In a world where the pace of work can be demanding, the relevance of healthy habits cannot be ignored. Integrating healthy practices enhances the quality of life and the positive impact it can have on a professional level.
This article addresses various topics, such as a healthy relationship within a company and some healthy habits that can impact everyone’s professional life, such as sleep, healthy eating, physical exercise, and even other healthy habits that have gained recent notoriety.
Positive professional environment
A workplace with healthy habits can potentially boost companies’ business volume significantly. Richard Brunson used to say, ‘Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your business.’
Despite living in an increasingly digital world, where telecommuting has gained its space (according to INE, telecommuting in Portugal has increased to about 18% of the population), maintaining a positive office environment is becoming more relevant and a concern for company leaders.
With the increasing concern about mental health in the workplace, companies are starting to create rules, dynamics, processes, and even infrastructures (as is the case with Google, which has one of the most famous offices for the conditions it presents) that foster personal and interpersonal well-being. These factors are sometimes (and increasingly) decisive in career development decision-making.
Individual healthy habits
Given the increase in cases of people in Portugal with mental health problems (especially young people), it is increasingly important to learn and apply certain routines that allow us to reduce the likelihood of suffering from these types of problems, such as:
- Sleep – Some say that sleep is one of the most important variables for health, both physical and mental. Sleep is essential for our recovery and should even be seen as an investment in our productivity. The quantity and quality of sleep greatly impact our cognitive ability, from attention to memory and even the ability to capture information. Studies indicate that to have a ‘good night’s sleep,’ we should sleep at least 7 hours daily.
- Physical activity – Integrating physical activity into the daily routine is a habit that goes beyond physical benefits. Regular exercise improves cardiovascular health and muscle endurance and has direct implications for our mental health. Through physical exercise, we release endorphins that reduce stress and anxiety, promoting essential emotional balance to face professional challenges.
- Healthy eating – The old saying ‘we are what we eat’ could not be more true regarding our physical and mental well-being. A balanced and nutritious diet provides the necessary energy for the workday and impacts our concentration and mood.
- Emerging habits – Besides the traditional pillars of healthy habits, such as sleep, exercise, and diet, new habits have gained prominence. Mindfulness, efficient time management, and digital disconnection are emerging habits that promote balance between personal and professional life. We also have some slightly more ‘radical’ habits (ice baths or cold showers in the morning, the practice of ‘fasting’ or intermittent fasting, direct contact of our eyes with sunlight in the morning, direct contact of our body with natural soil (earth), or even morning breathing exercises) that are beginning to be studied and showing some scientific evidence with a positive impact on healthy habits in people’s lives.
Conclusion
In short, cultivating healthy habits is not just a personal choice; it is a smart strategy to succeed personally and professionally. Taking care of mental and physical health increases individual quality of life and contributes to more positive and productive work environments. In a world where balance is the key to consistency and long-term success, healthy habits can be the anchor that sustains an ambitious and challenging professional life.
P.S. – To listen to and study more on the topic of ‘Health’ or ‘Longevity,’ I recommend following the following profiles: Andrew Huberman, Peter Attia, and Gary Breka.
