7 Ways to Stay Healthy at Your Desk

Tap to Read ➤ Paisley Hansen

Working a desk job might seem better for your health than something like, say being a firefighter or a construction worker or any other physically demanding and dangerous job. Desk jobs can be just as detrimental to your health as other, more active jobs, precisely because it is so sedentary and desk-bound. Here are a few things you can do to stay healthy.

Watch Your Stress Levels

Work is one of the leading causes of stress in the everyday lives of Americans, and stress can have all kinds of negative effects on your health. From back pain to heart attacks, stress is a silent killer. Watch your anxiety levels at work and see what you can do to lower them. Maintain a good balance between your work life and your home life.

Walk Around

Being stuck in your seat at your desk job can also have a bad impact on your health. Constantly sitting isn't good. Your office may have a gym, or a deal with the local gym, if you're lucky. Even if you don't have time to get to the gym often, try to get up and move around a bit.

Stay Hydrated

While water is on your mind, remember to stay hydrated at work. It's easy to forget and dehydration can be a major cause of headaches and stress. The last thing you need at work is even more stress. Drink water regularly and keep some water at your desk. Staying hydrated can have all kinds of benefits, from better skin to helping you lose weight.

Eat Healthy

Remember: Soda isn't an okay substitute for water. Especially at a desk job, you want to be careful what you put in your body, whether it's drink or food. Eat snacks and meals light and healthy. Remember you're not living a super-active life, so go light on calories to check your weight.

Creative Solutions

Think out of the box and try a standing desk as alternative to sitting all day long. These desks are height adjustable and while they might make you stand, they can help you get on your feet. If that's not an option, consider replacing your chair with an exercise ball to be active at work.

Ergonomic Chairs and Keyboard

Be kind to your joints. Ergonomic keyboards can spare your wrists from carpal tunnel and a decent chair can go a long way towards doing the same for your back. Repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel are no joke, and anything you can do to keep them at bay is worth trying.

Meditate

Meditation and other mindfulness techniques can help combat the stress issues mentioned earlier. Take a moment to show down and just breathe: it can do wonders for your stress levels and help you be more mindful of your body's needs. It only takes a minute to take a minute, after all.

Staying healthy at work is important, not just for your job, but for yourself and for people who care about you. You may not think that your desk job is taking a toll on you, physically, but it might be. Think what your desk job is doing to you, and ways you can mitigate the damage.