How can you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the fast-paced world of Information Security?

Most times, security professionals spend a lot of time on computers. The screen time is typically more when preparing for a hands on cert. During these times having a proper sleep schedule plays a crucial role in keeping the brain active. Also it’s advised to see a lot of green during the days that are long on computer.

Com a velha máxima onde "cada caso é um caso", devemos primeiro conhecer o nosso corpo e entender como e quando conseguimos realizar a recupera??o dele. E nesse contexto o sono é primordial para uma boa recupera??o física e mental, a fim de conseguirmos manter o ritmo de coopera??o junto a Seguran?a da Informa??o. Um bom dia de trabalho se inicia com uma boa noite de sono.

A sound sleep which covers a good spectrum of REM, Deep and Light Sleep is fundamental to conginitive development. Any domain which requires critical thinking and hard labor, mandates a good sleep profile, to achieve optimal outcome. A hack, is to regularly track your sleep and nudge a bit to make it better. Micro steps for macro benefits.

One thing I've noticed in the ever-evolving world of information security is the undeniable importance of sleep for overall well-being. It plays a crucial role in memory, focus, and immune system function. Inadequate sleep can impair cognitive abilities and increase susceptibility to cyber threats. To ensure quality rest, it's essential to establish a consistent sleep schedule and create a sleep-conducive environment.

Find an activity to do before bedtime like a show or knitting where you can unwind from the chaos. Sometimes I write in booklet, draw sketches of ideas, watch standup comedy... Heard of "Sleep on it"? When you deep sleep your brain processes the information of the day and it has helped me solve problems faster.

Avoid oxidative stress, while you eat. A spike in insulin & blood sugar level is one of the major contributors to oxidative stress. Prioritise fibres , fats, over carbs & sugars. Follow a routine.

Learning how to cook healthy is one of the best investments you can make in yourself. Start with a subscription box and ask your friends for recipes. You don't have to cut out food and it can be delicious.

A well balanced diet also plays a key role in a healthy lifestyle. Greasy foods not only have negative effects on health but also result in a sluggish thinking and results in more tiredness quickly. Consuming salads, foods with lower sugar and definitely lots of water can help with maintaining an active day.

Certainly prefer workout routines. That 1 hour of my personal time with music that motivates and clears my mind. The persistence to finish each set and mark them as accomplishments generates a positive vibe. Additionally, regular workouts contribute to better sleep and urges adequate water intake (something we all tend to neglect during our busy schedule). Give it a try!

Exercise is critical, especially when you have a job that is by nature sedentary for long periods of time. Aside from the obvious suggestion of making time to hit the gym, remember there are plenty of practical applications you can incorporate as well. Get a standing desk, make a point to stand for 10-15 minutes each hour. Get stationary pedals to place under your desk so you can move your feet and keep the blood flowing. Take a minute or two each hour to get on the floor and knock out a set of pushups or calisthenic exercise. You can always incorporate timers or some extensions to work processes, maybe do 10 jumping jacks real quick after you close out a ticket. No need to be excessive, days are long opportunities are plentiful!

Get a dog that walks you :) All joking aside, I really enjoy walking as a means to think and be active. At home, I use a stationary bike for cruise of HIT while on all hands or while watching videos.

Typically, cyber security is a sedentary role. You need to offset this as much as possible to ensure your sleep schedule, work, and both short and long term health aren't affected by this. My advice is to get a coach or professional to assist you, and to identify ways you can keep healthy and active through looking at how you use your time and what is possible for your individual circumstances.

Exercise is a key ally for your mental and physical health, especially for professionals who spend long periods sitting and focusing their eyes on multiple screens. Physical exercise is recommended for all professionals. If you can combine aerobic exercises with strength training, the benefits will be even greater.

A major cause of stress is being unable to control things ... so bear this in mind when taking on additional responsibilities and especially accountabilities. Remember that stresses from different sources (e.g. at work and at home) can combine and accumulate. If things are getting on top of you, ask for help. The support of colleagues, managers, friends and relatives may be as simple as taking the time to listen and empathise with someone under pressure, letting them know that they are not alone and that their concerns are valid. For bonus points, a good friend spots and reacts to the symptoms of stress without even being asked.

Stress creeps on you. Know what triggers you and what the stressors are to know if you either need to self-improve to better cope with the stressors or exit. Whether you need a vacation because you're due for one or only see frustration ahead because other teams are not pulling their weight, at some point you'll need to make very important decisions in your career when your health begins to suffer.

Stress management is a very underrated skill set, that some never learn. We need to slow down and not think about a critical system going down over the weekend for a moment and enjoy nature, life and everything it has to offer.

Diet, exercise, sleep, and relationships all impact stress. You may not realize what the biggest causes of your stress are. The best advice is to journal what has caused you stress, identify it, and seek professional help to either rectify or reduce it. This can be a coach, conversations with your managers and HR, or exercise and time off.

Learning new skills isn't just about 'doing the thing to get better at the thing'. Running too much will actually make you a worse runner due to recovery requirements and injuries, reading too much will affect the amount of information you learn in that session, etc. Identify methods of learning that will allow you to get the most out of your goals. Little and often consistently is better than everything all at once. Identify supporting activities that aid in your progress. E.g. Sauna and sports massage, sunlight and a walk, regular breaks, hydration. These are often overlooked but essential for growth.

If you don't have a hobby that you are passionate about outside work, you are already dead. Having fun & relaxing does not necessarily mean alcohol and escapism. Moreover, don't take up something because others are into it, and don't get obsessed with it. Remember - fun means to relax, become more mindful, and connect with yourself. Getting obsessed by something is not fun, eventually you will burn yourself out. Do not be competitive while having fun - then it becomes nothing else but a fun-rat-race. Information Security like any other field can be stressful, but there are ways to manage stress. One most critical point - try to stay away from negativity as much as possible.

In a work context, side projects can be a fun and engaging way to harness and release some creative energy in a potentially productive context. Savvy managers not only tolerate but actively encourage and facilitate (if not actually participate in!) 'skunkworks'.

Have fun in what you are doing so that it does not become a burden and basically sucks the life out of you. If you find that you are no longer having fun then it maybe time to re-evaluate your current path and re-adjust. Have fun while on your career path and have fun outside of your career as well because it will allow you to recharge and remain motivated while moving forward.

Live with a purpose and keep yourself focused on it The “why” behind pursuing this career and what you hope to achieve on a personal and professional level in life, if crystal clear in front of your eyes, will be the driver that will push you to take care of yourself and this way, you will realize that having a healthy lifestyle will not be the end but the means towards achieving your purpose. It will then be easier and natural for you to maintain it.

First and foremost, understand that cybersecurity is not a one-man job. It requires team work, mgmt support, everyone's participation. So don't lose your sleep worrying about protecting company assets alone. As much as possible, automate any operational tasks, set up monitoring, escalations etc so you don't work off-hours managing that. Today all jobs are equally stressful. Manage your work in a way that you family time or health is not compromised.

Have a work-life balance in your information security career. By nature, information security is a stressful work compared to other IT disciplines and it is required to be self-disciplined to balance work and your personal life which helps to overcome the stresses within and live a healthy lifestyle as a result. Being disciplined needs to have a proper plan for both the work and other personal life, and live/work accordingly without any compromises to execute the plan for both. On the other hand, get ready (anticipate) for anything which may happen (surprises you may encounter) in your information security career and deal with them to face the reality of life in this field which would help you address the need of a healthy life as required.

Water. Keep yourself optimally hydrated, no matter what. Don't do over, don't do under. Check if signs of dehydration & over hydration and tweak you inputs.

In as much as security is a 24/7 life. There is need for you to balance it all out. You need time to sleep and socialize amongst other things. There’s a life outside work.