I’ve been working a desk job for about 2 years now.
While the job is great, sitting all day is very bad for the body and staring at a screen can be tough on the mind.
As a lifelong learner and fitness geek, I’ve found some very unique ways to stay mentally and physically active throughout the day.
Enjoy.
Elevator squats: Mental and Physical
One day, I sat at my desk falling asleep. I tried everything from coffee to pinching myself but this day was a whole new level of exhaustion. This called for extreme measures.
So I got up and headed to the elevators.
I let a couple people go on a separate elevator and waited for one I could catch on my own.
Seeing as how I’m on the 26th floor, I have a nice ride down to the bottom.
As soon as the doors closed, I proceeded to crank out as many body squats as possible before I got to the bottom floor.
I did the same thing on the way up and got back to my desk breathing heavily.
However, when I sat back down I was completely invigorated and fully energized!
Give this a try when you are in desperate need.
Warning: To avoid some embarrassment, make sure to find the elevators without cameras, I learned this the hard way. I continue to do these when needed but I advise saving them for desperate times!
Breath walks: Mental and Physical
When feeling drained, take a walk around the house or office using the 478 breathing method. This will give your brain and body a rush of oxygen to get the energy back. I literally do this every day now.
Podcasts: Mental
We all get those mindless and monotonous tasks at work need to be done. The lack of brain activity can drain your energy quicker than you would think. For these types of tasks, throw on one of these awesome podcasts to help keep your brain active! I also love podcasts for my drives to and from work.
Warning: I don’t suggest listening to podcasts during mentally demanding work, these tasks deserve your full attention.
Hand grippers: Physical
Grab a pair of Captains of Crush hand grippers to bring to work. They are small enough to fit in your lunch bag and at your desk. Squeeze a couple reps every few hours and build that grip strength. My boss and coworkers regularly walk over and give them a squeeze!
Calf raises: Physical
Alone in the restroom or have your own cubicle? Knock out 20 calf raises to pump some blood into the lower body.
Productive meditation: Mental
Take a break and head for a walk. On this walk, have only one thought you want to focus on. Maybe it’s something you’re doing at work or a cool idea you have. Spend the whole walk only thinking about this one thing. When you get distracted, bring the attention back to the one thought. I’m currently doing a 2 week experiment (see end of post) for focus using this and other strategies.
Stomach vacuum: Physical
Work on that tummy any time of the day. Simple practice sucking your belly-button as far in as possible and hold it for 30 seconds. Once you get better at this you can do it while sitting or standing and no one would even know you’re working on your core!
Iso-chest press: Physical
Get a little chest pump on the sly. Put both of your palms together as if you were praying. Begin pressing into both palms and hold this for 10 seconds. You’ll feel it all up in that chest!
Wrist stretch: Physical
Use one hand to pull the fingers of the other hand back to stretch your wrist throughout the day. This keeps them loose if you do a lot of typing.
Chug water: Mental and Physical
The next time you’re dragging, resist the coffee and chug some water. This will give you a little boost and keep you going. Keeping yourself hydrated is a great way to keep the brain and body in good working order.
Shoulder stretch: Physical
Loosen your shoulders after long periods of sitting. Link your fingers together behind your back. Now gently push your hands toward the ground and feel the stretch in your shoulders and chest.
Standing on one leg: Physical
If you catch me in our break room heating up my lunch, there is a great chance I’m standing on one leg. I’m not talking about having the other leg way up in the air, just slightly lifted off the ground. This gives a little balance challenge and nice burn in the ankles to give you a little energy boost throughout the day.
Walk to the restroom in a new direction: Mental
Your brain gets used to routine, change up the routes you walk daily to spice up your day.
Pomodoro method: Mental
Instead of trying to do your work for hours on end, take mental sprints to be more efficient. Give yourself 25 minutes completely free from distractions to really get after your work. Take a 5 minute break and do it again. You’ll find that this method allows you to stay focused easier than working for hours without a rest. Check out this post for more on managing your time.
Healthy snacks: Mental and Physical
If you’re really tired throughout the day, your body is telling you something. Either you need more sleep or you need to re-fuel. Healthy snacks like boiled eggs, peanuts, avocados, peanut butter, and greek yogurt can all help bring you back to life. And yes, I do eat all these within one work day, don’t judge me.
Read at lunch time: Mental
If you get a break a lunch, get the heck out the office and get outside. Bring a book with you and give yourself 20 minutes to catch up on some reading after you eat. This will give you some time to digest your food and re-charge your brain!
John Michael Domingo, Writer. Learner. Martial Artist. Christian.
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