The average person spends approximately 90,000 hours at work over the course of their lifetime. If you are an employee, you know that what you do during those hours can have a profound impact on your overall health and well being. If you are an employer, you know that healthy employees are more productive, less stressed and require fewer sick days. Staying healthy at work benefits everyone.

Here are a few tips to stay healthy on the job:

• Drink more water: Staying hydrated is crucial to keeping your energy level up. Buy a large water bottle that you can keep at your desk and refill throughout the day. It will help keep your mind off soda or coffee, and it may help you fight off food cravings, too.
• Wash your hands often: There is no such thing as washing your hands too much. It may seem obvious, but this simple step is often overlooked. To help prevent yourself from getting sick, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before you eat, after using the restroom, and after coughing or sneezing.
• Keep healthy snacks nearby: Having a snack in-between meals helps to keep your blood sugar levels stable and your productivity strong. If you keep healthy snacks like nuts, fruit, hummus, yogurt and string cheese at your desk, you’re more likely to forego the vending machine when hunger strikes.
• Sanitize regularly: Your desk may harbor 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. That disturbing statistic can be reduced by taking five minutes once or twice a week to wipe down surfaces with a sanitizing wipe. Focus on the areas where germs convene like your computer keyboard and your phone.
• Take breaks: Even if you can only spare a few minutes, it’s important to occasionally step away from your computer screen, stretch your muscles, and get some fresh air. The more you move throughout the day, the better. If your job already keeps you on your feet, consider investing in a fitness tracker so you can monitor your steps and motivate yourself to walk more every day.
• Prioritize: Managing stress begins with self-awareness and prioritization. To be effective at the workplace, it’s important to know yourself and know your limits. Know when it’s time to take a break and when it’s time to take a vacation. If you constantly feel like there isn’t enough time in the day, maybe it’s time to re-prioritize your activities. Make sure you carve out time to do what matters most to you so you can maintain a healthy work-life balance.

For more information on maintaining optimal health within the workplace, click here and here.