So, how much of a factor is being healthy when it comes to productivity?
This is a relevant question both on a personal level and in the workplace, as healthy employees are more productive.
There’s a clear answer: BEING HEALTHY DOES INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY. A LOT.
Healthy eating and work productivity:
1. Get sick less often
The average adult spends a few weeks every year not being able to work. Imagine what you could have gotten done in those few hundred hours. Pushing yourself and working while sick is absolutely not advisable, as your body needs that energy for a sooner recovery and it’s going to wind up counterproductive. This is why PREVENTION is key.
Very important: Stress tends to shut down the immune system, which skyrockets your chances of getting sick. Stay grounded and focused, and keep in mind that the stress of working like a mad man can very well come back to bite you.
You can minimize things like the flu if you have a special level of attention for hygiene during the most active season for bacteria: the second half of winter. As usual, a good diet (not too much sugar, not too much meat, high fiber) and some exercise is going to cut short the probability of spending time in bed.
2. Gut Bacteria for Mood and Mental Clarity
Yes, that’s actually a massive factor. People with a healthy colon may not notice, but one day that might change and turns out there’s a considerable correlation between the balance of good / bad bacteria in your colon and your mood. The gut is called the second brain for a reason, so it’s indeed a big part of the productivity formula.
Tip: Get plenty of raw veggies and high fiber fruits / grains. These feed the GOOD bacteria.
- Further reading: Mood disorders and gut bacteria
3. Physical Exercise
Specially cardio! A day that starts with a little run is a better day, and you know it. The mechanism may not be so clear, but exercise helps produce endorphins which give you a sense of well being, positive thinking, mental focus…
Moving blood through every tiny blood vessel in your body helps oxygenate the brain which translates into enhanced cognition. A strong cardiovascular system equals better cognitive function and short-term memory (for instance, you last longer being able to think clearly and make decisions).
- Further reading: Oxygen boosts brain power
4. Don’t worry, be happy
It goes without saying how depression and anxiety are so common and so strong in their ability to kill productivity. Preventing these comes down to a good diet, exercise, healthy relationships, how positive you can stay in the face of trouble… and of course genetics. In the event that you suffer from this already, modern treatments are very effective so don’t think twice about going to see a doctor.
3 keys to speed up the recovery and get back to work at a 100%:
- Be positive and optimistic
- Don’t think about your problems too much
- Stay productive, feel useful
You don’t have to have a ton of experience in this world to know how thinking positive does manifest into the real world, but not thinking about your problems that much is also brutally effective. We humans have a tendency for “RUMINATION”, that is, to think over and over again about our problems. This only makes them worse, letting go is an extremely powerful weapon to fight a number of those problems, give it a try.
- Further reading: Rumination destroys us mentally.
- Want to make a vegan happier and more productive? Here’s a massive compilation of the best gifts for vegans.
- The Knowledge Broker Blueprint helps you extract your productivity and knowledge and make a living from that, so feel free to check our review out.
