10 Best Practices to Staying Healthy at Work

Health care is a hot topic these days, and the personal health and wellness industry is booming. With health care reform, some companies are in a bind and are seriously looking at ways to promote wellness and preventive health measures for their employees.

If you are an employee, you know that staying healthy benefits you in many ways: fewer missed work days, greater productivity and less stress. Staying healthy is good for your pockets too, in the form of lower health care costs and health insurance premiums.

So when you're going to the office and working in close quarters (ah, the cubicle life) every day, how can you stay healthy? 10 best practices to staying healthy at work:

1. Wash your hands often. Hand-washing is the number one way you can prevent yourself from getting sick. There is no such thing as washing your hands too much. Although it may seem obvious, many don't take it as seriously as they should. Always wash your hands before you eat, after using the restroom, and after sneezing or coughing.

2. Keep your workspace clean. The average desk harbors hundreds of times more bacteria than a toilet seat -- pretty gross, right? Keep your work area neat and organized. Tidy up at the end of each day for five minutes. Keep sanitizing wipes and spray at your desk and wipe down the surfaces often.

3. Drink more water. Staying well-hydrated is crucial to your productivity, energy levels and overall health. Water helps you stay alert and refreshed, and promotes clear thinking. Buy a large water bottle that you can keep at your desk and refill throughout the day.

4. Keep hand sanitizer at your desk. As stated previously, there are many times when it is best to wash your hands -- however it's understandable that during the workday you may not always be able to step away from your desk to do so. In those cases, such as after sneezing or coughing, immediately use hand sanitizer. Keep some handy at your desk, so it can be applied immediately and used in between hand washings when needed.

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