3 ways to make your working life better in 2014

It’s the new year and you may have goals and a resolution or three, and one of those resolutions is to boost your career, and that’s a good thing. In this post I’m going to share with you 3 ways that you can make sure your career performance is the best it can possibly be.

Take Care of You

When you take care of your time, you will have more time for you. That also means your working time. Start with yourself at home and in the workplace. If you are not taking care of yourself, no one else will get taken care of either. It is easy to get rundown when you are up and down day in and day out, and this will affect your ability to do your best work.

Don’t neglect your sleep. Getting seven to eight hours is vital for your well-being and so that you can think easier and your memory performs better. The body spends that time repairing itself while you are resting. Lack of sleep can cause stress, irritability, poor concentration and it makes you difficult to work with. You can avoid all of this if you get your rest.

Some people find that if they meditate they can switch off and get better quality of sleep of a night. Meditation works. The same goes for your morning routine. Some people meditate to get the day started in focus. You can roll out of bed 30 minutes early to set yourself up for the day. If this seems impossible think about listening to some meditations as you commute to work. Starting the day, refreshed and focused will mean that you achieve more.

Exercise

Exercise in the work place is a beneficial thing – you keep yourself at your most productive. A quick run up a staircase in your office will not only work up a little sweat but it will also release those feel-good hormones; Endorphins. They encourage clarity, focus and a sense of well-being within you. Exercise also relieves stress meaning that if you have a tough day you’ll manage it much better

You might think you don’t have the time to get fit, and that’s understandable. You just might not know it yet. Take 30 minutes from your lunch break for a brisk walk, get of the train a stop earlier and walk the last part, as I mentioned earlier a quick run up some stairs will really get your heart racing. Those 30 minutes you spent watching television when you got home could be used to take a walk. When you exercise you find your whole body thanks you by becoming stronger, more resilient to stress and mentally faster. Exercise can have a positive impact on your career performance, make time for it.

Eat Right

Sometimes you can feel a slave to your desk, chained to the computer typing out reports and collating data. That also means you start to eat junk instead of a lunch break. It means your top desk drawer instead of being filled with stationery is filled with sugary sweets. What are you putting in your body! Natural foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that help the body run as an efficient machine. You won’t feel sluggish in the afternoon when you eat healthier and your mind will be sharper.

If you have to eat at your desk make healthy snacks like fruit, yogurt and veggies with dip are readily available for you to munch on.

Here’s the kicker… When you work in an office you can have lots of distractions. Your colleagues are eating different things and maybe they’re not taking care of themselves as well as they could be, and it will be hard not to be tempted by what they’re doing. It is tough to juggle, but if you stick with these three things your career will be boosted in many different ways.

• Sleep
• Exercise
• Eat Right

Your career is worth investing in, your employer deserves your best and when you make three simple changes you will find things are much easier for you.

Do you have a New Year resolution for 2014? Share it with us in the comments.