Keep your energy up at work during the cold season

Winter is now well underway and our bodies need energy to cope. When we are fit, it is easier to manage stress and workplace challenges. A good physical balance is therefore essential for a good performance at work! Here are some tips to keep you fit until the sun returns.

Balanced meals throughout the day!

A DECENT BREAKFAST

You shouldn't skip breakfast to get 10 minutes more sleep, nor should you gulp down a quick cup of coffee and hope it's enough for your body... Try a real breakfast and there's no turning back: sit down for a few minutes with a hot drink, a bowl of cereal and a piece of fruit.

A WELL-BALANCED LUNCH

Canteens, restaurants, sandwich shops... Take advantage of the possibilities offered to you to eat a variety of foods and treat yourself. For example, you can combine a wholemeal sandwich with fruit and yoghurt. Does your company have a kitchen? Take advantage of this by bringing in your own pre-prepared meals. Soups, salads, quiches, pies... The options are endless and it's the best way to eat healthy and save money. A balanced meal is a source of well-being and provides all the essential nutrients for the body and brain to function properly. It should contain:

Starchy foods (bread, cereals, pasta, rice, semolina, etc.) for slow sugars;
Fruit and vegetables which provide high levels of fibre, minerals and vitamins;
Meat, fish, egg or soya as sources of protein;
Some fat for lipids and essential fatty acids;
A dairy product for calcium.

AN ENERGETIC BREAK

Feel like snacking around 4pm? To avoid indulging yourself in a sweet treat from the vending machine, put some apples or healthy treats in a desk drawer. Almonds, hazelnuts or dark chocolate provide energy until dinner!

A LIGHT EVENING MEAL

Eating light in the evening is important so as not to disturb your sleep. However, cooking a good meal when you get home is also a good way to get rid of the stress accumulated during the day!

Regular physical activity

To relieve stress, change your mind, clear your head, tone your body... Sport is good for everything! Practised during the lunch break, it allows you to make a real break by forgetting the worries of work and by breaking with the sedentary nature of the office. Rejuvenated and relaxed, you will be all the more productive in the afternoon. Sport allows the elimination of toxins, the improvement of cardio-vascular capacities... it is especially important to release tension. A good way to let off steam and avoid tension and friction in the office!

Micro-nap

In order to stay fit and keep going until the evening, a little nap can be useful. But in the office, this is not so easy, as few companies have rest rooms equipped for this purpose... But there is an alternative: a micro-nap! Find a quiet place (at your desk if you are alone, in a meeting room, in your car...). Rest your forehead on the back of your hands on a table (a steering wheel, a desk...). Relax your shoulders, your neck, your back. Breathe deeply, inflating your abdomen and then your chest, then breathe out gently, letting the air escape. Repeat several times to clear your mind by concentrating on your breathing. In the beginning you will not sleep, this is normal, but with time it will come! A little tip in case you feel tired: eat a piece of fruit, have a hot drink and stretch your legs for a few minutes whenever you have the chance!

A tip

Drink two large glasses of water at the end of a meal, this will have a relaxing effect in the afternoon. Don't eat at your computer... Even if you are up to your ears in work, it is better to take a (short) lunch break.