- Barbara Bawer is a primary care physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
- She has heard from her patients about the challenges in returning to work.
- She recommends a healthy diet, sleeping well, hydration, working from home when sick, and exercising.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr Barbara Bawer, a primary care physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m regularly hearing from patients, other providers, and friends that more and more people are being told to return to the office for work.
While people look forward to increased socialization, they are worried about maintaining the wellness routines they developed at home.
Many of the routines established when working from home go out the window, so staying healthy at the office can require work and plenty of planning.
Here are five ways to take care of yourself as you get back to the office.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet
Meal planning and prepping are essential if you want to eat well when you’re working at the office.
Consider using the weekends to prepare lunchtime meals for yourself that include vegetables, fruits, proteins, and starches. If you’re working five days a week, you aren’t going to get home from a long day and want to prep for lunch the next day.
Having nutritious meals available will keep you from grabbing that fast food or the sweet snacks coworkers bring in.
If you get hungry throughout the day, keep snacks like nuts, veggies, healthy dips, boiled eggs, cheese, or meat near your desk.
Stay hydrated
At home, you probably have easy access to water or your choice of drink. You have to do a little more work in the office to stay hydrated.
Bring a large bottle to drink from throughout the day, and set gentle reminders on your phone to remind you to keep drinking.
Drinking lots of water will keep you full, stop you from overeating, and give you energy.
Keep an eye on how much caffeine you’re drinking, too. Excess caffeine could make you overstimulated and affect your mood at work.
Keep an eye on your sleep
Experts generally recommend between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Although you may function with only four hours, that doesn’t mean it’s all your body needs.
Sleeping supports your immune system, and helps your body heal from any issues that happened the day before. Without enough sleep, you get hungrier and have more cravings, and the stress hormone cortisol tends to spike.
Heading back to the office, you may have to think about getting up earlier to prepare for and physically get to work. If sleep is important to you, you’ve got to plan to make time for it.
Exercise is key
Forget the weight loss component — exercise can help overall well-being. It helps with circulation, boosts your immune system, improves mood, and keeps your heart and lungs active.
You might be tempted to just work through your lunch break at the office, but consider going outside and taking a walk. You’ll get vitamin D, and the air will be good for your mental clarity.
You could park further away from the office to get steps in, or you could even just walk to see a colleague down the hall. Just short bursts of movement get the blood flow moving, preventing clots. It’s all motion, and all counts.
Scheduling in exercise is really important — treat it like a meeting.
Stay home from work when you’re sick
Ideally, you should stay home when you’re sick, especially if you have a fever. Your immune system is already compromised, so you might pick up something else at the office. You also want to avoid spreading whatever virus you might have.
It isn’t always straightforward because some employers require a physician’s note to stay home from work for a given number of days, and others might not even accept physician notes.
You might also be able to work from home. Check your options when you get sick.
