Every Tuesday, Patricia Yaya, AGU Vice President of Human Resources & Administrative Services, sends a message to the entire AGU staff featuring five short tips for getting by in the workplace.  On the Job will be publishing these tips in a new weekly segment, Tuesday Top 5.

Wellness isn’t just about health; wellness extends to all aspects of life. Healthy organizations are comprised of employees who are invested, engaged, and feel good about their work. Wellness at AGU includes, but is not limited to, the fitness center, gym reimbursement, employee assistance programs, and the annual benefit fair with flu shots, cooking classes, massages, etc. 

Beyond what the organization does for you, there’s more that you can do for your team and yourself.

Here are your Tuesday Top 5 Tips on How to Promote (and be a part of) Wellness in the Workplace.

1. Promote healthy eating.
For meetings, order healthy snacks and provide healthy lunch options. Go for the fruit!

2. Find time to exercise or walk.

It is important that you dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to move. Whether that’s a walk or your favorite Zumba workout, just move. And encourage others to do the same.

3. Avoid stress.

Research indicates that a stressed brain is a slowed brain, meaning that we don’t think clearly when we’re stressed. Combining everything on this Top 5 list with thinking positive and “letting it go” will help to improve our disposition and ultimately, reduce stress.

4. Drink plenty of water or green tea.

Hydration positively influences your energy levels and brain function. Even mild dehydration levels impair brain function. Did you know that drinking water can both help to prevent and treat headaches? Dehydration triggers headaches.

5. Take breaks.

“Recharge” your brain. Taking breaks is key to productivity. Some argue that you should treat work like a gym workout; that is, work in sprints with in-between energy recovery time. Taking breaks serves several purposes, including to simply refresh mentally, to get up and move, to get the blood moving, to increase the oxygen flow to your brain, and to re-energize your creative juices. Take breaks to ultimately be more productive.

Patricia Yaya is the Vice President of Human Resources and Administrative Services at the American Geophysical Union.  Additional AGU Staff contributed to this blog.