Increasing your workplace metabolism

I don't know why a moment from an episode of Oprah that aired in the early 00s pops into my head when I think of this topic, but I recall a pious man talking about how he would never have a telly in his house because it was like a sewer running through the lounge room.

We take in so much every day. Some of it we notice; other stuff sneaks into our minds peripherally.

At work, there is so much stuff to do, new things to know, people to understand, emotions to deal with, decisions to make and ideas to consider... it's exhausting.

And much like what you eat, how much notice do you take of what you ingest at work?

Now I tend to store, not burn. So I need to be careful about what goes in. Others seem to be able to eat anything and everything, and it does not seem to take a toll. But who's to know about the long-term?

So let's watch what we ingest. Here are a few tips on how.

 > Keep your body in a relatively distress-free state, which will help you metabolise much faster. When our stress response is activated, digestion is suppressed so the body can reroute its resources to trigger fight or flight.

 > And you need to know your limits. For example, you know it's not good to eat more food when you are already full, so don't take on more at work when there is no way you can manage it.

 > Be mindful of how you eat. Savour what you have, don't gulp it down like a ... thing that gulps stuff down. [It seems my metaphor function has gone offline for the moment]

 > Is what you are eating nutritious? Will it help you stay match-fit for your work [and beyond]? How much of it gives you energy to burn, and how much turns to sludge and starts to slow down and damage your metabolism?

So watch out for the hidden calories in that additional project you feel you can't say no to. Avoid the all-you-can-eat emotional drama buffet. Or you are supersizing in the workplace with a side-order of gossip. And that carb-fest that is 'needing to be right all the darn time'.

Be consciously considering what you take in at work to stay happy, healthy, and productive and effectively eliminate what's useless.

#doonethingbetter #workplacehealth #leadership #culture