We usually spend about a third of our lives at work and more than 50% of our waking hours, that is a huge chunk of our existence. If we take these figures into consideration we can see that our own health and mental wellbeing are very much influenced and even controlled by the way that we conduct ourselves in this environment. Add to this equation the fact that we suffer a lot of stress and many physical injuries at work, perhaps we need to adjust the way that we spend our time during this essential activity period. There are some best practices and suggestions that have proved to help us spend this time a little more healthily. This article explores a few of these theories and will hopefully point a few of us in the right direction during our 9-5’s.
Work Stress
Companies lose millions each year due to employees suffering from work related stress issues. Many of these problems can be negated if only we learn to spot the signs early on. Some people have issues at home and are unable to separate these from their working environment. Whilst at work you need to understand the importance of prioritising your workload. If you find that you don’t seem to have any available windows for breaks, you should speak to your employer for some help in organising a more efficient way of dealing with your tasks.
Lifting
Back injury affects many of us at work and we can damage our backs lifting something as light as a few reams of paper. Here is a quick lifting instruction that should avoid any injury when adhered to:[arrowlist]
- Always bend your knees when lifting, no matter how small the object seems.
- Keep your load close to your waist area.
- Never look down whilst lifting.
- Do not lift anything that you are not comfortable with.
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Sitting
If you work in an office environment, the chances are that you send most of your time at a desk, sitting down. If you work on a computer, ensure that you are sitting correctly, otherwise your risk damaging your eyes, back and wrists as a result. Speak to your employer if you need some advice on the safest position. If your employer is unsure, ask to see the health and safety representative.
Exercise At Work?
We tend to forget about our own health whilst at work and there are some ways that we can use this time a little better regarding our own fitness:[arrowlist]
- If you live within a reasonable distance, why not cycle or walk to work a few days per week instead of taking the car or public transport?
- Try to use the stairs instead of the lift, you will soon find your fitness improving. But never carry heavy objects whilst using the stairs.
- Instead of emailing or calling your colleagues, just walk over to their desk.
- If you have a gym in the same locality as your workplace, try to visit it a few times per week. You can use your lunch time or maybe go after a stressful day on the office.
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Common Sense
Most of this advice is simple common sense, but if you find that your colleagues are still missing the point, why not ask your employer to hold a health and safety at work meeting? They will soon be able to feel the benefits and your workplace will be a much happier place to be!
[box_light]Richard Carter, author of this post, is a fitness blogger. He writes for a top Australian treadmill desk company. When he is not talking or writing about fitness, Richard can be seen enjoying a game of golf or basketball.[/box_light]
Related articles
- Adrian Grenier: How to Handle Stress (Hint: Don’t Ignore It!) (huffingtonpost.com)
- Stress is reason for half of sick leave (timesofmalta.com)
- Health & Fitness – Learn More Page 5 (bestbuy.com)
- Reducing Stress to Healthier Living (livhealthylifestyle.wordpress.com)
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