Give Yourself a Break! Three Quick Tips (You Already Know) to Better Your Day

1) "Start your day with a healthy breakfast."

We have heard this breakfast-consumption command ad nauseam. For the majority of us, mornings are challenging and hectic; sometimes, it's downright difficult to make it to the desk or meeting on time and in one piece. As a result, how many of us have jittered or grumbled our way through the morning on a caffeine-filled or, worse yet, empty stomach? While everyone has his or her own schedule, eating patterns, and habits, the experts continue to emphasize the importance of eating a healthy breakfast that revives both body and mind. Studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic, for example, have shown that those who eat good breakfasts are more likely to:

• Consume more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol during the day.
  
  
  
• Have more strength and endurance.
  
  
  
• Have better concentration and be more productive throughout the morning.
  
  
  
• Control their weight.
  
  
  
• Have lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

Nutritionists continually tell us about the benefits of whole grains, low-fat protein, and those ever-important fruits and vegetables. So skip the office cliché of a glazed doughnut with coffee and instead try a yogurt smoothie, fruit and granola, or toast with a hard-boiled egg. There is a multitude of healthy eating resources out there that provide great tips and ideas for quick and tasty breakfasts to eat at home, on the go, or at your desk.
Mr. Breakfast provides many terrific and easy-to-prepare suggestions. Be creative! Commit yourself to 10 to 15 minutes for breakfast every morning to eat healthy, satisfying foods that will give you the energy to face your day—you deserve it!

2) "Don't cramp your style..."

I remember a former paralegal colleague of mine who worked next to me. He was the sort of person whom everyone liked to talk to because he had such a calm, pleasant demeanor and was uniquely able to dissolve tension with a joke and maintain level-headedness in chaotic situations. Every hour or so, I'd see him walk past my door with a look in his eyes that made me think he was planning to embark on some sort of special mission. One day, I stopped him before he was able to disappear down the hall and asked him about his routine. With a chuckle, he explained his secret concisely and in typical lighthearted fashion: "Butt out of chair is a good thing."

Sitting, typing, clicking, juggling phone calls, shuffling files, and scampering from office to office—like it or not, these are the activities the majority of us spend the workday doing. Particularly since paralegals are under continuous additional pressure to meet tight deadlines, complete multiple tasks simultaneously, or handle crabby bosses, colleagues, and clients, stress and muscle tightness easily creep in. Before you know it, you're not only scrambling to complete that important report before your department-wide meeting but also battling a headache and shooting pain in your back while wearing a scowl.

Try breaking up the monotony of your work routine by taking a short walk, stretching, or rearranging the office furniture—ergonomically! We all know the value of exercise when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so why don't we follow this rule of thumb while we are at work? Performing simple office exercises such as taking a brisk walk during the lunch hour (don't forget to bring socks and sneakers) or doing just five minutes of stretching relieves soreness and stress and will improve your flexibility, circulation, and even your mood! While there is a variety of exercises you can do during your day to target your shoulders, back, upper body, hands, and legs, here are some great stretching exercises specifically designed to be performed right at your desk: Desk Exercises.

Another obvious (but all-too-frequently overlooked) suggestion is proper workstation setup. By arranging all your office accoutrements in ways that are functionally logical and make sense in terms of your body's movement as you go about your day, you can reduce your chances of physical strain and injury, improve office aesthetics (how many of us love that "nice, orderly desk" feeling?), and increase productivity. Healthy Computing, a company that provides current, comprehensive information on office ergonomics offers the following free suggestions for creating an ideal workspace: Ergonomic Setup Tips.

3) "...or your smile."

Finally, as my former desk-bound-yet-chipper colleague apparently understood, not only is movement important for relieving stress and eliminating the dullness of the daily routine, but a cheerful disposition, upbeat attitude, and genuine smile can also work wonders in terms of improving the day (for you and those around you). How many of us have heard the phrase "laughter is contagious"? Well, according to science, it apparently is!

While scientists have only recently begun to explore the complex relationship between the emotional, cognitive, and motor areas of our brains, new studies support the idea that positive emotions can relieve feelings of pain, can reduce our tendency to behave negatively during times of stress, and even have the ability to jumpstart the brain's capacity to combat disease. MSNBC and the Society for Neuroscience offer highly engaging articles on these subjects:

Laughter Really Is Contagious, a New Study of the Brain Finds

Humor, Laughter and the Brain

While we unfortunately cannot change the amounts of casework assigned to us or any number of other obstacles we are sure to be faced with during the course of the day, these three simple "oldie-but-goodie" suggestions offer new perspectives on having a truly smooth and gratifying day. Now, go give yourself that much-needed break!