Spring is almost here! That means it’s time to “spring forward.” Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 11^th at 2 a.m. While it’s exciting to think about longer days and warmer weather, Daylight Saving Time can sometimes be a difficult transition for many full-time employees. 

The loss of an hour can take its toll. In fact, the week after Daylight Saving Time has an increased rate of car accidents – which are often blamed on sleep deprived or drowsy drivers. A study by the University of Colorado at Boulder found an increase in fatal motor vehicle accidents the first six days after the clocks spring ahead. The study reported that in the first six days of Daylight Saving Time there were 302 deaths and a cost of $2.75 billion over a 10-year period.

Springing forward is much more difficult for your body than “falling back” is in November. Getting sleepy before bedtime becomes more difficult due to the changes in the amount of daylight, which can throw off your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock). When sleep cycles are disrupted, it can take about a week to start getting back on track. Losing even just an hour of sleep can cause drowsiness throughout the day that can lead to accidents or difficulty concentrating at work. 

Your attitude in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. If you walk into work feeling grumpy, chances are, you’ll walk out of work feeling grumpy, too. Having a negative mindset at work can lead to added stress, trouble concentrating, and irritability – and none of those are great for your work performance. Arriving to work with a negative attitude can also hold you back from forming any positive social connections in the office.

 While we don’t always have complete control over our physical surroundings, we are capable of controlling our mindset. Developing a positive mindset before the workday will help you stay productive, optimistic, and mentally healthy – no matter what the day throws at you. So, instead of swatting at your alarm clock and spending your morning dreading the work ahead of you, try out these tips to help you set the mood for a positive workday: 

Many employers have realized the positive effects of implementing a flexible work environment. That means that many full-time employees spend time working from home on either a full-time basis or an as-needed basis. As of 2016, 43% of U.S. employees reported that they spent at least some time working remotely, according to a study by Gallup. With telecommuting becoming increasingly popular, it’s essential for employees to learn how to stay healthy, happy, and productive while working from home. 

Working from home has many perks. A 2016 study from TINYpulse surveyed over 200,000 employees across all work arrangements to find that remote workers claim to feel happier, more valued, and more productive. While these are all great perks that contribute to employee wellness, working from home can also make it a bit more difficult to practice healthy habits during the workday.

Between access to a kitchen filled with unhealthy snacks, long hours, and the temptation to work from bed all day, remote working can present some challenges for living a healthy lifestyle. To help combat this, we are sharing nine tips and strategies to help remote employees practice healthy habits during the workday.

Employee Appreciation Day falls on Friday, March 2nd this year. If you haven’t taken advantage of celebrating Employee Appreciation Day in the past, now is your chance to do so! Expressing gratitude and letting your employees know you appreciate them is one of the best ways to keep employees engaged and motivated in the workplace. 

However, many employees don’t feel appreciated by their employer or company. A report from Globoforce found that 40% of surveyed employees claimed they weren’t recognized at all over the past year. This is unfortunate because both employees and employers benefit from employee appreciation and recognition. Employees who feel appreciated tend to be more loyal to their company, view their boss as trustworthy, and feel more satisfied with their role. 

If you haven’t planned something special for your employees yet, no need to worry. Check out some of these ideas to show your employees that they are appreciated:

With the startling prevalence of heart disease in the United States, it’s crucial that employers start addressing the importance of heart health in the workplace. According to a 2017 update by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), cardiovascular disease accounts for approximately 800,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. This is about one out of every three deaths. Unfortunately, the amount of adults with heart disease is estimated to continue to rise in the upcoming years.

A recent study by the American Heart Association (AHA) revealed that heart disease might cost up to $1 trillion annually by the year 2035. The study projected that by 2035, 45% of the total U.S. population will have at least one health complication related to heart disease. The study also reported that the ongoing rise of obesity and diabetes affecting the nation is a contributing factor to the estimated increase in heart disease. 

The AHA study projects that by the year 2035: 

• More than 123 million Americans will have high blood pressure
• More than 11 million will have a stroke
• About 24 million will be diagnosed with coronary heart disease
• Almost 9 million will have congestive heart failure
• More than 7 million will have atrial fibrillation (a serious heart rhythm disorder)

It’s no secret that what you eat significantly impacts your health.

Your diet can either fuel your body or drag you down.

Consuming a diet that is mostly made up of “fake food” (or heavily processed food products) can harm your health with its excessive sugar, calorie, and fat content. By cutting back on fake foods and focusing on a diet filled with real foods, you can reduce your risk of chronic illness, feel more energized, and keep your body happy and healthy.

A new study published in the British Medical Journal gave some new insight on the negative impact that ultra-processed food has on one’s health. A group of French scientists studied the diets of more than 100,000 people and found that eating ultra-processed foods (like cakes, chicken nuggets, instant noodles, and mass-produced bread) put people at a higher risk of developing cancer. A 10% increase in the amount of ultra-processed food consumed was linked to a 12% increase in certain types of cancers. The study also found that processed foods make up about 50% of the average person's diet in several developed countries – which could be contributing to the rising cancer levels.

An increased risk of cancer is just one of the many reasons why heavily processed foods can be dangerous to your health. A diet high in processed foods is also linked to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and nutrient deficiency. This is why it’s important to strive for a healthy, balanced diet filled with more real foods and less fake foods.

We recently blogged about the importance of exercise when it comes to promoting heart health, and while exercise is one of the best things you can do for your heart, you shouldn’t forget about your diet! What you eat has a huge impact on the health of your heart. There are many healthy foods that provide your heart with the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your heart needs to perform its best.

In general, a heart-healthy diet should be filled with whole grains, healthy fats, lean protein, and lots of fruits and veggies. Highly processed foods that are loaded with unhealthy fats, sugars, and sodium can cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol – which can both increase your risk of heart disease.

In honor of American Heart Month, we think it’s the perfect time to start focusing your diet on heart-healthy foods. Luckily for you, a lot of heart-healthy foods are delicious and can be used in a variety of meals! Below are 11 heart-healthy foods that you should start including in your diet.

Between crazy work hours, family commitments, and trying to maintain a social life, it’s easy to get a little off track when it comes to your fitness routine. Even missing a few weeks of working out can really set you back on your health goals. Taking a break from exercise can reduce your sense of motivation and make the gym seem more intimidating than it once was.

When you take an extended break from working out, your body notices. Your blood pressure rises, your endurance starts to decrease, your muscles start to shrink, and you might start feeling a bit more grumpy or stressed than you usually are. But the good news is that these changes are completely reversible once you get back into your fitness routine. 

Since regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health and wellbeing, it’s important to get back into your exercise habit after hitting a rut. If you need a bit of a motivation boost to get back on track with your fitness goals, here are eight tips to help you ease back into workout out: 

When you first started your job, you probably felt excited, enthusiastic, and optimistic about your future at your company. But after a few years, that excitement might have started to dwindle, and you might feel a bit less happy in your role that you once used to love. This is a normal feeling for many full-time employees – especially for those that work in high-stress roles or at high-stress companies.

If you dread going to work and feel like the work you do has become meaningless, you might be suffering from the effects of workplace burnout. Mayo Clinic defines workplace burnout as a special type of stress; it’s a state of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion combined with doubts about the competence and the value of one’s work. Burnout usually occurs when a person experiences long-term stress at their job or feels their role is emotionally and/or physically exhausting. 

Some typical signs of workplace burnout include:

• Feeling negative or cynical at work
• Having trouble feeling focused or productive
• Feeling irritated with colleagues or clients
• Lack of energy
• Poor sleep
• Changes in diet or appetite
• Taking more sick days than usual
• Feeling unsatisfied with your achievements
• Unusual chronic aches or pains – like headaches or backaches 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. Each year, about 610,000 people die of heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s one in every four deaths. With February being American Heart Month, now is the perfect time to educate yourself and your workforce about the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Many Americans are at risk of developing heart disease due to high-risk health behaviors. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, and smoking are three key risk factors for heart disease. According to the CDC, almost half of Americans (47%) have at least one of these risk factors. Unhealthy lifestyle choices and certain medical conditions can also contribute to a higher risk of heart disease, including:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive alcohol use

Although heart disease can be a scary topic, it’s important to spread awareness to help educate your workforce. Since heart disease is largely preventable, employees should be urged to practice heart-healthy behaviors. A healthy heart can be achieved through a nutritious diet, low stress levels, living tobacco-free, and regular exercise.