Protecting Your Health from Your Office Job - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Protecting Your Health from Your Office Job - Introvert Whisperer Protecting Your Health from Your Office Job When you think of injuries in the workplace, your mind may turn to images of construction workers, mechanics, factory workers, or other jobs involving manual labor or heavy machinery. However, office jobs present their own set of health risks, and while they might not seem as obvious, they can have devastating effects over time. Here are a few strategies to help you protect your health from your office job. Prevent Eye Strain Our eyes weren’t designed to stare at screens all day, yet this is how we spend so much of our time, both at work and in our personal time. Many people who spend prolonged amounts of time staring at computer screens and mobile devices develop a condition known as computer vision syndrome (CVS), which can cause eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. While CVS is a temporary condition, the effects can last for hours, even after you’ve stopped working on screens. One of the best ways to prevent eye strain is to follow the 20-20-20 rule. With this strategy, for every 20 minutes you spend working on your phone, computer, or tablet, you should take a break, find an object that is at least 20 feet away, and stare at it for at least 20 seconds. This gives the muscles in your eyes a chance to relax from the intense work of staring at screens and allows your vision to reset. It’s also important to remember to blink often. Normally this isn’t something you have to think about, but when you’re working on a computer you may keep your eyes open longer than normal, causing them to dry out more quickly. When taking breaks, it can also be helpful to blink 10 times very slowly in order to ensure your eyes are well lubricated before returning to work. Adjusting the brightness of your screen is another crucial step in preventing eye strain. Aim to keep your display at the same brightness level as the light in your surrounding work area. If your screen is much brighter or dimmer than the surrounding lighting, your eyes will have to work harder to focus, leading to eye fatigue, blurred vision, and headaches. Offset the Damage of Sitting Many office jobs require that you spend hours at a time sitting at a desk. This may seem harmless enough, but our bodies aren’t designed for a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting all day can lead to immediate physical discomfort, long-term pain, obesity, and may even increase your risk of developing serious conditions like diabetes and heart disease. When you’re focused on work, it’s easy to lose track of your posture. Many of us spend our workdays hunched over a keyboard, shrugging our shoulders, and craning our necks at odd angles. Poor posture causes your muscles to work harder and fatigue more quickly, leading to neck, shoulder, and back pain that will only worsen over time. One way to combat this is to ensure your workstation is set up properly. The height of your desk surface should allow you to reach your keyboard, mouse, and other work materials easily when your arms are at your sides with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. If this isn’t the case, you may need to adjust the height of your desk. As you probably know, typing for long periods of time can lead to symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome such as numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation. To help avoid this, it’s best to keep your wrists at a neutral angle, nearly straight as you type. Setting up your office chair is equally important. First, push your hips back as far as they can go. When adjusting the seat height, your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees should be at the same height or slightly lower than your hips. Although you may have a natural tendency to lean forward, aim to lean against the back of the chair, allowing it to support both your upper and lower back. You may need to use an inflatable cushion in order to fully support your back. Adjusting the position of your computer monitor is also important in avoiding unnatural and painful postures. Your monitor should be directly in front of you, at least an arm’s length away from your face, and the top of the screen should be two to three inches above your eye level when seated. This will ensure you don’t have to tilt your head up or down for hours at a time. Instead, keep your shoulders relaxed and your chin slightly tilted toward your chest. Aside from ensuring your workstation is set up correctly and making a conscious effort to maintain proper posture, it’s important to get up from your desk periodically throughout the day. Spending too long in one position inhibits blood circulation, even with proper posture. If possible, aim to take a short break every hour or so to stand up and get away from your desk. Taking a brief walk around your office building is a great way to engage your muscles and allow your circulatory system to flow more naturally. If this isn’t possible, you might try taking micro-breaks by standing up and marching in place for 30 seconds or walking across your office to refill a water bottle or get a snack. Avoid Nutritional Traps Maintaining a balanced diet can give you the energy you need to do your best work as well as boost your mood throughout the day. However, as you probably know, this is easier said than done, and planning out healthy meals and snacks can seem like a full-time job of its own. This only becomes more difficult in the face of a multitude of less healthy, yet extremely convenient options available. For many people, the greatest barrier to eating a healthy diet is the planning process. In the rush of everything you have to do during the week, planning out what you’ll eat can easily fall by the wayside. This may leave you reaching for fast food options and snacks from the vending machine, or you might end up skipping meals altogether. Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated. Especially if you’re not experienced with cooking and preparing a lot of different meals, you may need to start small. You can find a nearly endless amount of recipes online, many of which are well suited for beginners. To start meal planning, you might choose one simple recipe you would enjoy for several days in a row. Taking some time on the weekend to make a large batch of some dish and portioning out your meals ahead of time will help ensure you don’t have to call in a take-out order or race to a fast food drive through on your lunch break. Over time, you can learn to make different dishes and introduce a variety of office-friendly lunches into your repertoire, helping you to feel better and save money as well. One of the perks of having your own desk or workstation is the freedom to stock up on snacks to get you through the day. It’s easy to mindlessly munch away the hours, especially if you’re focused on task after task. Rather than keeping a candy bowl on your desk, stock up on healthy alternatives like mixed nuts or granola bars. Refrigerated snacks like fruit, yogurt, fresh veggies, and string cheese are also health alternatives to most snacks you’ll find in the office vending machine. The health risks involved with an office job may seem subtle at first, yet they can have serious impacts on your life. Fortunately, by taking a proactive stance in protecting yourself from eye strain, the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, and the temptations of poor nutritional choices, you can be healthier and happier, at work and beyond. AUTHOR BIO: Frankie Wallace  is a freelance writer from Boise, Idaho and contributes to a wide variety of blogs online. 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