5 Eating Habits That Can Boost Your Productivity At Work
Staying focused and productive at work, all day, every day can seem like a drag. Struggling to get through the working day with no energy is tough, and it will eventually take a toll on your productivity.
But, have you ever thought about whether the foods you are eating could be effecting this? When we eat fatty foods, it tends to leave us feeling tired, sluggish and unmotivated. But when we opt for a healthy, nutritious snack it can have the opposite effect and give us that little energy boost we need to power through the day!
By simply avoiding foods that may be reducing your level of performance, and substituting these with foods that help you feel awake, energised and alert will massively help your productivity in the workplace.
You might be thinking that substituting all your yummy treats for healthy snacks will be too big a challenge, we get it, BUT you’d be surprised how some small, simple changes to your diet can increase your productivity.
To get you started, we’ve listed 5 habits you can start incorporating into your life to give your energy and productivity a boost:
1. Eat Breakfast
This one won’t come as a surprise to many of you, but skipping breakfast is a big NO NO if you want to stay productive during the day. As they say, it is the most important meal of the day and the benefits of breakfast are endless. But in short, eating a nutritional breakfast will kick start your metabolism and provide your body with the nutrients it needs to boost your energy and keep you going through the day.
2. Substitute your usual snack for a healthy alternative!
Bar of chocolate? Packet of crisps? Can of coke? Whatever it is, swap it for a healthier alternative! Sometimes all it takes to stop that sluggish feeling is to make a few small changes. As working men and women, It’s very easy to overlook these small choices when popping into the shop on our lunch break, but they make a difference, trust us! If you’re struggling for ideas for healthy snack alternatives, we’ve written a blog post on 5 easy to make office snacks here.
3. Plan ahead
Planning your weekly meals ahead of time will not only boost your productivity by saving you time making a lunch / going to the shop every day, but it will enable you to make a nutritious lunch rather than having to opt for that same old shop bought sandwich. If you’re a salad fan, we recently written 3 delicious tupperware salad recipes which are perfect for taking to work, which you can read here.
4. Have a coffee!
Let’s be honest, most of you probably have a cup of coffee in your hand while reading this. Although most of the time, coffee is perceived as a negative and the disadvantages of drinking too much coffee are drilled into us on the daily, there are some positives! The consumption of coffee is shown to improve memory and cognitive function, as well as increasing the capacity for mental and physical labour - making it the perfect beverage to start your day! So there you have it! Although caffeine has its critics, consuming a sensible amount daily can boost you energy and hence increase your productivity!
5. Stay hydrated!
Unknown to some, water plays a huge role in reducing work related stress! There is a stress hormone in our body called ‘Cortisol’, when we are dehydrated, the cortisol level in our bodies increases. Keeping on top of your water intake will ensure your cortisol level is controlled, which will help you control your stress levels which play an essential role in improving your productivity. As well as this, when you are dehydrated, your blood thickens which forces your heart to pump faster, and with more difficulty which makes you feel drained and sluggish more quickly. So don’t forget, 2 litres of water a day people!