APU Careers Careers & Learning

Let’s Get Physical: Wellness at Work

By Tee Morris
Online Career Tips Staff

A real challenge in being creative or productive is keeping your ideas fresh. You really want to be able to have something to show at the end of the day. Progress at work can appear particularly daunting when suddenly you discover yourself sitting before the Silicon Altar, aimlessly plodding through online articles and Facebook updates, only to notice that you’re up on your lunch hour and have not really accomplished much of anything. This is a dangerous habit to develop and extremely hard to break.

So what do you do? Find a way to break that cycle. For me, I got back into an exercise routine.

Swimming is something I’ve always enjoyed. After a year of getting off track from my swimming routine I decided two weeks ago, while attending a science fiction convention (yes, in my other life, I write science fiction with my wife), that it was time to resume my exercise in aquatics. It was difficult making myself get up early to hit the pool, but after a couple of days I noticed a dramatic chance in my energy level and stamina.  Since my return to exercise, I’ve stepped into my new role as Senior Social Communities Coordinator, wrote close on to 10,000 words for my next novel with my wife, and managed to write another 2,000 words for a new solo work. This was all in the first week back in an exercise routine.

Not. Bad.

Exercise is just as valuable a tool in being creative and productive in the office as a good microphone to a podcaster, a fully-loaded computer for a media producer, or a reliable laptop for a writer. Being active keeps you alert, fit, and most of all, thinking. After a workout, your blood is flowing, the endorphins are kicking, and ideas and concepts are easier to come by. Many offices refer to this approach as “Wellness Programs” which may sound contrived, but ask yourself:

  • When was the last time you took a 10-15 minute break and went for a walk?
  • If you have a place to clean up at work, take a 30 minute run or walk during your lunch break
  • Instead of a coffee break, enjoy ten minutes with a book.

The greatest deterrent to wellness in the workplace is time. Regardless of how important a project is, eventually, a task needs a break; and if breaks aren’t taken, mistakes happen more often made.

[see also: Drop the Coffee and Get Active at Work Instead]

I regard the workout as necessary time away. Step away from the mouse. Hit the gym. Go for a walk. Read a chapter. Give yourself easy-to-reach and reasonable goals, and if you have previous injuries/conditions, consult a physician on what exercise or activities will work best for you.

The pressure is on when your work relies on creativity, so consider your personal health.

When it comes to producing ideas and completing the job at hand, you are your most valuable resource. Make sure you don’t neglect it.

What do you do to maintain wellness — physical or mental — in the workplace?

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