How to stay healthy at your desk

The function of sleep is to renew us and its gives us our vitality or give us energy to live our lives.  But while it may be ideal to have 7, 8 or 9 hours a sleep it’s not always possible with our 21^st century life styles.  For many people there is simply too much to do to sleep.  So given you can’t create time, what can you do.  First remember that sleep is only one way to recharge our energy battery. Energy How much energy you have right now isn’t purely based on how well you slept last night or how well you have been sleeping recently.  By “energy” I mean your personal ability to live life to its fullest capacity.  So where would you put yourself on an energy scale of 1 to 100% where 1 is very low energy and 100 is full of energy?  Below 30% we are de-motivated, low in self-esteem and feel out of control.  Just like jump-starting a car when the car battery has gone flat, if your energy falls below 30% then you need an energy boost from something like acupuncture, shiatsu or reiki.  Once your energy level is about 30% then it’s possible to help yourself boost your energy. Physical Energy Boosters This is what we do to care for ourselves physical and the things that give us our vitality and make us feel physically well and energised.

• Rest is not just the essential precursor to brilliant sleep; it is also a substitute for sleep as it allows us to recharge our batteries.
• A healthy diet provides the nutritional support your body needs to provide physical energy.
• Exercise including yoga, swimming, walking and tai chi help re-charge our batteries.

Emotional Energy Capacity This is related to your emotional health and energy – your ability to manage your guilt, worry, concerns, fears and anger.  How you nourish positive energy enhancing emotions such as joy, happiness, love and build supportive relationships with your nearest and dearest. Mental Energy Capacity This is about the ways in which we think, problem solve and nourish ourselves intellectually.  For most people this boils down to how we manage our need to control what’s going on around you and our tendency to be a perfectionist.  It also incorporates how we deal with uncertainty in our lives and how we generate optimism even in times of adversity. Spiritual Energy Capacity Spiritual energy is different for every one, I define it as what makes life worth living, its what motivates you.  Its unleashed when you tap into your values when we are doing something you believe in, and gives you determination and resilience. For anyone struggling with their physical energy levels, why not try Reiki, I offer 15 minute Reiki tasters for £12.50.

In part 1, I shared details of supplements that may help alleviat ethe winter blues.  In this blog post I want to share other lifestyle tips. 1. Exercise If you suffer from winter blues it is likely that your GP would perscribe a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).  This is the standard drug to treat depression and one of medicines all time bestsellers.  Researches compared aerobic exercise aginst the Lustral (SSRI sertaline) foudn that exercise and the drug were equally effective at reducing depressive symptioms.  But only exercise had long lasting effects.  Of the patients declared free of depression at the end of the study, those who had been in the exercise only-group were less likely to see their depression return during the next 6 months. 2. Eat Fish If you love fish like I do, then science says you are less likely to get depressed.   In one study women who ate fish two or more times per week where less likley to get depressed than those who ate fish less often.  It is thought the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are responisble for lifting mood.  A number of studies have found that omega-3 supplements have a significant antidepressant effect. 3. St John's Wort A herb commonly used in Germany to treat mild depression.  Scientists have established that not only better is the herb better than a placebo its as effective as an antidepressant. References Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Moore KA, Craighead WE, Herman S, Khatri P, Waugh R, Napolitano MA, Forman LM, Appelbaum M, Doraiswamy PM, Krishnan KR. Effects of exercise training on older patients with major depression. Arch Intern Med. 1999 Oct 25;159(19):2349-56. Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Doraiswamy PM, Watkins L, Hoffman BM, Barbour KA, Herman S, Craighead WE, Brosse AL, Waugh R, Hinderliter A, Sherwood A. Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosom Med. 2007 Sep-Oct;69(7):587-96. Babyak M, Blumenthal JA, Herman S, Khatri P, Doraiswamy M, Moore K, Craighead WE, Baldewicz TT, Krishnan KR. Exercise treatment for major depression: maintenance of therapeutic benefit at 10 months. Psychosom Med. 2000 Sep-Oct;62(5):633-8.

 

In my last blog article, I explored how your social network including your friends and family impact your motivation to be healthy. Being part of a group, or better yet, lots of groups is good for your health.  The kind of groups doesn't seem to matter - it could be a family group, friendship group, religious or spiritual group, tennis or book club.  What is important is that you identify with it and see it as a meaningful part of your life. Here are five good reasons why?

1. It can help you live longer
   • "As a rule of thumb if you belong to no groups but decide to join one, you cut the risk of dying over the next year in half" R Putman, Bowling Alone.
   • An adequate social life provides health benefits on a par with quitting smoking
   • The benefits of social ties are akin to those of exercise once you retire.  In one study retirees belonging to two social groups had a 2% risk of death but if they lost touch with both groups it jumps to 12%.
2. It can protect your heart
   • Heart disease is generally lower for those who are members of a social group.
   • The risk of death from heart disease diminishes if you belong to more than one social group.
3. It can cut your risk of a cold
   • Those belonging to a wide range of social groups e.g family friends, work, recreation or religious groups are least likely to come down with a cold.  Six or more types of diverse groups cut the risk of a cold more than four times.
4. It can alleviate depression
   • The more social groups you belong to the less likely you are to suffer from depression.
   • If you are depressed, joining a group can help you recover and cut the risk of a relapse by nearly a 1/4 if you join one group or by almost 2/3 if you join three.
   • If you are a member of a religious or spiritual group you are less likely to have depressive symptoms and more likely to have feelings of well being.
5. It motivates you to be healthy

References J Holt-Lunstad, T B Smith, J B Layton (2010) Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review, Plos Medicine NK Steffens, T Cruwys, C Haslam, J Jetten, S A Haslam Social group memberships in retirement are associated with reduced risk of premature death: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study, BMJ Open Volume 6 Issue 2 D Reed, D McGee, K Yano, M Feinleib (1983) Social Networks and coronary heart disease among Japanese men in Hawaii, American Journal of Epidemiology 117(4) 384-96