Spring into a healthier work environment

Where to start?

For your physical health, start with the biggest things:

1. Look at your overall space first. You have to know how much room you have to fit in the improvements you need before you start thinking about what you want.
2. Ensure you have the budget/approval for the project and qualified people to help you make the changes.
3. Ascertain your most pressing need and concentrate on that. Do you need to address your posture?…your eyes? your sleep patterns?…your eating habits? Pick one and get that well underway before anything else.
4. Set a schedule to check on your progress. You may have to switch priorities or tactics if your main challenges persist. If anything gets worse, and even if it doesn’t, make sure you see your doctor for a check-up.

For your mental health, start with the smallest things:

1. Pick your top ten pet peeves: little things that annoy you every day like having to find your keys, the way you have to fill in that expense report, the smell of garlic coming from 2 desks over every lunch hour.
2. Split the list into those things you can do something about and those you can’t.
3. Double check those you can’t. You may be able to find a solution. Can you ask HR for help with the expense reports? Can you ask your supervisor to help you deal with a co-worker?
4. Deal with every item that can be dealt with, then look at methods for learning to cope with the stuff you can’t change. Want to try some yoga?…meditation?…work out your frustrations at the gym?
5. Again, set a schedule to check on your progress. Are the same things still making you crazy? Maybe you need to reexamine why they’re driving you nuts.

Where to go from there?

For the physical changes, give yourself at least 2-3 months to work on your 1 or 2 biggest issues before going any further. If it’s going well, you may see improvement in your overall health by simply addressing those issues. If other issues have come up as a result of your changes, set clearly-defined goals and a schedule to address them.

For the mental changes, give yourself a month to deal with/get help with what you can change. As to the stuff you can’t change and your options to deal with it, give yourself all the time you need. You may be changing the way you think about some pretty fundamental issues so take your time, do it right, and be as honest with yourself as you can be.

Bottom Line?

1. Keep at it in both cases. It’s always ok to ask for help when you need it.
2. Make sure you laugh at least once a day. It’s good for both body and mind.