Building healthy habits at work starts with simple decisions: setting aside time to eat, moving during the working day, protecting your rest and asking for support when you need it. The challenge is finding changes that fit into your daily routine without turning self-care into yet another obligation.
The working day takes up a large part of our lives. That’s why what we do during those hours also matters when we think about ageing healthily. Looking after yourself requires personal habits and a work environment that allows you to maintain them.
These are the four healthy habits at work that help the most:
- Taking a proper break to eat and having simple options ready.
- Moving throughout the day and breaking up long periods of sitting.
- Protecting your rest and switching off when the working day ends.
- Asking for support when work becomes overwhelming.
How to eat better during the working day
A healthy diet is built on the overall pattern of what you usually eat. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the importance of including a variety of foods, such as vegetables, fruit, pulses, wholegrains and sources of protein.
To put this into practice at work:
- Have a simple meal ready. A container of chickpeas with vegetables can sort out lunch without a complicated recipe.
- Keep options to hand if you need to eat between meals, such as fruit or unsalted nuts.
- Keep water within reach to remind yourself to drink.
- Set aside time to eat, making sure your break doesn’t turn into another round of emails and messages.
- If you eat out, look for variety and include vegetables and sources of protein.
Not every meal needs to be perfect. Look for a routine you can keep up and that also lets you enjoy your food.
How to keep moving if you sit for long hours
If you spend much of the day at a computer, look for opportunities to break up long periods of sitting. Adding movement can start with small changes to your routine.
Build in movement breaks
You can stand up when you finish a task, walk during a call when it is safe to do so, or go for a stroll after lunch.
Linking movement to something you already do can help you remember it. For example, when you close a document or finish a meeting, you can stand up before starting your next task.
You can also change position and do gentle shoulder, neck and back movements, without forcing anything.
Complement your breaks with physical activity and strength training
Breaks during work complement your weekly physical activity. The WHO recommends that adults do between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or between 75 and 150 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent combination. It also advises strengthening the major muscle groups on at least two days a week.
You don’t need to reach those amounts from day one. Start with an accessible activity and build up gradually. If you have pain, an injury or an illness, consult a professional to adapt the exercises to your situation.
How to look after your rest and switch off from work
Rest also needs space in your daily routine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that adults aged 18 to 60 sleep at least seven hours a day; for those aged 61 to 64, the guideline is seven to nine hours. Sleep quality matters too.
To ease the transition between work and rest, you can try:
- Noting down pending tasks before you finish for the day.
- Adjusting work notifications outside your working hours, where your role allows.
- Avoiding checking your email as the last thing you do each day.
- Setting aside time for an activity that helps you slow down.
Shift work, caring responsibilities or worries can make this harder. Adapt these changes to your situation. If sleep problems persist or affect your daily life, consult a healthcare professional.
How to look after your emotional wellbeing at work
Sharing a concern, asking for help or explaining that you can’t take on another task are also ways of looking after yourself.
When work becomes overwhelming, being specific about what is happening can make the conversation easier. For example: “I have three deadlines today and I need to know which one to prioritise.”
Looking after working relationships means being able to express your needs, set boundaries and have spaces to talk about difficulties. It also requires finding a response that helps resolve them.
If the discomfort persists or interferes with your daily life, seek professional support. You don’t need to wait until you reach your limit.
What companies can do to encourage healthy habits at work
Healthy habits are easier to maintain when the work environment supports them. That’s why looking after team wellbeing involves reviewing workloads, clarifying priorities, making breaks possible and respecting rest and disconnection time.
The WHO guidelines on mental health at work highlight the importance of acting on how work is organised to identify and reduce risks, as well as offering individual support.
Day to day, this can translate into specific measures:
- Reviewing workloads and deadlines when tasks exceed the time available.
- Setting clear priorities so that teams know what to tackle first.
- Organising work in a way that allows for breaks.
- Agreeing on guidelines for communication outside working hours, taking shifts and roles into account.
- Making it easier to access professional guidance when someone needs support.
To complement these measures, an employee health and wellbeing programme can help employees find resources and professional guidance to look after themselves.
Where to start with your healthy habits at work
You don’t need to change your whole routine at once. Choose one specific difficulty and try a small action:
- If you tend to improvise what to eat at work, start by preparing your lunch for one day a week.
- If you sit for long periods, use the end of a task as a cue to stand up.
- If you keep checking your email at night, set a cut-off time and adjust your notifications.
- If you don’t know what to tackle first, ask for priorities to be clarified.
For example, you could start by preparing Tuesday’s lunch in advance. Once that change feels easy to keep up, try adding a walk after lunch or spending a few minutes wrapping up your working day.
After a few days, notice what has helped you and what has made it harder. If the change doesn’t fit, adjusting it is also part of the process.
Frequently asked questions
The main ones are setting aside time to eat a varied diet, moving during the day and breaking up long periods of sitting, protecting your rest and switching off when you finish, and asking for support when work becomes overwhelming. Starting with one small change makes it easier to keep up.
By reviewing workloads and deadlines, setting clear priorities, organising work so that breaks are possible, agreeing on guidelines for communication outside working hours and making professional guidance easy to access, for example through an employee wellbeing programme.
The general advice is to break up long periods of sitting frequently. A simple approach is to stand up after each task or meeting, walk during some calls when it is safe to do so and go for a stroll after lunch.
The WHO recommends that adults do between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or between 75 and 150 minutes of vigorous activity, and strengthen the major muscle groups on at least two days a week.
How openhealth one helps you look after your habits
At openhealth one you will find resources to turn these ideas into action and receive guidance tailored to your needs:
- Nutrition, sleep and emotional wellbeing assessments, to get to know your habits better.
- Micro-habit challenges and reminders, to help you introduce small changes.
- vitalityPlay classes and programmes, with live and on-demand sessions, physical activity, meditation, relaxation and workshops with specialists.
- “Foods that care”, with information about foods according to your needs.
- Your digital medical record, to organise your health information.
- Medical, psychology, nutrition and sports professionals, to receive guidance tailored to you.
If you already have access to openhealth one, log in to your space and choose your first step: review a habit, explore an activity or request professional guidance.
If you are looking for a solution for your company, find out how openhealth one can help you look after your team’s health and wellbeing.
Your wellbeing at work is cared for today, with achievable changes and an environment that allows you to maintain them.
This content is for information purposes only and does not replace consultation with a healthcare professional.