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Sneak wellness into your day
Time Well Spent
By Honor Hawkins
Tips, techniques from experts help ease health into routines
Being healthy takes time. When you are at work on deadline, grabbing 60 minutes of exercise and whipping up a balanced lunch seem as likely as climbing Mt. Everest and growing your own organic vegetables.
To find out how work and wellness coexist, I asked people who should know: hard-working health professionals. How do the pros sneak health into endless workdays and pressured environments?
From tossing the alarm clock to weighing at work, here are their secrets:
Patrick M. O’Neil: Director, MUSC Weight Management Center
O’Neil moved his scale from the bathroom to the office. “Like many health professionals, I’m fortunate to have access to a good scale in the office, so I use it to chart my weight every workday right before lunch,” he says. Studies have shown that people who monitor weight regularly succeed most at weight control, according to O’Neil, who has about 20 years’ worth of graphs. Those without scales at the office are in luck: many new versions are small enough to fit in your desk drawer. Find downloadable weight graphs at www.muschealth.com/weight.
Dr. Pamela B. Morris: Chief Medical Officer, Prevecare
Morris, a cardiologist, thinks the stress of the workday is self-imposed. “We over-schedule our calendar and then wonder why it is impossible to meet all the demands,” she says. To manage stress—and protect her heart—Morris allows adequate time for appointments and between appointments. “That way I reduce the anxieties associated with keeping someone waiting or rushing a client out the door.”
Tim Fultz: Clinical Coordinator, The Roper Hospital Sleep-Wake Disorders Center
Fultz’s strategy takes no time from the workday but can have significant impact on work performance and health. He maintains a regular sleep schedule, rising at the same time each day, including weekends. “Most Americans are chronically sleep deprived,” says Fultz. “If you need an alarm clock to get up every day, you are probably not getting enough sleep.” Sticking to your sleep schedule, even on weekends, will prevent the dreaded “Sunday night insomnia” and keep you rested all week long.
Tanya Lott: Education Specialist, Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Lott, a nurse educator and neonatal nurse, avoids calories and caffeine by keeping a large glass of ice water on-hand all day. This deters her from hitting all-too-convenient soda machines. “Water is beneficial to our health in numerous ways,” she says. “Our body needs water to work efficiently.”
Dr. James E. Craigie: East Cooper Plastic Surgery
Aware that muscle strength and flexibility are important to overall quality of life, Craigie became concerned when he noticed increased muscle stiffness and fatigue after long surgeries. Craigie, who specializes in plastic/reconstructive microsurgery, began treating fitness like any other appointment. His staff schedules a weekly pilates class into his calendar. “I quickly realized the stress relief benefit and never missed the time out of my schedule,” he says. He also makes a weekly plan to ensure fitness remains a top priority. Since adding workouts to his calendar, Craigie experiences “much less fatigue and back stiffness.”
Alyssa Rhiengold: Clinical Psychologist and Instructor, MUSC
When her day gets stressful, Rhiengold, a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders, tries to practice what she preaches. “When I get stressed and notice myself pulled in different directions at work, I take five minutes to sit and focus on my breath,” she says. This approach is more productive than it sounds: studies have shown that conscious breathing and meditation decrease the stress response and improve concentration.
Dr. Gil Baldwin and Dr. Dana D. Crater: Carolina Family Care
To stay healthy no matter the temptation, internist Baldwin follows two rules: no desserts at lunch and no drinks except water. Colleague and pediatrician Crater safeguards nutrition by packing a healthy lunch at home. This helps her “avoid the restaurant calories that can accumulate so fast.”
Dr. William M. Simpson Jr.: Professor of Family Medicine, MUSC
Simpson turned his commute into a fitness session by biking to work and around the MUSC campus. “Biking is an excellent aerobic activity,” he says. “The 10-15 minute ride from my home to work and back again, in addition to occasional shorter rides between buildings on campus, gives me at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Biking is also good for balance and coordination and is just good for the soul. Being out in the elements whether cold or hot, rainy or dry is a good time to clear your head.”
Sneaking wellness into the workday can be done. Other healthy ideas include sipping green tea with lunch for a dose of antioxidants and keeping walnuts in the office fridge for a heart-healthy snack. To help stay in shape, I wear a pedometer ($5, Sportsline at Target) and aim for 10,000 steps a day. Every little step counts.
Honor Hawkins is a Charleston-based freelance writer.
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