How do your results look? Would this be a good time to make a change? Do you need help to get started? What could you do differently tomorrow to start improving your work ability?
If you are facing a possible threat of disability, you should both change your habits and discuss the matter at your workplace. Your supervisor can help you think of ways to adapt your work to be more suitable for your current work ability. An occupational nurse and doctor are also great resources when it comes to considering your options.
Helpful tips
Exercise
The calorie consumption of exercise in connection with daily activities is, on the annual level, notably more significant than, for example, a weekly session at the gym. Find forms of exercise that you enjoy by trying out different things. Exercising brings gratification only once you get used to it. It takes an average of 66 days to form a new routine.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator or go on a short power walk during your work day.
- Reserve a half hour at the end of your work day for physical activity.
- Do 20–30 minutes of muscle training 2–3 times a week.
- One quality strength training session once a week for an entire year is better than four times a week for two months.
- Don’t be shy about trying new forms of exercise; many service providers offer loads of free remote trial lessons.
Time management
Time management is one of the key areas of development in terms of making changes and improvements. The process of seeking out new solutions that suit your daily routine often requires a combination of different methods.
- Keep your calendar updated and your workload doable: reserve time on your calendar for creative thinking, so that it won’t simply fill up with meetings.
- Remember to take regular breaks during the work day and reserve sufficient time for them (lunch, coffee, light exercise).
- Don’t try to multi-task; focus properly on one task at a time.
- Prioritise your daily work in terms of urgency and importance. Always start with the tasks that are essential with regard to your goals, so that they won’t be left to the last minute.
- Find yourself a mentor that can act as a sounding board for your work matters and concerns.
Recovery
Did you have a hectic day at work? Your brain also needs rest. Short breaks, a good night’s sleep and exercise are all necessary to recharge your battery. Relax on the sofa, step out into nature and meet up with good friends – whatever works best for you. Remember: Relax, Recharge and Reboot.
- Relax your mind by breathing deeply and rhythmically for a few minutes: inhale for three seconds, hold for four seconds and exhale for 5 seconds.
- Life is not purely about performance and accomplishments. Remember that good lifestyle habits include periods of idle without guilt.
- Surround yourself with people that have a positive influence on you.
- Stick to a regular schedule when it comes to work, eating, hobbies and exercise (but avoid heavy exercise late in the evening).
- Make time for recovery also during the work day, since your free time is not just meant to prepare you for the next work day.
Sleep
Sleeping is the single best means of recovery, since up to 95% of our recovery occurs during sleep. It’s hard to develop and make improvements if you aren’t sleeping well. Focus on your sleeping habits by reflecting on your current situation and thinking of small changes you might make to improve your situation.
- Improve your sleep quality by turning off your phone, tablet or laptop long before you go to bed.
- Initiate the use of a daily journal in which you can write down your concerns before you go to bed. That way, you won’t need to worry about those things when you should be sleeping.
- If you wake up during the night, remember that it’s completely normal. Accept it and allow yourself to continue sleeping despite occasional waking.
- Don’t go to bed until you’re tired. If you have trouble falling asleep, get up and do something else until you feel truly tired.
- Take time for yourself and calm your mind with something you enjoy before you go to sleep.
Nutrition
Make good food choices every day and repeat your new choices often enough until they form a new habit. Changing your eating habits can take up to two months. Don’t give up!
- Put a wide variety of foods on your plate; the more colourful it is, the healthier it is!
- Eat 5–6 handfuls of vegetables, berries and fruit each day, for example, in the form of a health green smoothie.
- Eat small meals several times a day.
- Try a new way of thinking: ‘Salad on the dinner plate and the main dish on the salad plate’.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water whenever you take a break or carry a water bottle with you.
Alcohol
The energy provided by alcohol gathers as fat tissue around your waist, and even one serving of alcohol can weaken the quality of your sleep! Be patient and accept that change takes time. Sometimes when you take a couple steps ahead, you might also take one step back. The important thing is, however, that you don’t give up and keep working towards your goal.
- Consider alternatives for your daily use of alcohol. Perhaps you can try mineral water to quench your thirst after the sauna.
- Explore the different alcohol-free options available at your local shop.
- Stop and consider how often and to what extent you use alcohol.
- Write down all the benefits you would get from reducing your use of alcohol.
- For more information on the topic, go to: www.paihdelinkki.fi
Quit smoking
If you quit smoking, you will increase your life expectancy by up to 10 years. Quitting smoking reduces the stress you feel and improves the quality and length of sleep.
- Ask the people around you to support your decision, since that will make the process easier.
- Replace your smoking breaks at work with moments of beneficial exercise. It’s a great way to take care of your body and mind!
- Begin a new hobby to replace smoking.
- Put the money you would have spent on smoking into savings. Soon you will notice that quitting is also financially profitable.
- Go out and enjoy some truly fresh air.