Some of us are going to be entering the somewhat depressing, predictable world of florescent lighting and impossibly uncomfortable office chairs that I like to call the full-time working world. Some of you lucky beeotches are only prisoners for the summer, you lowly little interns.
Either way, this terrain is pretty dangerous for anyone hoping to still look like a college babe. Sadly, a lot of people in the corporate world are tired, overweight and, quite frankly, haggard-looking. I hear them talking about their kids and husbands and car trouble and it really makes me want to take on another 60k in student loans to escape.
However, this is unfortunately impossible. I’m not trying to scare anyone here — some work can be fun! I’m actually here to make sure you stay healthy while venturing into this carb-filled professional world. I don’t understand it, but people do the unhealthiest things once they start working the regular 9-5er. But not us, baby. Not us.
Whether you’re in it for the long haul or you’ll escape come August, here are 7 ways to stay healthy in your prison, I’m sorry office, this summer:
1. Workout BEFORE your workday begins.
You’re allllll going to throw stones at me for this one, but it’s totally worth it. I PROMISE you. I know you’re sooo used to rolling out of bed in your ________ University sweats and making a quick K-cup of coffee for run across the quad to your comparative politics seminar. In the real world your day doesn’t last 3 hours and you definitely don’t get to go home and scroll through Perez Hilton and Pinterest for 5 hours after that. You’re going to be friggin’ tired at the end of the day, you’re not going to want to go run for 45 minutes, and there’s a slight possibility the thought of that will make you eat a whole bag of Doritos.
If you work out in the morning, you wake yourself up, you give yourself a crap load of energy none of the other interns/entry-levels will have and you’ll have a lot of confidence in yourself because you’ll know no one else around you got up at 5:30 and was a badass before they even checked their emails.
2. If possible, bring your breakfast to work with you.
I understand that this won’t be possible in every office, but if it is in yours — DO IT! I do it every morning. There are a few benefits to this. You can save yourself time in the morning by packing your breakfast AND lunch the night before and snagging it from the fridge on your way out. Also, if you’re bringing your breakfast to work you’re probably going to be eating it a little later than normal, meaning you’ll have less opportunity to snack/cheat between meals because you won’t be stahhhving.
3. After the previous tip, I think it’s pretty obvi it’s a necessity to bring your own lunch.
Eating out every day is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. I was an intern annnnd am currently an entry-leveler and I KNOW they are not paying you enough (if anything) to eat out every day. Once in a while with coworkers to make connections? Sure, of course, go crazy with the salad bar, but DO NOT go out every day. You’ll end up spending over $50 a week annnnd you’ll lose even more in your calorie deficit. Just say no, sister.
4. Make sure to stay as active as possible while at work, even if you’re in a cube staring at a computer.
While working full time, think about just how much time you spend sitting on your ass all day. How about per week? Include that TV time in there, too. It’s ridiculous and we weren’t made to stay sedentary for as long as we do on a day-to-day basis. I know sitting and checking my email is a big part of my job. I need to be around my desk to take calls and answer questions. However, my body needs movement to stay healthy.
One thing I make sure to do is spread out the items I’m printing. The printer in my office is pretty far from my desk, so this allows me to get up and walk around quite a few times during the day. I also make goals for myself about the amount of water I drink, forcing myself to go refill, which also causes me to need to use the restroom every hour or so, which also forces me to get up. I get my work done and stand up and move about every 15 to 20 minutes, it’s a win-win situation. There are also exercises you can do at your desk inconspicuously, check some out here.
5. Make sure to find a stretching routine NOW and do it every day, every day.
This is the most important thing on this list. Sitting for so long causes a HUGE amount of tightness, especially in our hips. Most of us aren’t sitting with correct posture either so there is some back strain happening as well. Make sure to force yourself to stretch every day to combat the strain — yes, strain — our bodies get from sitting in these stupid rollie chairs for 40 hours a week. Check out some awesome stretches for office-workers here.
6. Stay away from the kitchen/lunch room/candy bowls AT ALL COSTS!
I’m going to make a confession. They put the candy jar next to my desk, and I’ve abused the proximity. It’s so hard not to run over and grab some M&Ms, especially when I have clients being mean, or I forgot my lunch or breakfast, or let’s face it, if I’m just simply bored with what I’m doing.
People in offices love to bring food in for everyone, too! I think it’s because work is pretty lame sometimes, so why not spice it up in a way that will help? The problem is that almost none of this food is going to be healthy. Bagels and donuts really aren’t the breakfast of champs, but they do taste good. There isn’t a real fool-proof trick to get around this except self-discipline. If you’re really looking to indulge, you could carefully cut a treat in half and share with a coworker or volunteer to bring in items and make sure they’re up to snuff in the health world.
7. Utilize your lunch hour when your mornings are too crazy for a workout.
This is something I look forward to doing when the whether is in that perfect temperature that’s not too hot or too cold. If there’s a day when you just can’t get out of bed, or you’re late and you don’t want to get fired, or you’re sore and need a few more hours of rest for your muscles, why not bring some sweats and your shoes to the office, change really quick, and go on a quick 20-minute run during your lunch hour? I know it’s not the most ideal situation but it will definitely help the day go by faster for some, plus you won’t have to sacrifice any relaxation time in the evening later on.
How many of you have found internships or first-jobs after graduation starting this summer? What are ways you’re not going to let the stress and new digs throw you off of your goals? Tell me below!
[Lead image via Goodluz/Shutterstock]
7 Ways To Stay Healthy During Your Internship This Summer
