Hacks when you’re at your desk

Nowadays, wellness doesn’t just mean exercising routinely and eating healthy – it’s so much more of a total-body experience. With so many of us spending our working adult lives in an office, it’s easy for our self-care to fall by the wayside as we focus on our careers, even if we have the best intentions to not let that happen. This can affect wellbeing and for people with MS, may affect symptoms. Try incorporating small tricks into your everyday routine at work, and you may be surprised with what can develop into a long-term routine.

Rest your eyes

To keep from straining your eyes from staring at a screen all day, practice the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a break for 20 seconds by looking at an object 20 feet (6 meters) away.

To make it happen: Keep an ongoing reminder to take a break. Web browser extensions like Eye Care for Google Chrome are discreet, with a small pop-up in the corner of your screen as your alarm¹.

Play ball at your desk

If you wear high heels on the regular, your entire skeleton can be affected, given that your feet are the foundation of your body. If you sit for the majority of the work day, give your feet an even bigger break with a mini-massage.

To make it happen: Keep a small ball (such as a tennis ball) in your desk drawer. When you’re sitting, slip out of your heels and roll one foot at a time on the ball to alleviate pressure on your feet².

Drink more water

While this isn’t a groundbreaking tip, we’d be remiss not to include. Dehydration can lead to you feeling tired and having a lower brain function. It has also been linked to improving moods: mild dehydration can make you irritable, so for the sake of your inter-office relationships, keep the water coming.

To make it happen: Get your co-workers on board, and keep a chart visible where you can all keep track of how many glasses you have per day. Having a buddy to remind you to go to the water cooler makes it easier to stick with it!

Move as much as possible

Sitting all day long has been proven bad for your health – even if you exercise regularly. The key is to keeping your blood flowing – at work, that can be as simple as standing when you get a chance and taking a quick lap around the office once every hour.

To make it happen: This goes hand-in-hand with drinking more water, as you may find yourself getting up more to use the restroom. Get into a routine of refilling your water every time you use the restroom to keep the cycle going all day long. If you’re on the phone a lot and have access to a headpiece, take the opportunity to walk around while listening².

While the jury is out on how long it takes to form a habit – science says anywhere from twenty-one to 254 days – performing these small actions daily while at your job may help lead to some long-term healthy habits³.

References:

1. Website “Web MD” How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/good-eyesight#1
2. Website “Move blog” 10 ways to stay active at your desk job (and why your health depends on it). Saint, Sophie. Available at: https://blog.movegb.com/ways-to-stay-active-at-your-desk-job
3. Website “James Clear” How Long Does it Actually Take to Form a New Habit? (Backed by Science). Available at: https://jamesclear.com/new-habit