). We mindlessly snack and eat lunch at our desks in the hopes of getting \u201cmore done\u201d by not taking breaks. We absorb and internalize the emotional pressures and let them keep us up at night.<\/p>\n
And the results\u2026 depression, low energy, back and heart problems, neck and shoulder pain, expanding waistlines, and unhappiness, just to name a few.<\/p>\n
Here are three you can change today to help reduce stress at work\u2026 and, therefore, at home, too:<\/p>\n
A New York Times<\/em> article summarized several recent studies with these simple words: your chair is your enemy!<\/p>\n The piece went on to say:<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you go running every morning, or you\u2019re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting\u2014in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home\u2014you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Inherently we all know this, yet we sit for hours and hours each day both at work and at home. Fortunately, there are easy ways we can inject some movement into our workday:<\/p>\n As life gets busier and schedules jam-packed, something has to give. Unfortunately for many, sleep gets sacrificed.<\/p>\n Sleep is essential for survival and good health. In 2015, the National Sleep Foundation released its latest recommendations on sleep. For adults, the nightly goal should be between 7-9 hours, though your mileage may vary.<\/p>\n We spend close to a third of our lives asleep, or at least we\u2019re supposed to. Sadly, an overwhelming majority of adults don\u2019t get enough sleep, leading to a whole host of other, related issues. Many of us admit that we\u2019ve forgotten what being truly rested really feels like.<\/p>\n To pave the way for better sleep, the National Sleep Foundation recommends following these healthy sleep tips:<\/p>\n Remember, there is no substitute for good restorative sleep. Making sleep a priority will help you feel happier, less grumpy, and more energized, creative and alert.<\/p>\n I\u2019m a bit of a nutrition hobbyist, now, but it wasn\u2019t until my forties that the extra few holiday pounds wouldn\u2019t come off as easily as they used to come springtime. Refusing to buy a whole new wardrobe, I started paying more attention to what I was putting in my mouth.<\/p>\n Keeping track of the mindless nibbling while sitting (and now standing more often than not) at the laptop was an eye-opening exercise!<\/p>\n Countless studies show that what we eat drives our productivity, energy and happiness. Here are keys to a healthy diet culled from some of my favorite books on healthy eating habits and nutrition:<\/p>\n\n
2. Sleep!<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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3. Eat (right)!<\/strong><\/h3>\n