Being healthy is something that many people struggle with for a number of reasons. For some, they find it difficult to find the time to prepare healthy meals, while for others, they can’t find the motivation to stay healthy. This can especially be true when you have a demanding schedule and can’t find time to do much but work. Healthcare professionals often fall into this category as they may have early mornings and long nights. If you happen to be one looking for ways to strike a balance between work and good health, then you should carry on reading below.
Know When to Take a Break
To begin with, finding balance as a health professional requires you to know when it’s time for a break. Overworking yourself isn’t doing you any favors, but contrarily, it could be doing more harm. Understand what your wellbeing needs are and see how you can carve out time to meet them. If, for example, you find that you get frustrated when you don’t take frequent work breaks, take the time out to set reminders so that your breaks are taken.
In case you didn’t know, work breaks are important as they can help replenish you psychologically, especially after sessions of hard work. This should help improve your output and improve the quality of your work which should be what you’re aiming at.
Eat Nourishing Foods
The food you eat is going to have a significant impact on your work-life balance, so see how you can improve your diet. Often, people feel they have no time to eat better as they’re always busy and on-the-go. However, there are ways around it such as creating a meal plan for the week on your day off and doing adequate meal prep. You may also want to buy healthy snacks for the week and throw them into the bags you’ll be taking with you to work.
You should be focusing on eating nutrient dense foods if you want to keep your body healthy. In case you need ideas for such foods, you’re going to find a few below.
- Salmon: As you likely know, salmon is filled with omega-3 fatty acids which are essential if you want your body to function effectively. Aside from fatty acids, it also has many other nutrients. Some include animal protein, vitamins, minerals, magnesium, and potassium. You could make the salmon over the weekend and couple it with vegetables like broccoli and carrots.
- Kale: Of all the healthy greens, kale is said to take the crown. A 100-gram portion of kale can have 200% vitamin C, 200% vitamin A and 1,000 vitamin K1. Regarding the health benefits of kale, it’s low in calories, can make your bones stronger and improve your immune system. Kale can be eaten cooked, boiled, or raw in a salad that you make for lunch.
- Potatoes: In addition to the mentioned, potatoes can also give you your fair share of potassium, iron, copper, and magnesium. The good thing about them is that they’re filling, so you could simply bake or boil a few and consume them during your lunch break.
- Blueberries: During a busy day, finding time to snack is essential. Blueberries can prove to be a nutritional snack, so buy some at the beginning of the week and take them with you to work. Blueberries are nutritional as they reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, provide fiber and help with weight loss. This small but powerful food is something you should add to your diet.
Consider Flexible Work
Aside from eating the right foods, choosing flexible work could also help you achieve a better work-life balance. If you find your current job is too demanding and you need more flexibility, think about becoming self-employed or starting a business. If you’re a registered nurse, explore obtaining an MSN-FNP degree offered by Walsh University and branching into starting your own practice. However, you should know that this will be a lot of work, but you’ll at least have more autonomy over your time and how it’s spent.
Workout Often
Keeping fit is a necessity if you want work-life balance. This is so crucial as it will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and can also give you the energy need to cope throughout the day. Here are some easy exercises that you can do before, during, or after work.
- Stretch in Bed: For those who like to take a few minutes to roll around in bed before getting up, you can begin stretching before you get up. Also, add in a few strength moves like push-ups and lunges which should leave you energized as well as ready to take on the day.
- 20-minute Routine During Lunch: If you want to make the most of your lunch break, do a 20-minute routine that consists of squats, tricep dips, mountain climbers, seated skaters, and push-ups. This should give you not only a physical but also a mental boost right before you head back to work.
- Workout While Watching TV: For those who tend to watch TV as a way of unwinding, why not combine this with a workout? You can do a five-minute routine that includes 20 squats, 15 mountain climbers, 10 push-ups and 5 burpees during a commercial break.
Have a Schedule
Making time out to spend with friends and family is another core aspect of work-life balance. Think about how you can better organize yourself, so you have time for this. It could mean waking up a little earlier or finding ways to improve productivity at work, so you don’t end up bringing work home.
To improve productivity, track and limit the amount of time you spend on tasks, take regular breaks, and set self-imposed deadlines. Aside from this, schedule in time to meet up with your loved ones and schedule reminders so that you don’t double book. In doing so, you should find you feel happier and more fulfilled as you’re able to get the best of work life as well as the best from your personal life too.
