20 Ways Moms Can Build Healthy Habits At Work

As a working Mom you need to build healthy habits at work. These are 20 easy ways you can improve your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health at your home away from home!

It was 3pm and I was starving.

Actually, I wasn’t starving.. I was ravenous and jittery and a headache was forming above my right eye.

Racing to the bathroom, I looked down and grimaced. In my hands hung a baggie half full of cheerios.

Those cheerios were supposed to have been breakfast. It was now 3pm and I had not only missed lunch, but breakfast too.

Once again a day full of back to back meetings had left me exhausted, bleary-eyed, and quite hungry.

Clearly this was not a sustainable model for building healthy habits at work.

You’ve been there too, haven’t you? Maybe you forget to pack lunch and are at the mercy of the questionably stocked vending machines. Or perhaps you leave work everyday with a headache, tension in your neck and shoulders, and intense brain fog.

Then again, maybe you feel fine physically but you feel like every time you clock in you lose a little part of your soul. You used to know why you loved your job, your career… but lately it has been joyless. You don’t have friends at work and you feel underappreciated and unnoticed.

Regardless of your situation, not working is not an option. It would be awesome if you loved your job (and maybe you do) but you need do to better at taking care of yourself during the work day so you can be better for yourself and for your family when you are not on the job.

You absolutely must do better at building healthy habits at work. (FREE Printable Checklist available at the end of this article!)

1. Keep recent photos of your kids close by

Beyond the obvious reason that your kids are stinkin’ cute and you want a regular reason to brag on them, having photos on hand is actually important to your emotional health. Talk about a great perspective check. Even on days when your job sucks the life force right out of you, one look at your kid’s faces can remind you that your life revolves around your family, not your job.

I have found that it is best to display photos of your family where you can easily see them from your desk. If that isn’t possible, bring a few photos to work and leave them in your desk drawer so you can easily snag them throughout the day.

2. Eat lunch

Yes. Eat lunch. The vending machine does not count. Neither does Starbucks.

Ideally you should step away from your desk and eat something nominally healthy. However, let’s be real… for many working moms neither of those options are realistic on a regular basis. So, how about this? Just make time to actually eat lunch before you leave work for the day. And actually eat real food, however you define ‘real’ (real for me is Marie Callender’s frozen dinners because they are easy, taste ok, and will fill me up for more than an hour).

3. Go potty

News alert– you don’t get bonus points for holding it so long you get a UTI.

I get it. Your boss doesn’t care if you have to go pee-pee. But honestly, you will not bring your best self to that meeting if all you can think about is how uncomfortable you are.

Just do it. Take 5 minutes and go to the bathroom.

4. Take regular walk breaks

If you have a typical office job that requires sitting at a desk, you ideally would spend 10 minutes of every hour doing some sort of activity. Walk around the office, walk to fill up your water bottle, walk up and down a few flights of stairs. Anything that does not involve being sedentary.

If you can swing it, there are tremendous benefits to carving out a few longer walks one to two times a day as well. All that walking can add up too. Even if you walk at a glacial pace, two 15-minute walk breaks a day could lead to at least one mile a day of extra walking. That would have a tremendous benefit to your overall health.

Tip: If you wear heels to work, leave a pair of walking shoes at work so you always have activity-friendly options to encourage activity.

5. Start the day with 5 minutes of inspiration

If you are active in your faith, start the day with a scripture or devotional thought. Otherwise, read an inspiring quote or story. Anything that can help set a positive tone for your day. It doesn’t have to be a huge deal, just 5 minutes. If you don’t feel comfortable pulling out your Bible or devotional book at your desk, take those 5 minutes in your car before you head into work.

And don’t just read a quick quote and call it quits. Spend at least 1/2 your devotional time in reflection, meditation, or prayer. This small act with have a profound impact on your ability to stay centered throughout your work day, even when work is chaotic and overwhelming.

6. Stretch

It’s amazing how much better you will feel after a quick stretch break. Just like with the importance of walking, stretching is considered critically important to maintaining your long-term health. My personal favorite stretches involve the shoulders, upper back, and neck because that is where I store all my work stress.

Here is a link to some fantastic desk stretches you could easily incorporate into your work day:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/17-desk-stretches-thatll-almost-replace-going-to-the-gym

7. Drink Water

Right. The elixir of life. Guess what? It ain’t soda. Drinking water increases energy and reduces fatigue, flushes toxins from your body, improves your immune system, and a whole bunch of other health benefits. Plus, many offices are starting to install filtered water machines. If the water at your office is filtered, pick out a nice reusable water bottle and get hydrated!

8. Sunlight

Depending on your schedule and where you work, access to sunlight isn’t always feasible. But as much as it depends on you, try to soak in some vitamin D on a semi-regular basis. Just getting outside and away from your computer monitor will do wonders for your perspective and often allows you to clear your head and regroup, especially after a harrowing meeting.

If you can’t get outside, try to make your work space as well lit as you can. Trust me, it will improve your mood. If your office allows it, you can also bring in plants, also considered a great mood enhancer.

9. Talk to a friend

You don’t have to schedule a long lunch to get the benefit from this tip. Honestly, you just need someone to talk to about something that isn’t work. So, go ahead and dish the details of your upcoming Disney vacation. If you are able to chat (in person, via phone, or virtually) with an actual friend, that can really improve your emotional and mental health as well. If this friend does not work in your office you would greatly benefit from their outsider perspective of your personal office issues.

10. Express gratitude

It is so important to take a few moments each day to think about what you are grateful for. Embracing a gratitude habit doesn’t just lead to a happier you. Expressing gratitude builds relationships with others (kindness begets kindness), reduces your feelings of overwhelm and anxiety, and leads to more resiliency for emotional, mental, and physical health.

Expressing gratitude in the workplace is vitally important as well. It strengthens teams, provides a strong motivator for high performance, and encourages a better work environment overall.

11. Protein-based snacking

Ditch the carbs in favor of protein. You will feel fuller, longer and might be able to avoid the mid-afternoon slump. It you can’t bear the thought of completely giving up carbs, pair carbs with protein for a well balanced snack. Some quick snack ideas include:

• Almonds or pistachios (or really any nut)
• Trail Mix
• Nut butter and crackers
• Cheese
• Cottage Cheese
• Hummus and veggie sticks
• Protein based energy bars (I personally love Luna bars and KIND bars)
• Tuna cracker kit

12. Touchstones and Mementos

I put these in the same category as family photos, but for a different reason. You are bound to have horrible work days. You are bound to have work days where you are bored, anxious, underemployed, or even under duress. Touchstones and Mementos serve as reminders that you have had good days too. They can be directly related to work, directly related to anything not work related, or a mix of both.

I have a mix. Every time I get to go on a cool work trip I pick up a small memento that I display on my desk. Art deco coasters, a magnetic puzzle, a wooden bowl, a ceramic ladybug. Also, I save internal work mementos like the stuffed camel one office gave me, the postcard a boss passed out as a thank you a few years back, etc…

Personal touchstones and mementos are your personal work flair. You might be more of a desk minimalist.. and that is totally cool. But even one memento (displayed or not) that reminds you of something happy can contribute to your overall work life satisfaction. Some examples are things like that paper plate flower your 3 year old made you for Mother’s Day, or a special pin from Disney, or even a toy slinky you play with when you are thinking.

13. Laugh!

Speaking of the whimsical, laughter at work can not be underrated. Even if it is just a smirk or a snicker, humor can bring much needed levity to even the most stressful situations. It relieves boredom and contributes to office camaraderie. Nor sure where to start or what is appropriate? Harvard Business Review makes a strong argument for why laughter and humor in the work place is an essential element for success.

14. Practice effective goal setting

Begin with the end in mind. Know your ‘why?’ Develop S.M.A.R.T. goals.

You likely know what effective goal setting looks like and have probably had at least one class in how to do it. However, knowing how to create goals and actually doing it on a consistent basis is the difference between signing up for a weight loss challenge and actually ditching the Cherry Coke for lemon-infused water.

So, how about this? Start small. Each day write down three goals you have for that day. Three things you must get done in order to feel like you have accomplished something worthwhile. These goals don’t have to be work related, but they do need to be tasks with a tangible outcome. Something you can actually accomplish and check off your to-do list. Three goals. Once you have mastered the daily art of setting and realizing goals, you can move onto medium and long term goals that have the potential to net huge gains in personal growth and development.

15. Have the tools you love

This seems like a no-brainer but seriously, just spend a little money on the small stuff and it will add up to a lot more job satisfaction.

• Stock up on your favorite pens
• Always use the kind of note paper/notebook that you love
• Purchase good quality ear buds or headphones if that is an option at work
• Have a favorite coffee mug or water bottle on hand
• Make sure you either have a good set of cutlery at work OR invest in a box of plastic utensils

16. Get comfortable

Just like you don’t get a prize for waiting the longest to go potty, you also don’t get bonus points for being uncomfortable all day. You don’t need to dress like a slob in order to rock an acceptable ‘business casual’ look. Even if your office dress code is more formal, you can opt for a lower heel or flat instead of shoes that will make you want to saw your feet off at the end of the day.

Being comfortable is not just about your wardrobe either. As much as you can, ensure you have the most comfortable, ergonomically correct chair you can get, and be absolutely sure your chair and desk height will not cause you to be in pain by the end of a day of computer work. Adjust your computer monitors so that you don’t have neck strain, and invest in a wrist rest so you don’t get or exacerbate carpal tunnel syndrome.

17. Be prepared for emergencies

Let’s face it, you spend most of your waking hours at work. Emergencies are bound to happen. It is better to be prepared that go without. Your work stash should probably include any of the following items:

• headache medicine
• cold medicine
• cough drops or throat lozenges. (or even hard candy)
• bandaids
• an extra pair of underwear
• tampons or pads
• an extra umbrella
• an emergency snack (like an energy bar)
• change/dollar bills for the snack machine
• a flashlight

18. Plan tomorrow’s ‘to-do’s’

The end of the day is usually a lot less hectic than the beginning of the day (unless you get to work before 7am.. then I applaud you mutant work warrior!). Take 5 minutes before you leave work and annotate any scheduled meetings for the next day, along with the to-do’s that are must do’s.

Then log off your computer and leave work at work.

19. Have a good work-home car transition ritual

Unless you work from home, you likely have a commute via car or public transportation. Don’t waste that time. Use it to decompress and shift from work life to home life. There are any number of ways you can effectively do this. Here are some of my favorites:

• Just be quiet. Especially if you have a demanding job and young kids. This might be the only quiet you get today.
• Listen to a book on audible. With even a modest commute you could listen to at least 2-3 books a month.
• Tune in to your favorite podcasts! What are your interests? What are you passionate about? Chances are there is a podcast for that topic.
• Listen to something other than the Moana soundtrack or Raffi. Indulge in some jazz or blast ABBA. Whatever will help you shift gears.

20. Prep at home for the next day

Healthy habits at work begin at home. Here are a few things you can do to set yourself up for success:

• lay our your clothes and your kid’s clothes
• prep as much of the lunches and snacks the night before
• move tomorrow’s main course meat from the freezer to the refrigerator
• go through your kid’s school bag and sign any forms that need signing
• Turn off the TV, close your laptop, and get a good 7-8 hours of sleep!

You can totally do this.

You don’t need to be at the mercy of that sorry bag of cheerios. You don’t need to let the office bully ruin your day.

Take care of yourself at work, so at the end of the day you can go home to your precious family and rock the supermom you are!