Health in Advertising

In my post about telecommuting I started to talk about the health benefits of working from home. I only realized how incredibly true this weekend. This morning I rolled out of bed after waking up naturally, not from a screaming alarm clock, and began to make breakfast. Two eggs, half an avocado, two mini tomatoes, green bell pepper and some green onions later I had a great healthy breakfast that tasted amazing.

While most people reading this are thinking . . . you are nuts. Seriously though, think about all the things you have going in the morning trying to get to work on time with traffic (that's another topic about time wasted) breakfast skips the minds of so many. My weekday morning breakfast usually consists of grabbing a blueberry bagel as I run out the door or walking to Starbucks and getting an apple juice box and a multi grain bagel. Either way I end up carb crashing by 11am. Protein in the morning, for me at least, gives a great energy boost.

I used to go to the gym at lunch religiously but since our agency has reduced staff sizes there are so many times that I work through lunch or have just enough time to run to one of the food establishments around the agency. Those include a long list of not so healthy options which tend to make people sluggish in the afternoon. This coming week I want to bring my lunch so I can get back into the gym even if it's only a couple days. You have to make time for yourself to be healthy.

I heard some really great advice a couple weeks ago about making the salad the main course. You still have all the other things you normally eat, you are just making your salad bigger and the first item you put in your mouth. This salad doesn't have to only include vegetables, it can be a fruit salad, just eat it first. This is something I am working on incorporating into my habits.

Sleep is the third component of being healthy in advertising. Yes, I know the trend is to stay at work until 2am to prove you are more hard core than the next. Really? It's not going to make you more creative and it's going to burn you out faster than who ever it is you think you are competing against. Don't get me wrong I understand every once and a while there is an all nighter to make a deadline . . . just don't make it a habit.

There's nothing worse than being so sluggish you are just floating through life. Make time for yourself and create habits that will make you your best. In the end it will also make the work better.

What are some of the habits you have in your life? Healthy or Unhealthy . . . let me know.