How To Stay Healthy On The Job

Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

For the last 5 years, the goal for many young people entering the workforce has been two seductive words “remote work”. Social media feeds are littered with graduates working from the comfort of their sofas at home, to overlooking sandy white beaches with their Mac Books building their empire under a blazing sun.

Whereas it is true, entrepreneurs can build their empires from anywhere - how much has this cultural shift created chaos for those who still go to work in a physical office, warehouse, hotel or department store by perpetuating the “always on” mentality?

The digital nomad who can work from home while sick and assure their direct report they are still working is creating a work ethic for those in the customer service industry which is starting to take a toll on productivity. Here are three easy tips to prevent getting sick so you can continue to work on building your career.

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For those working in customer service roles such as retail sales and for those temping with agencies here are three easy ways to keep your professionalism intact and manage self-care.

Incorporate healthy habits: getting a good nights sleep and staying hydrated are the foundations of good health. And sorry, by hydrated, we don’t mean pints of beer or glasses of wine. Think more along the lines of vitamin C and H20.
Wipe down high traffic surfaces: Retail employees are always in contact with multiple surfaces. From rails of clothing, telephones, counter surfaces at cash & wrap. Speak to your supervisor or hiring manager to ensure there are wet wipes and hand sanitizer within easy reach. This will help you stay healthy and demonstrate you’re also thinking for the team.
Get outside: Whether it’s days off or on a break, get into the habit of swapping out screen time on breaks for sky time. Even 10 min. is shown to have a positive impact on the mind and body.

Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash

Employers and recruiters also understand - life happens and people do get sick. If you’re unwell and truly unable to make your shift - the key to staying in your recruitment agency and employers good books - communication! Don’t wait until the last minute to inform them or cancel. Remember - they’ve been in the business much longer than you - so they’ve heard every excuse under the sun!