Six healthy habits to add to your working day

Whether it’s reading a book on your commute or having a square of dark chocolate, here are an expert’s easy tips to stay happy and healthy

Sitting down for most of the day is obviously bad for us, known to raise our risk of Type 2 diabetes, cancer and even an early death. However, it’s largely unavoidable for those of us with desk-based jobs.
Too much sitting is also detrimental for our mental health, a study from sportswear company Asics has found. Survey results from more than 7,000 desk-based workers found that mood drops after just two hours and stress spikes four hours in. However, taking a 15-minute exercise break reverses these effects.
Prof Brendon Stubbs, a researcher in movement and mental wellbeing at King’s College London, who led the study, says incorporating movement into our working day – among other healthy habits – could be game-changing. “Each habit can contribute to positive mental health, and the more people do, especially over time, the greater the physical and mental health benefits,” he says.
Here, he shares his top tips.
Most of us are spending up to nine hours of our day sitting down. If you’re seated for your commute, at least make sure you’re engaging your brain, Prof Stubbs says.
“It is passive sedentary behaviour (such as sitting down to watch Netflix or scroll social media) and not active sedentary behaviour (sitting down to read a book or play a game, for example) that is particularly not good for our mental health,” he explains.
A study from Prof Stubbs and colleagues which looked at the self-reported health habits and medical notes of around 40,000 people found that those engaging in more than three hours of active sedentary behaviour per day had a 26 per cent lower risk of depression compared to those who did less than this.
“Additionally, our research has shown that excessive social media is literally rewiring our brain and altering our reward-processing systems, making it harder to become motivated for everyday tasks,” Prof Stubbs adds.
The Asics research found that it is just two hours into desk-based work that stress levels start to rise – so around 11am if your working day starts at 9am.
“To combat this, do some deep nasal breathing in the morning,” Prof Stubbs recommends.
Research from Stanford University found that just five minutes of breathing exercises can reduce anxiety, improve mood and slow breathing, which is a sign that the body is calm.
To try it, sit up in your seat and relax your shoulders. Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your belly rise and fill with air. Once your lungs are comfortably full, take another inhale of air to expand your lungs as much as possible. Then, exhale slowly through your mouth, making sure that it lasts longer than your inhale. Repeat for five to 10 minutes.
“This can help calm the nervous system and set our body and minds on a good foundation to be clear of mind and calm for the day,” Prof Stubbs adds.
More than half of the calories we eat each day comes from ultra-processed foods (those containing ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen cupboard, such as preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial flavourings).
A diet high in these foods is linked to a 30 per cent higher risk of depression in the future, and there are also links to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart problems and even some cancers.
A homemade lunch that avoids ultra-processed ingredients and instead incorporates elements of the Mediterranean diet (vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, fish and olive oil) can help protect against these risks and improve mood, Prof Stubbs says.
“Make something that includes a good amount of whole grains, such as wholewheat bread and brown rice, fish – especially those rich in omega-3 fatty acids – or lentils and pulses, which are a good source of protein,” he says. For example, this could be a tuna sandwich made with wholemeal bread, a chickpea curry with brown rice, or a lentil and vegetable soup.
It’s around halfway through our working day that stress levels spike – sitting around a fifth higher than they were at the start of the day – the Asics study found. However, taking a 15-minute exercise break reversed this effect.
“Our recent research has shown that moving for 15 minutes, especially after sitting for a prolonged period of time, can reduce stress by 14.7 per cent and improve your state of mind,” Prof Stubbs says. This could be a walk, which would add around 1,500 steps to your daily count, weightlifting or a short HIIT (high-intensity interval training) class.
The positive effect of movement is thought to be down to it triggering the brain to release mood-boosting neurotransmitters, including endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, Prof Stubbs explains.
Swap your afternoon biscuit for a bar of dark chocolate for a healthier option that can lift your mood, Prof Stubbs suggests. 
Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and fibre and has been linked to lower blood pressure, healthier cholesterol levels and brain function. The afternoon is the ideal time for this snack, as it contains caffeine, which may disrupt sleep for some people if it is eaten in the evening, he notes.
Research from Prof Stubbs and colleagues, which examined the daily chocolate consumption and mood of around 13,000 people, found that those who ate dark chocolate – around 100g per day – were around 57 per cent less likely to develop depression symptoms than those who didn’t eat chocolate. 
However, bear in mind that 100g of dark chocolate will contain around 600 calories and 14g of sugar, so a smaller portion may be best. A single 10g square has still been linked to health benefits. 
Despite its initial relaxing effects, alcohol isn’t good for us. It harms our heart and brain and raises the likelihood that we will suffer from high blood pressure, stroke and cancer.
In Britain we’re told to not exceed 14 units per week (around six 175ml glasses of wine, six pints of 4 per cent beer or 14 single shots of spirit). However, “the research suggests that no level of alcohol consumption is associated with better health,” Prof Stubbs notes. 
So when it comes to after-work drinking, try to avoid it, he recommends. “Swap to a hydrating drink,” he suggests. “Try kombucha [a fizzy drink made from fermented black tea] or an alcohol-free option of your favourite drink.”
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