Last Friday, I had a bit of an unusual afternoon: our home was taken over by a film crew from CNN! They reached out to me last week about interviewing me for a TV story about healthy eating for new college grads just getting into the workforce, with the theme being how to stay healthy while working in an office.
Not gonna lie – even though I’ve done video work before, I was still mildly terrified and considered ignoring the email, but decided not to be silly. Big girl pants (well, dress) = on!
The how to stay healthy while working in an office interview itself only took about 10 minutes, but setting up the shot meant they were there for about an hour! There’s so much that goes into filming a short interview.
Fun fact: back in college, I interned at a TV station and newspaper in rural Kentucky one summer because I wanted to do broadcast or print journalism. Since it was such a small station, I was able to actually get my feet wet vs. just getting people coffee all day. My main role at the TV station was filming “Man on the Street” interviews at a local Walmart – basically, asking locals what they thought about current hot topics and then putting the answers into a short round up interview clip that would be played during the local evening news. I met a lot of interesting characters, as you can imagine! 😉 I also got to do a couple feature stories, which were super cool. I wish that online video existed back then because I’d love to see those clips! I think I have them on VHS tape somewhere at home…
Anyway! Long story short: mad props for how much work goes into producing a short segment! Here I am with CNN’s Karin Caifa, who interviewed me.
The story was posted online earlier this week, if you’d like to check it out! Considering how nervous I was I think it went pretty well. 🙂 They also interviewed fellow local food blogger Julie Wampler, who does some cooking in the story. Here’s the piece: CNN: New Grads – Eating Well on a Budget.
Since some of my favorite tips got cut out in the interest of time, I wanted to share some of my best tips for new college grads transitioning to office life – or really for anyone looking to stay healthy while working in an office. Even if you’ve been out of school and in the workforce for awhile now, I think you’ll still find these tips helpful!
How to Stay Healthy While Working in an Office
- Make sure you eat breakfast – and that you don’t JUST have carbs (aka bread or fruit) at breakfast. Make sure you incorporate protein and fat along with those carbs to keep you satisfied and from crashing/being starved an hour later! See also: 4 Quick, Healthy, and Portable Breakfast Ideas and How to Make {Microwave} Oatmeal More Tasty, Filling, and Satisfying and How to Eat a Better Breakfast.
- Set up a standing desk. You can ask for your office to get you a real standing desk if they are open to it, or simply use an old box to prop up your laptop for part of the day so you aren’t sitting for a thousand hours straight. See also: One Small Change I Made to Improve My Health.
- Have an afternoon snack BEFORE you’re starved. I recommend something with produce (fruit, veggies), and protein or fat, so you won’t be starved again a second later. Being proactive with afternoon snacking makes that office candy jar WAY less appealing, trust me. See also: Healthy Snack Ideas for Busy People and 10 Healthy On the Go Snack Recipes.
- Pack your lunch. You don’t have to do this every day – I love going out to lunch just as much as you do – but for the sake of your wallet and your health, mix in some packed lunches, too. See also: How to pack lunch in 5 minutes flat and Simple & Healthy Weekday Lunch Ideas. I also have a whole packed lunch inspiration section of my recipe page!
- Try to squeeze in an afternoon walking break. It will actually help your productivity, since you’ll come back less stressed and more able to focus!
- Turn exercise into social time. None of us want to choose between seeing friends and fitting in a workout, so consider turning workouts into friend meet ups! See also: How to Love Exercise (or at least not hate it).
Lastly, a couple other posts to check out: How to make time for health when you’re busy and Simple Tweaks for a Healthier Life.
What are your best tips for staying healthy while working in an office full time?
