Those of us who work with technology for a living often find we get into physical and mental bad habits. It is important to identify some of these trouble spots and find ways to make sure that our technology use does not harm us. There areas that we might focus on include our core, our nutrition habits and staying hydrated, and managing stress. Giving ourselves a little TLC means we will physically feel better and be better able to be more successful in our careers.
Our Core
In general when we speak about our core we typically mean the muscles deep in our abdomen, pelvis and back. These are the muscles that can help us maintain a good posture. If we do not take the time to take care of our core we might find we need pelvic floor physical therapy or other treatments to strengthen these muscles. If you find yourself in a role that means you are sitting for most of the day you might consider simple core exercise that can be done while sitting such as sitting with your feet flat on the floor, gently pressing your palm down into your thigh while pressing your thigh up into your palm, pressing firmly enough that you feel your abs tighten. Even if your job is not set up to encourage movement it is possible to incorporate exercises that can help you have the stamina to continue working all day. If we take care of our core, our core will take care of us in response with decreased aches and pains.
Nutrition and Water
When we have a job that involves a lot of sitting we can get into bad habits such as eating poorly. There is an image of someone who works with technology ending up needing more cups of coffee than is strictly speaking good for them to keep going. If we know we are going to be tempted to eat junk food we might consider ways we can have healthy food around us at all times. This might look like having a bowl of baby carrots or roasting up some indian style roasted cauliflower. This might also mean looking into health meal replacement bars that do not contain a large amount of added sugar. This might also mean being aware of what vitamins we may not be getting and taking a nutritional supplement to fill in our nutritional gaps.
In addition to eating well it is important that we work hard to keep ourselves hydrated. Did you know that water is crucial to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, keep organs functioning properly and improve sleep quality, cognition, and mood. If you need to make sure you stay hydrated you might consider having a reusable water bottle that you can refill over the course of the day or eating fruits and vegetables that contain high levels of water. If we have water always at hand we will be surprised how much more we consume of this important beverage.
Reduce Stress.
For those of us who use technology regularly we often find that technology can become a big headache and sometimes it won’t work no matter what we try. This accumulates in our body as stress and appears as everything from low energy, to trouble focusing, to physical issues such as migraines or heart issues. Stress also makes us more likely that we will pick up the next virus that we come in contact with. With all the negative impacts of stress we know we have to find ways to destress.
Sometimes destressing can look like doing some simple stretches because we often carry stress in our physical bodies. Sometimes destressing can look like taking a moment to be mindful or taking a moment to simply breathe. Sometimes destressing looks like finding ways to delegate our work or finding systems that mean we can spend less time on busy work and more on the parts of our job that make our hearts sing. There are a wide range of healthy ways to destress after a long day so that when you are home you can be 100% at home and not bring your work home with you. That fact may help destress you in of itself.
