October is here, and for Canadians around the country, that means it’s a time when the flu and other illnesses are most prevalent. A quick trip to the doctor’s office might help in the short run, but it’s always good to think about long-term health and wellness improvements.

The thought of a lifestyle change might be overwhelming to many people, but it’s actually easy and do-able. It’s never too late to begin your journey into wellness and a well-rounded lifestyle. Here are some tips you can use today to get started:


One step at a time
No one likes to deal with change; it's not easy. The bigger the amount of change, the more stress one has to deal with. With something like a health and wellness lifestyle change, it’s best to do it in small, tangible steps. Write down some short-term goals, achieve them slowly, and watch as these goals turn into lifestyle habits.


Get moving
Forget about calling it “exercise” or “workout” or anything that strikes fear into people; anything that gets you moving will do. Start with a low target and go slow for the first while. 20-30 minutes per day is recommended, and this is quite easy to achieve – walk around the office building during noon, and that is about 10 minutes; go outside after dinner for an evening stroll and get 20 extra minutes into your daily moving cycle.


Choose your food
What you eat factors greatly into your health and wellness. Diseases such as diabetes, heart conditions, high cholesterol and others are linked to what you eat. Easy substitutions include drinking water/club soda instead of pop, eating fish/chicken instead of red meats, and salad/fruits instead of fries. Cut calories from your diet by using these simple substitutions.


Keep healthy snacks around
Similar to the above point, choose your snacks wisely. Grapes or popcorn are much more nutritious than chips and cheezies, while both provide the same snacking feel that our brain craves. Plan wisely for this by having some healthy snacks prepared in your fridge for easy serving and eating when the time is right.


Resting up
While 6-8 hours of sleep a night is recommended, most people fall under that number. Sleep is overrated by go-getters and night owls, but the body is actively working throughout the night, helping you to get more done in the long run. Sleep helps restore hormonal levels, builds working memory, and heals damaged parts of the body.


Relax and de-stress
Stress plays a huge role in affecting one’s health and wellness. While stress in small amounts can be beneficial to productivity, too much can lead to burnout and fatigue. There are a lot of great resources on dealing with stress. We have even covered it in our blog! De-stressing can take many forms, some of which include meditation, laughing yoga, and stretching at work.


Posture matters
Ever notice that while at work, you’re slouched to the front? While it might seem relaxing, it can have negative effects over time: pressure on the spine, nerves, and back build up over time, leading to a poor posture and chronic pain later on. Ensure that you are positioned ergonomically to work – sit upright, with the eyes and computer monitor level to each other; the arms are comfortable when reaching for the keyboard; the feet are firmly on the floor.


Be emotionally in tune
Emotions and feelings play just as big a role in overall health and wellness as the physical aspects. Stay emotionally balanced by keeping in touch with friends, finding enjoyable activities to do, and maintaining a healthy balance between family priorities, work life, and any other time-consumers.





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Transitioning to a new lifestyle focused on health and wellness is not easy; it will be hard to keep up at first. By incorporating small changes to your life, it will be much more attainable. Keep trying different methods until you find one that works.

Let us know below in the comments or through social media if you try these methods – we would love to hear what you think of these tips!