The appeal of working from an office can be in the friendly conversations with colleagues, the thrill of presentations, or the back and forth of brainstorming sessions. For some, the appeal is even in simple things like sharing a tray of small chops with colleagues or rolling around in a swivel chair. Working from home can make you miss all of that. While working in an office has its benefits, some everyday office routines pose several risks to your health.
Many situations in your work environment can cause health problems, even if you find them comfortable. It is essential to identify the sources of these potential health problems and nip them in the bud before it becomes too much for you to handle.
Here are five health issues that can arise from working in an office and how to prevent them from happening to you.
Back pain
Discard the thought that this only affects older people. Back pain is quite popular with the corporate crowd. Bad posture, sitting down all day in your office and poor ergonomics can cause lower back problems in the long run.
Prevention:
Preventing back problems as an office worker means you must be mindful of details like your sitting position, the nature of your chair and table, and your posture. Get up and walk away from your desk once in a while. Take a five- ten-minute break for every hour spent sitting at your desk. It improves blood flow and exercises your muscles. Find a reason to take breaks, even if it is just to say hi to a colleague at another desk.
Also, sit up straight and maintain a comfortable distance between your chair and your table. You will likely have to slouch if your table is too far from you. Ensure your table and laptop or desktop are close enough to you that you do not have to bend.
Your chair should also support a good, comfortable sitting posture.
Obesity
Surprised? Well, sitting on your butt all day does not precisely help weight loss. Also, when you are at your office desk, you are likely to eat unhealthy fast food or overeat. When you eat and work simultaneously, you will probably not pay that much attention to the food and might not know when to stop.
Prevention
To minimize the risk of unhealthy weight gain, indulge in simple work hour-friendly exercises like walking, yoga, high knees and even climbing stairs.
If your office has a gym, even better. Take full advantage!
Eyestrain
Using a laptop for most of the day can cause you to strain your eyes. Your eyes may feel dry or a little too watery and begin to hurt after those long hours of staring at spreadsheets, coding, calculating, or whatever it is you do on your computer. Your head, neck, and shoulders may also start to hurt. These are symptoms of eyestrain.
Prevention
To minimize the stress on your eyes, increase the font on your computer to a comfortable size where you do not have to squint to be able to see. Do not let the light from your computer screen be so bright that it causes discomfort or pain to your eyes. Adjust it till it is about as bright as your entire workstation. Look away from your screen for at least ten minutes every hour to give your eyes a break. Your office should be well-lit too to help you see correctly.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
This condition causes your hand to get numb, tingly and weak. Repetitive motions like typing or any repetitive wrist movements. can cause it
Prevention: Stretching and wrist exercises can help prevent this syndrome. Taking breaks is always a good idea. If possible, do your other tasks that involve less repetitive motion.
Stress
This is probably the most popular work-induced problem. In an office, almost anything can cause you to be stressed. Noise from a few chatty colleagues, long meetings, and difficult deadlines is just a few sources of workplace stress. Stress can make you irritable, exhausted, depressed and even increase your blood pressure.
Prevention
Preventing and managing your stress levels can be the difference between you and a mental or physical breakdown.
At work, in a bid to make progress in your career, it is easy to forget the limits of what your body can handle. But your health is essential and should be considered first. Learn to balance your work and your personal life. Exercise, eat healthily and get adequate sleep. Invest time in things that make you happy and your relationships outside the office.
Working in an office can be challenging both physically and mentally. That is why your health needs to be a priority every time. No matter the location of your work, whether remote or on-site, health problems that may come up need to be addressed as soon as possible, regardless of busy schedules or other time-consuming activities. Speak to a Doctor on Doctall conveniently from home or even your office for advice on managing your health and staying in the best possible shape while at work.