The curse of the workaholic is that they often forego their wellbeing for the sake of their career. If this sounds like you then it might be time to make a positive change to your lifestyle. Let’s talk about how workaholics can take better care of themselves.
Make sure you get sustenance from your meals.
This is a vital piece of advice for all of those working professionals who have hectic morning routines and rush out of the front door with a piece of toast between their teeth. Eating well is important, even if you don’t think you have enough time for it. You have to make the time. Maybe you could start preparing healthy lunches for yourself the night before so you don’t have to opt for snack food from the office vending machine or something unhealthy from the local coffee shop during your lunch break.
The point is that you need to make sure you get sustenance from your meals, and the best way to do that is to prepare them yourself. Make the time for that. It’ll make you much more productive if you get the nutrition you need from your food; iron will give you energy, protein will give you strength, and so on. We’re all taught this as children, but many of us forget when we become adults. Instead of opting for ready-made processed food options that lack nutritional qualities, get some whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that you can prepare into your own meals. Your body and mind will both feel better.
Try to get your body moving every single day.
Another important way for workaholics to take better care of themselves is to get their bodies moving every single day. You might find yourself leading quite a sedentary lifestyle, even if your daily routine feels manic and hectic. You probably sit in the car on the way to work and then spend all day sitting at a desk. Force yourself to get up and move around; go for a jog during your lunch break. You might even want to do some research on how resistance bands work. You could get one to build up your muscles whenever you take a break. You don’t have to go to a gym to get fit. You can exercise anywhere.
Get in bed at the same time every night.
Having a schedule is so important when it comes to sleeping properly. However, you also need to make sure you sleep for a sufficient number of hours every night. If you go to bed at 3am every night but you have to get up at 6am then you don’t have a healthy sleeping pattern. We’re all told we have to be busy and productive worker bees in the modern world, but the ironic thing is that denying yourself enough rest is making you less productive. Sleep deprivation affects your concentration and your mental health. It even slows your metabolism and makes you susceptible to colds by weakening your immune system. Get in bed at the same time every night and make sure you get roughly 8 hours of rest. That’s how you can start to take better care of yourself. You’ll be a much better worker if you maintain high standards of sleep hygiene.
Protect your mental health.
We’ve talked a lot about mental health throughout this article, but improving your physical wellbeing is only one way to improve your emotional wellbeing. You have to focus directly on your thoughts and feelings if you want to make a lasting improvement to your health. This is very important for workaholics because the responsibility of project deadlines and other work challenges can exact a heavy toll on your psychological state. Allow yourself some downtime. This is essential to protecting your mental health. When you get in from work, give yourself 30 minutes to read a book, watch a TV show, or simply take a relaxing soak in the bath. Relaxation shouldn’t be equated to laziness – it’s vital if you want to recharge your batteries.
Make time for family and other loved ones too. Go out on a road trip at the weekend or stay inside and play board games if it’s rainy. And find time for your friends if you don’t see them very often anymore. Meeting up at a local bar for drinks might not sound like an extravagant outing, but it could make a massive improvement to your mental health. Laughing can even improve the wellbeing of your heart, so there are plenty of health benefits to putting yourself in social environments with people who mean a lot to you. Don’t deny yourself time with those who matter. Spend time with your family and friends. Your state of mind is essential to maintaining a happy personal and work life. There comes a point at which a healthy amount of pressure becomes an unhealthy amount of stress, and you have to recognize the times at which you’ve crossed that line. That’s when it’s time for a break.
