In my work as an IT and business consultant, I can see the results of the hostile environment in which IT consultants and contractors often work. Hostile to the body that is. Ergonomically incorrect chairs, fast food, disdain for human needs, constant travel for some, all lead to burnout and predictable health problems.
So what's a person to do? Here are a few tips for staying healthy on the high-pressure job:
- Take adequate breaks (especially from close work) - once every hour get up and walk around, go talk to someone, find reasons to move, take a walk, jump up and down a few times. Any and all of these can increase circulation and breathing.
- Learn exercises you can do at your desk (for example, Ten Ways to Exercise at Your Desk)
- Adopt a practice such as Qi Gong, Tai Chi or Yoga to keep your spine flexible - Qi Gong is my favorite exercise - low impact, fun to do, painless - flexibility helps your body absorb the impacts and stresses of daily life.
- Take a healthy lunch (or eat out healthy) - Thai food is often light, healthy and digestible. For a new definition of healthy eating (taken from ancient wisdom - what's old is new again...) check out Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, "challenging the diet dictocrats" - backed up by solid research.
- Drink soothing herbal teas to reduce stress and the possibility of inflammation (aching joints and back) - Passionflower vine is my first choice, although there are many herbal blends on the market that can help, and the fluids help you stay hydrated too. See Traditional Medicinals for a good brand.
- Learn to meditate to help keep you calm, focused and centered - adopting a daily practice of meditation can lower blood pressure and improve many health markers. It slows and deepens your breathing and pulse, while increasing available oxygen in your system. And going deep into meditation can put you in touch with sources of inspiration and give you access to your own internal reserves.
- Drink plenty of water and make sure you take in enough salt - dehydration contributes to problems from aching joints to high blood pressure. most of us don't drink enough water to stay hydrated and with today's low-salt diets, we sometimes forget salt is absolutely needed by the body to function properly.
- Slow down! In Grayton Beach, Florida, a vacation spot, there's a sign at the end of the road that reads "Slow down - you've arrived!". You've arrived - you got the job - sometimes the best way to keep it is to pace yourself - take time to think - pause - dare to be a heads-up consultant rather than a heads-down drone. Thomas Watson, founder of IBM, kept a sign in his office displaying one word: THINK!
