Healthy Ways to Unwind this Weekend

Undo the office, recharge, and refresh this weekend

So you've spent the week sitting at your desk, avoiding the office gossip, eating lunch from the restaurant around the corner, staying up late to finish a project, and feeling stressed about your upcoming performance review. Come Friday afternoon, you might feel exhausted, hunched-over, and full of aches and pains. And that's before happy hour drinks
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It's true that the office environment can wreak havoc on your health, but it's nothing that a weekend full of restorative unplugging and recharging can't help. Here's your answer to a long week:

Cook for Yourself

People who cook for themselves live longer and lose more weight. But during the week, it's difficult to resist the convenience and pleasant diversion of the sandwich shop down the street. So make Saturday and Sunday lunches (and breakfasts and dinners) all about homemade fare. Your waistline and your timeline will be improved!

Turn Off Screens

Screens: They've taken over your life. Between your office computer, home laptop, smartphone, iPad, and TV, you're hooked up to something glossy and hi-res pretty much 24-7.
But all that flooding email and visual information can add to your stress. And studies show that even though these incredible machines help us complete more than would otherwise be possible, we actually overestimate our own multitasking abilities.

Get Some Sun

No, florescent light isn't a good source of Vitamin D. While it's essential to protect yourself from cancer-causing UVA and UVB rays by wearing sunscreen, letting the sun shine on your skin is good for your body and your mind: the hormone vitamin D is synthesized from sunlight and helps with everything from weight management to immune function.

Forgive Your Co-Workers

A 2011 study revealed that having a poor relationship with coworkers could actually shave years off of your life. So this weekend, do yourself a favor and work to forgive the shameless gossip, the lurker, and the guy who noisily eats chips in the cubicle next to yours.

Know Your Sleep Schedule

Ever heard of social jet lag? That's what happens when you keep drastically different hours during the week and weekend, and it can have a permanent effect on your sleeping ability. While it's great to ensure you get a full seven to eight hours on the weekends, it's best not to completely disorient your sleep clock by staying up until the wee hours and then sleeping until noon.

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