Between getting out the door, commuting, answering emails, sitting through meetings, and finishing your to-do list, taking care of yourself during the workday can easily become an afterthought.
Between getting out the door, commuting, answering emails, sitting through meetings, and finishing your to-do list, taking care of yourself during the workday can easily become an afterthought. But staying healthy during your 9-5 doesn't mean completely restructuring your day or trying to follow a perfect wellness routine.
A healthy workday routine can start with choices that fit your existing schedule. Focus on a few basics:
Start with a well-rounded breakfast (and no, a coffee while running out the door doesn’t count this time)
Find more reasons to move throughout the day, even if it's only for a few minutes at a time.
Keep water within reach so staying hydrated is easier to remember.
Plan ahead for lunch and snacks, so you have options ready when hunger hits.
Whether you spend most of your day behind a desk, on your feet, or somewhere in between, staying healthy at work means finding what realistically fits into your day. Here's how to make healthier choices from the start of your workday to the moment you clock out.
When you're trying to get out the door on time, it's easy for coffee to become breakfast by default. But a well-rounded breakfast doesn't have to slow your morning down. A mix of protein, fiber, and produce can help round out what you're already eating, whether you prep the night before or use what you already have at home.
Prep overnight oats with berries and nuts before bed, add peanut butter and banana to whole-grain toast, or grab an apple to go with something you already planned to eat. If you want a more filling breakfast, add a smoothie alongside it as another way to work fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients into your morning.
For mornings when even that feels like a race against the clock, having a few options ready to grab on your way out can help. FOCUS+ pairs green apple, pineapple, and peach with functional mushrooms, herbs, adaptogens, and green tea. Each 8-ounce bottle has 80 milligrams of green tea caffeine and 5 grams of dietary fiber, making it another option when you're looking to switch up your usual morning coffee.
Unless your job already keeps you moving, fitting a workout into the middle of the workday probably isn't realistic. The good news is that movement doesn't have to come from a workout alone. Some of the best opportunities are already hiding in your schedule.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park a little farther from the door, walk around the office between meetings, or turn your next phone call into a walking call. If you spend most of your day sitting, staying active at work can start with finding more reasons to get up throughout the day. The end of a meeting might be your cue to stand, while finishing a task could be your chance to take a quick lap before starting the next one.
And like any other project, you don't have to have it all figured out on day one. Start with what feels realistic, see what works with your schedule, and adjust from there. Maybe that's taking more walking calls, getting up once an hour, or setting a personal step goal for your 9-5. A meeting-heavy Monday might give you fewer chances to move than a quieter Friday, and that's okay.
Of course, some parts of the day require you to sit down and get things done. One task turns into another, and suddenly you've spent hours in front of the same screen without realizing how long you've been there.
Use natural stopping points in your day as reminders to change positions. Stand up between tasks, roll your shoulders, gently stretch your arms overhead, or try a seated twist before settling into your next project.
Your setup matters, too. Position your monitor so you aren't constantly looking too far up or down, keep your feet supported, and check that your shoulders are relaxed rather than creeping toward your ears. Instead of trying to maintain one "perfect" posture all day, change positions periodically.
Your eyes could probably use a break, too. Look away from your monitor when you finish a task, or step away from your screen altogether for a few minutes. Conveniently, that might also be the perfect time to refill your water.
We've all had that moment when you look at the clock and realize you've made it halfway through the workday without touching your water. Sometimes the bottle is still sitting exactly where you left it that morning. One of the easiest ways to prevent that is to make water harder to forget.
Keep a reusable bottle where you'll actually see it, then connect refilling it to things already on your schedule. Fill it when you arrive, top it off before lunch, or grab more water when you're already getting up for something else. If you still forget, a phone reminder can help until reaching for your water becomes second nature.
And if plain water isn't always appealing, switch things up. Add fresh lemon, cucumber, mint, or fruit for a little extra flavor. You don't have to spend the day counting every ounce to stay hydrated at work. Sometimes keeping your water where you can see it and finding simple ways to make it more enjoyable can make reaching for it throughout the day easier.
By lunchtime, whatever is fastest can start sounding pretty good. A healthy lunch for work can still be convenient while bringing together produce, plant-based protein, whole grains or complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats for a more balanced meal. If you know mornings tend to get away from you, packing lunch the night before or prepping a few ingredients ahead of time can make one less thing to think about the next day.
And try to let lunch be lunch. Step away from your workspace, eat somewhere different, catch up with a coworker, or spend a few minutes outside before heading into the afternoon.
Don't stop your planning at lunch. Think about what you'll want when afternoon hunger hits, too. Keeping healthy office snacks like fruit and nut butter, vegetables and hummus, nuts and seeds, or energy bites within reach gives you something ready to grab. Our Peanut Butter Energy Bites, made with peanut butter, dates, oats, chia seeds, dark chocolate, and sea salt, are one of our go-tos for an easy workday snack.
You know the feeling: it's somewhere around 3 p.m., your attention is fading, and another cup of coffee suddenly sounds like the answer. But avoiding the afternoon slump doesn't necessarily come down to one quick fix.
Instead, check back in with the basics. When was the last time you had some water? Are you hungry? Have you moved recently? How long have you been staring at your screen? The answer might already be somewhere earlier in your day: refill your bottle, eat the snack you packed, take a lap, or step outside for a few minutes.
Taking care of yourself during your 9-5 also means knowing when it's over. Before closing your laptop, wrap up what you can and leave yourself a short list of what can wait until tomorrow. Close tabs you no longer need, clear your workspace, and give the day a stopping point instead of carrying every unfinished task into your evening.
Then find something that helps you shift out of work mode. Take a walk, head to a yoga class, spend some time outside, or give yourself a few quiet minutes to unwind. Whatever your end-of-day ritual looks like, find something you enjoy that signals it's officially time to leave work behind.
A healthier 9-5 doesn't have to happen all at once. Pick one part of your day that could use a little more attention. Maybe tomorrow you eat something before your first meeting, take your next call on your feet, keep your water bottle in sight, or pack a snack before you leave home.
Once that feels natural, add something else. The goal isn't to build the perfect workday. It's to make a few healthier choices easier to repeat, even when your calendar doesn't cooperate.
Whatever your workday looks like, we’ve got a juice, smoothie, or snack that fits into it – that’s kind of our whole thing. Explore our products online or stop by your nearest Arden's Garden and let us help!
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