I have just read a great book called “A Short Guide To A Long Life” by David Agus.
In the book Dr. Agus outlines 65 practical guides to living healthy.
While all of the 65 guides relating to better health have a direct correlation to becoming more productive at work I have the following seven as being the most relevant to making your workforce more productive, creative, energized and engaged. We cover these topics many times in our executive coaching and employee engagement consulting projects.
Cultivate om in the office
Stress has profound negative impacts on health as well as robbing us of clarity of thought and sound judgment. Dr. Agus recommends practicing stress relief measures such as taking a walk during lunch, standing while taking phone calls or exercise after work. A recent Stanford University study by Daniel Schwartz showed that the creativity levels of survey participants who walked during lunch was 60% greater than their comparative sedentary participants
Start a sensible caffeine habit
Caffeine in moderation can boost energy, alertness and mood. Unfortunately caffeine in excess will cause jitters, anxiety and disrupted sleep patterns. Where we work is a place where much of our caffeine consumption occurs. Be aware of your consumption and work on ways to reduce your intake
Deal with sickness smartly
We all will eventually get sick. Many times we will cuddle up in a ball at home with the shades tightly drawn. This is recommended by Dr. Agus. He says that keeping to your internal clock will keep your body’s circadian rhythms in sync and healp the healing process
Smile
Smiling releases pain-killing, brain happy endorphins and serotonin. It also only takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty three to frown. You will be better and your team mates and work will appreciate it.
Be positive
Positive thinking has a major impact on good health (and workplace productivity). Tests have repeatedly shown that patients with favorable outlooks recover at a much faster rate than those with a negative outlook.
Stretch
Dr. Agus recommends that we do not remain sedentary for an entire hour. Find time somewhere in each hour at work to stretch. It will get your internal organs working and help keep you alert
Avoid the absence of downtime
All of the digital input we receive from our smart phones and computers can keep our brains on full alert. The downside is that you can face burn out, depression, insomnia and other health issues. Take some time away from the computer to decompress.
For more on the very smart advice from Dr. Agus please refer to the following blog post where he discusses his book.
http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/a-short-guide-to-a-long-life-/52b4be2b02a7605801000586
