How to Stay Healthy in an Office

Coworkers with hacking coughs and kitchens filled with donuts can take its toll on your general health. Take a moment to review your work area and begin to make some healthy changes.

Instructions

How to Keep Your Health in an Office Setting

1. Spend five minutes straightening up your work area. Bring some Clorox wipes in and sanitize your work station. Wipe down your phone, desk, keyboard and mouse. Pick up some canned air and dust off your computer. Take your sweater home and give it a good washing.Empty your pen and pencil holder and paperclip holder and run them through the dishwasher. Before you refill the pen and pencil holder, use a Clorox wipe to rub them down.

2. Now your desk should be germ free. If you share the responsibility for covering the reception desk, bring a wipe up there and follow the same procedures. Do everyone a favor and use hand sanitizer, you may want to consider keeping one at your desk for others to use. Definitely keep a box of Kleenex at your desk for you and anybody else that needs them. This is a small investment for your health.Refrain from touching your face, including rubbing your eyes and your nose. Use the Kleenex mentioned earlier that should be at your desk.

3. If you feel worn down throughout the day, try replacing a cup of coffee with a glass of water. Take a short brisk walk around the office every two hours. Whenever you have the opportunity, practice a few exercises at your desk. If you don’t know any, go to your local gym and ask for a free session. Explain to the instructor what type of work environment you have and find out exercises they suggest.If you know one of your coworkers is getting over a cold, or if their children are, politely avoid direct contact. E-mail or phone communication works best in this situation.

4. If your office shares a kitchen and utensils, opt to bring your own in daily with your own lunch packaged in your own containers. This may sound overboard, but it really is just a basic protection for you.

5. Regardless of what caution you take and how healthy you keep yourself, you need to realize that working in an environment that is full of other people invites colds and flus; you just might find yourself on the receiving end of a lousy bug despite your best efforts.