Trying to Hack the 9 to 5.
When you think of workplace health, safety, and wellbeing issues your mind might go straight towards careers like construction, trades, nursing, or other physically demanding jobs. While these are jobs that are hard on your body and have day-to-day risks, how often do you think of preventative measures in place for an office worker? What could possibly harm them in their indoor, temperature-controlled, desk job with regular breaks?
well, a lot… your long-term health can be greatly affected by a sedentary job. So, for more than 70% of the population that has one, what can be done about it?
I believe that there are ways of getting around the 9-5. All the small habits add up to make your day both at work and outside of work more enjoyable.
Movement.
Starting with the obvious - getting steps in, and standing hours are a great way to break up the day of sitting and increase your overall NEAT ( non-exercise activity thermogenesis). Many workplaces have adopted standing desks so you can easily transition between sitting and standing. If you don’t have this option, it could be worth asking for as some companies may see it as the best interest of their employees; or if you work on a laptop you may be able to DIY this setup.
In terms of steps, make goals that are relevant to your circumstances. We go through seasons in life, university, part-time jobs, and all the rest of it. When I worked in personal training, retail, or hospitality I could average 10-12k steps a day, without even thinking about it. Nowadays I might only hit 10k a few times a week so I would constantly fail if I set a super high goal. Make your goals realistic - it should be challenging, but still achievable. Alternatively, steps might not be your main focus it could instead be time spent moving or strain on the body. This is best described as cardiovascular strain, such as your heart rate going up if you took 4 flights of stairs or a short burst of running to get somewhere; both might take the same amount of steps as walking but stairs and running require more strain on the body.
You can learn more about strain in these podcasts and articles:
Understanding strain - Whoop
10k steps vs Accumulated Strain - Function with Purpose Podcast
Nutrition
When I went into a sedentary job I'll admit I was worried about the sudden drop in energy expenditure, but no matter what job you do you still need regular meals to fuel your mind and body. I can’t recommend meal prepping enough for those that work out of the house, firstly for convenience but it’s also a money saver rather than buying lunch every day. Meal prep can be as simple as making double dinner portions to eat the next day or you could prep on a Sunday for the week ( or a few days) ahead. This can also be done for breakfast - overnight oats, chia puddings, or overnight weetbix are perfect choices.
Regarding what to eat during the work day - this can look different for everyone. A good rule of thumb is a serving of protein in each meal such as meat, legumes, or protein powders; complex ( or slow-releasing) carbohydrates - think whole grains or starchy vegetables and healthy fats to satiate you. And of course, a small treat or something sweet is okay - life is all about balance.
Hydration goes hand in hand with overall nutrition, aim for 3 litres + more if you are exercising.
Sleep
On a positive note for people who work daytime hours, it’s easier to form a routine than others that maybe work hospo, night shifts, super early mornings, or split shifts.
There are still a lot of variables that can keep you from getting a good night's sleep. Early gym commitments, kids, partner (or housemate) disturbance, stress, or other problems with sleep/ insomnia. We do have controllable habits which are things that you can change and your body can adapt to it pretty quickly.
Sleep and wake at about the same time every day. Even weekends. Be realistic here - there’s no expectation to wake up at 5:30 am on weekends for no reason, but spending half of Sunday in bed will make Monday to Friday mornings much harder.
Have a dark, cool, and quiet sleep environment and limit screen light before bed, ideally for an hour but start with 20 minutes and see how you go.
Nutrition throughout the day can also affect your sleep if you struggle with getting asleep or staying asleep - look into taking magnesium, limiting alcohol and caffeine, and even spicy, acidic, or high-fat meals can affect your sleep if you are eating them late in the day.
Exercise
This is the key to a productive week. If you sit for 80% of your work day it’s a great idea to get some movement. And not just for physical health benefits such as improved posture, more muscle mass, weight management, and strong bones; the gym can be a mental outlet to allow you to let go of the workday, or set you up for a great one. It’s important to find a way of exercising you enjoy, which I have a whole other post on to suit your needs, style, budget, and timeframe.
Outside of work
This tip comes down to mental well-being and life satisfaction. Coming out of university or even high school and suddenly feeling like your whole week is filled with work can be super draining, but your mindset will get you a long way.
Most people would agree that making time for things you enjoy is essential to get more out of your work life and without feeling like you are only living for the weekend.
The gym might provide this for you as it can double as socialising with other gym-goers. Or it might be going out for dinner or doing an activity on a weekday evening, playing a sport, studying a course or doing a ‘side hustle’ or anything in between. Even writing this blog now gives me something I can work on for myself.
If there’s anything you can take out of this it’s that routine is a necessary foundation, but so is saying yes to other experiences to keep the weeks interesting, but productive simultaneously. As always start small and not all at once - pick one thing to nail and then another and so on.
Lastly, there is always time to turn the day around. Just because it’s 5 pm and nothing has worked out well that day you can still get a short walk-in, organise for the next day and take time in your evening routines.
