Surviving the back at work feeling

We’ve all been there – you’re starting to settle down from the Christmas and New Year’s buzz getting on top of your well-deserved sleep.

Your body is feeling the best it’s felt in a long time, and just like that, it’s time to set your alarm to what feels like hours before your usual get up time and get back to an organised routine. Research has shown the negative effects this can have on our emotions.

Some people have likened the feeling to jet-lag as it makes it harder to get motivated, get out of a cosy bed and go to work, ultimately adding more stress to life that none of us need.

Obviously those first couple of days back to reality are going to be slightly difficult as your body is still trying to get back to its organised routine and switching on when it’s told to. So instead of experiencing the dreaded feeling of going back to work, prepare yourself and your body to come back with a bang.

Start your routine a couple of days before work starts. Prepare your body for what’s ahead by waking up and eating at the same hours as you would when you go back to work in order to get your body clock ready.

Ensure that the foods you are putting into your body during this acclimatisation period are nutritious, and you’re staying hydrated. This will increase your capacity to stay focused.

Incorporate exercise and stretches into your new routine. This will increase blood flow, improve your overall wellbeing and give you some much-needed motivation.

Continue these habits into your everyday life and you’ll be bouncing into work in no time.

We weren’t made to sit at desks for long periods of time, and the poor posture that we commonly have when seated in front of a computer can greatly increase stress on the body, and lead to excruciating headaches.

Myotherapy is a great way to combat the effects of desk work, even before you feel them.

If you’d like more information on how to keep yourself together when going back to work, or treatment to help your body stay in tip-top shape, phone the Health Creation Centre on 5255 3411 and book an appointment, or visit the clinic at 74 The Avenue, Ocean Grove.

Summer Spikers is a myotherapist at the Health Creation Centre in Ocean Grove.