5 Healthy Habits To Be More Productive in Life

If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s that there is much to do and very little time to do it! So, to ensure that we get everything done, we look for ways to extend our work hours – mostly involving fewer hours of sleep and several cups of coffee.

While this may get the work done, in the long run, these methods are going to come back to haunt you in the form of health issues. So, instead of putting out fires as they come, why not adopt a more permanent solution? These five healthy habits will not only ensure you stay in the pink of health, but also ensure that your productivity levels aren’t compromised.

1. Drink Water – a Lot of It!

You’ve probably heard this several times over, but you’re going to hear it again: You need to keep yourself well-hydrated. Set a reminder if you must, but make sure you have enough water. And yes, it will do more than just give you clearer skin. In fact, it is proven that your brain is able to focus on tasks much better when your body is sufficiently hydrated.

Pro tip: If you can’t get yourself to have water because it is too “bland”,  add lemon, ice or cucumber to it. It will give the water a nice zing and definitely make the water more appealing to you.

2. Eat a Healthy Meal

Feeling hungry whilst in the middle of work can be very distracting and also invite procrastination as you start daydreaming about food or endlessly scrolling through food delivery apps. The best way to avoid this is to ensure you eat healthy and wholesome meals. Don’t worry, we are not asking you to only eat salads; just focus on making one meal of the day healthy. Take your pick between breakfast or lunch, and make sure you add a bunch of veggies and proteins to it. Heidi Bowman, senior vice president and general manager at Weight Watchers Health Solutions says, “When you choose lean proteins and veggies and steer away from saturated fats and sugar, you’ll feel satisfied longer, making it easier to stay focused throughout the day.“

3. Get off Your Chair

We spend almost nine hours at work every day and most of those hours are spent sitting. This can make your body feel sluggish and your mind prone to distractions. To avoid this, a lot of people swear by the 90:10 rule where you work for 90 minutes and break for 10. Your break should include a walk around the office or a climb up and down some stairs. Exercise gets your blood flowing and gives your brain a boost that helps shake off the sluggishness and the monotony, thus improving your productivity over time.

Staying focused is hard, but it gets easier when you’re doing something you love. Channel your fascination and interest into a career you love. Take the Mentoria holistic career assessment test, to find the right career fit for you based on your unique interests, personality, and ability.

4. Get the Right Amount of ZZzzs

This one is no secret. If you stay up trying to finish tasks, your productivity is going to keep dropping and you will notice simple tasks taking much longer than usual. The thing is, these days even when you manage to get some sleep, it’s not the best. To ensure you get some quality sleep, stay away from screens at least 30 minutes prior to your bedtime – this means no Netflix right before bed. Instead, use this time to relax and plan your next day. This will help you calm down and feel more in control, thus, ensuring a good night’s sleep and an active start to your day the next morning.

5. Meditate from Time to Time

You must have come across days when you can’t focus on work, and you just find yourself moving from one task to the other without completing any. To avoid this, take five minutes out of your time in between tasks to just breathe. That’s right, just a few minutes of deep breaths. This will help centre and energise your mind. So, make it a habit to take periodic moments throughout your workday to give yourself a little energy boost from time to time so you can tackle all the tasks that find their way to your desk.

We hope this article helps stir you away from your coffee-chugging ways and adopt better, healthier ways to ensure you get all your work done and maintain your health while at it.

Kick-start your career discovery journey with Mentoria & be sure to find the right career fit for you. Our 4-step career guidance solution, helps us find the right career fit for you from 3 streams, 850+ courses & 12,000+ careers.