5 Tips to Improve Personal Wellness in 2022

Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on businesses and their employees, with the health and well-being of employees an area of special concern. As remote working and hybrid office models blurred the line between work and life, nearly 65% of respondents in a recent survey reported they experienced new physical health issues during the pandemic, while nearly three-quarters (73.6%) reported new mental health issues.  Another recent survey found more than 70 percent of workers have described the pandemic as the most stressful time in their professional careers.

“Many of our tenants share our view that wellness programs support employees in all aspects of their work lives,” said Todd Greenwald, Compass Properties Vice President of Operations.  “Individuals also have a personal responsibility for their own physical, emotional and mental health. It’s the day-to-day decisions and choices we make that impact our physical and mental well-being.”

 

If you’re resolved to live healthier in 2022, here’s five effective wellness tips that can help make it happen.

1. Stay Hydrated

Drinking more water offers many remarkable benefits; it’s good for your mind, can improve physical performance and may prevent headaches. Keeping well hydrated can also reduce the risk of heart failure.  Your body uses water to maintain its temperature, remove waste, and lubricate your joints. Water helps keep your skin, hair, and nails healthy in addition to giving you energy throughout the day. Most of us have been told to drink 6-8 glasses (8 oz) of water each day.  While that’s a reasonable goal, it isn’t based on solid, well-researched information. The current IOM recommendation is 131 ounces for men and 95 ounces for women. This refers overall fluid intake and includes anything you eat or drink that contains water, like fruits or vegetables.

2. Sit Less, Move More

Some have called sitting the new smoking.  There are numerous downsides to too much sitting — decreased blood flow to your legs, increased risk for the buildup of plaques in the arteries, increased risk for diabetes, depression and obesity. New figures show global diabetes increased by 16% in the past two years, as Covid-19 increased sedentary behavior which was already at dangerous levels.  Some estimates say the pandemic added an average of 3 hours of sitting time to our day!

To sit less at work, take breaks when sitting for long periods and find ways to build physical active times into your schedule, such as walks during lunch or taking the stairs whenever you can.  Click here for more hacks to Sit Less and Save Your Life.

3. Reduce Your Screen Time

Most Americans get almost 11 hours of screen time every day – a potential health hazard that can cause serious sleep, vision and attention issues.  Most people who use electronics and computers frequently are also at risk of Computer Vision Syndrome  —  which can cause serious discomfort,  burning/dry eyes and sleep issues.  Cutting down on screen time has many wellness benefits, including better sleep, reduced anxiety, and waking up more focused.

There are several ways to reduce screen time and improve your digital well-being, starting with tracking your screen time.   Other tips include stepping away from your screen regularly, turning off notifications on your smart phone for periods of time, avoid eating in front of a screen and designating a time/activity where no technology is used. If you’re working at home, Inject detox breaks throughout the day to replace the natural breaks that are part and parcel of working in an office (e.g.  commuting, coffee break chats, in-person meeting, lunch breaks with colleagues.)

4. Don’t get SAD, get Outdoors

In Wisconsin where daylight can be scant during the winter months, one in three people consistently struggle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) –a metabolic disorder that causes fatigue and depression. Symptoms include low mood, loss of interest in things you previously enjoyed, sleeping too much and feeling of worthlessness.  For people with severe symptoms, treatment options include psychological intervention, antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Aside from professional help, there are several things you can do to avoid or cope with milder cases of SAD.   Number one on the list is going outside and getting some natural daylight. Exposure to sunlight and spending time outdoors, especially in the mornings, can help boost mood.  This can also entail increasing the amount of sunlight that shines into one’s home and workspace.

Increasing or starting a regular exercise program can produce both psychological (such as exercise providing a distraction from negative thoughts and a means to socialize) and physiological (such as changes in endorphin or cortisol levels) benefits.

Finally, moving with, rather than against, the changing seasons can be an effective way to cope. “Winter-onset SAD may be caused by the decreased amount of sunlight in the fall and winter, which affects your biological clock, or circadian rhythm,” nutritionist Shauna Hatcher, MSPH, told POPSUGAR. “The changing of the seasons can throw off the body’s melatonin balance, which affects sleep patterns and mood in the long run.”

5. Go at Your Own Pace

According to U.S. News & World Report,  80 % of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. Experts say there are several common pitfalls that keep people from achieving their New Year’s resolutions including goal setting that is too broad, too big, or too many. Simply stating a resolution without a plan of action rarely works. That’s why saying “I will lose weight” or “I will eat healthier” is often forgotten by the end of January. The start of a New Year doesn’t mean you need to make new ambitions or goals.   Make sure you are mentally ready to put your “healthier new life” into action.  The first month doesn’t have to be the official kickoff – it can be just as productive to spend time reflecting, researching and getting yourself set up for the New Year.  If you stay positive and set realistic expectations, you have a better chance to stay motivated and on track for the long haul.