In a corporate world filled with office snacks, urgent deadlines, and triple venti lattes, healthy habits seem like a far reach. I’m here today to tell you that living your best life at work IS possible, and all it takes is setting easy, measurable goals to nudge you in the right direction.
In my role, as Chief Marketing Officer for BluGlacier, keeping a routine hasn’t been easy, but this year I vowed to myself that I wanted to be successful without sacrificing my wellness routine. With work travel ramping up again and airport food being… well airport food, I realized I can only control my daily habits.
I cherish my “me time” and I try to keep my routine as consistent as possible, so I can ensure that I’m at peak performance at work and in life.
Today, I am sharing my 9 essential habits that enhance a working professional’s productivity and overall health. I will cover everything from to healthy caffeine, packing healthy snacks for work, and eating healthy at work lunches. These are tried by me, so if I can implement into my chaotic schedule so can you. Hopefully you find a little nugget of inspiration for your routine.
Let’s begin.
Gym in the Morning
Don’t hate me. And trust me I get you ’cause I LOVE MY SLEEP too. My bedroom is a sanctuary, so I totally understand your predicament. But hear (read) me out because this is a great way to kick start a productive day.
Movement is vital in the morning especially as it sets the tone for your day. No matter how stressful your job, taking at least 30 minutes in the morning to hit the gym or do some sort of movement will give you the endorphin boost you need for the day. And we all know there is nothing worse than handling work pressure with low energy levels. Movement doesn’t have to be intense perhaps just take a short walk outside to grab your latte in the morning.
Energize your body first thing in the morning and you’ll be grateful you skipped the snooze button.
Check out my top fitness tips for more ideas to help implement a consistent fitness routine!
Hydration 2.0
Sounds pretty nuanced because every health topic says to “drink water,” but mine is a little different because for me staying hydrated means getting enough electrolytes. I love these NUUN tablets because they are compact for any laptop bag. Just add a tablet to a 16oz glass of water and voiala! a yummy dose of electrolytes for your day.
I also like to start my morning with a glass water with lemon. It kick starts the digestion and get things moving… if you know what I mean!
Oh and finally, have a designated water bottle for your office. This Takeya bottle holds 32oz and has a straw lid – it’s also under $25! I personally love a straw lid, and I find that I sip more during the day.
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Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Ah yes, the debatable topic of to eat or not to eat…. I am sure there are many diets that will shun me for saying this, but I love breakfast so I don’t skip breakfast. I’m usually running out the door (green juice in hand), I will wait to eat breakfast once I arrive to the office. I keep my breakfast items in one of my cabinets in the office.
My favorite breakfast is organic oats topped with chia seeds, flax seeds, almond butter, and dash of agave. On days I’m feeling extra bougie I’ll add blueberries, strawberries and perhaps almonds for crunch. I pair this with a green tea, and I feel full well into the afternoon. It’s a sweet-salty breakfast that I never get bored with. Plus it’s gluten-free, and oatmeal is really warm and comforting in my igloo office.
Bonus tip: if you are traveling you can mix the dry ingredients (oats, flax and chia) in a Stasher bag. When you arrive to the airport can grab a paper cup and ask for hot water at a food kiosk, mix the dry ingredients with the hot water and you have a healthy breakfast on the go.
Calendar Blocking
I talked about the Pomodoro method for calendar blocking years ago, but let’s bump this to the top of your inbox. One of the best ways to increase your productivity is to block out time on your calendar for specific tasks throughout your day.
For example here is mine:
- 15 Minutes (8:45am – 9:00am) – Check emails and answer only those requiring immediate response.
- 1 HOUR (10:00am – 11:00am) – Review 15 resumes for employee hire. While we have a headhunter that works with us, I still want to review the resumes and check out the individual’s LinkedIn to see if there are any connections. This will take about an hour – about 4 minutes per resume.
I block these times in my calendar accordingly and work on these tasks without any distractions. And I use a timer to keep me on track to move from task to task. I get more done each day with this method.
More details on calendar blocking here.
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Switching to Healthy Caffeine
Miami is the land of cafecitos, and I would be considered enemy of the state if I told you to skip coffee. Instead let me offer you these healthy caffeine alternatives that will keep you moving along during the day.
My suggestion is a good B-Vitamin Complex. Porque? The main reason people should take a Vitamin B-complex is that it helps boost mood and reduce fatigue. This is backed by scientific studies showing that those who were given high-dose B complex supplements fared better when it comes to performance and handling stress. Also if you guys remember my hair was falling out in clumps in 2018 because of stress, so I started taking the B-Complex vitamins and after 2 weeks I noticed less hair was falling out. I’ve been taking the vitamins ever since!
After a week you will notice that you have less energy crashes.
You can also energize your body with green tea, which is my favorite way to warm up around the office.
Eating Healthy At Work
If your office is anything like mine there is always a cookies, donuts, or cupcakes seducing you into temptation. Needless to say, eating healthy at work is always a challenge.
Once I started my new job, I knew meal prepping was going to be impossible, especially since I want to continue writing for all of you!
I signed up for Sakara, which is a healthy prepared meal plan that gets delivered to my door. All meals are freshly prepared (not frozen) and they are organic, non-GMO, and filled with leafy greens.It’s great way to always have a healthy lunch ready for work.
Blazer (also loving this one) // Pants // Cami // Handbag – on sale! (similar) // Heels (also loving these) // Sunnies – on sale! // Necklace
Healthy Snacks for Work
In order to keep your momentum, and to combat the cupcake Medusa, make sure you have healthy snacks in the office. If you have a sweet tooth here are some ideas:
- Dark chocolate squares with strawberries
- Goji berries
- Dates filled with almond butter on a rice cake
You can also keep come prunes handy. I know what you are thinking, Brickellista is a geriatric, but I love a good prune to kick my sugar craving. They’re so sweet you’ll only need one and sweet tooth is gone. And if you’re a salty snacker pack a container with hummus and fresh carrot chips – super crunchy and addicting.
Most offices have a fridge so have Amazon Prime snacks and breakfast foods delivered directly to your office for the week. It’s one less thing to think about!
Green Juice Each Morning
Getting your greens each day isn’t easy. One of my sneaky tricks is to stock my fridge with green Suja Juices. If you want to set the intention for your day to incorporate healthy habits then start your day with a green juice. I don’t have time to juice my own greens, so I need to find a way to drink my greens without the burden of cleaning a juicer.
I personally love Suja’s Green Juice line (not sponsored)
Uber greens – this one is VERY earthy but I love.
And I love that the juices are organic and non-GMO and don’t have added sugars. I shop the juices at Whole Foods (Amazon Prime Delivery), Publix (Instacart), and Target which makes it easy for me to shop. I grab a bottle while running out the door to sip during my morning commute… this is after the gym and before my morning coffee to be very specific!
This is an easy way to fuel my body with greens before my day begins.
Blazer (also loving this one) // Pants // Cami // Handbag – on sale! (similar) // Heels (also loving these) // Sunnies – on sale! // Necklace
Working from Home
It’s important to have balance when it comes to your work and home life. That being said, you may often find yourself bringing the office home with you, and that’s okay! To prevent burnout, however, there are a number of things you can do. The first is to make sure you have the best fiber internet provider possible, because there’s nothing more frustrating than working from home without wifi!
Another tip is setting yourself limits. Make a promise to yourself that you’ll stop working after a specific time, such as 7 pm, so you can unwind and get some rest before work the next day. Remember that working hard is as much about managing your time wisely as it is about actually working!
Combating Stress with Mindfulness at Work
I personally can’t meditate early in the morning because I fall right back asleep, so what I do is read a page from The Daily Stoic each morning and put it to practice throughout the day.
I also love listening to the Breethe app during the day because they have 5 minute meditations you can do just about anywhere. Mindfulness takes practice and awareness!
So there you have it my top 9 healthy habits for working professionals! Even if you just grabbed one new habit from my list then my work here is done. Do you have other healthy habits I may have missed? Share in the comments below or on my latest Instagram.
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XO
EV
As one of Miami’s top bloggers, Evelyn Torres has become one of the leading voices in fitness, fashion, and Miami. Brickellista started as a Twitter alias in 2009 and has expanded to become a lifestyle blog capturing a Miami girl’s perspective. Evelyn is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, brand ambassador and on the pulse of the Miami social scene.
Today as founder and Managing Director of BrickellistaFiles.com, Evelyn is not only the face of BrickellistaFiles, but oversees the strategy and direction. She is the driving force behind the brand and has built the go-to site for everything Miami.