You will want to be happy and healthy at work, but your environment and lifestyle choices you make could negatively affect your wellbeing. If you want to avoid adopting bad habits or experiencing an injury, read the following advice on how to protect your health at work.
Avoid Mindless Snacking
Do you work in an office environment? You might be tempted to indulge in the many snacks your colleagues bring into the workplace. Yet, all those sugar and fat-filled treats could be adding hundreds of calories into your diet each day and pounds onto your waistline each month. So, steer away from the pastries, cakes, and cookies and pick up a piece of fruit instead.
Drink Enough Water
Do you often feel lethargic by three o’clock? This is a sign you’re not drinking enough water throughout the day. Avoid dehydration by drinking between eight to ten glasses of water per day. Various foods are also an excellent source of H2O, such as oranges, watermelon, grapefruit, grapes, and apples. Not only will you feel healthier, but you’ll have more energy at work to help you make it through to the end of the day.
Ensure You Wear the Right Clothing
While your employer is legally required to provide staff with the right workplace clothing for their job, you should also check you have been provided with the right garments and equipment to ensure your health and safety in the workplace. For example, if you are an electrical worker, you will need fire resistant clothing, which you can check out at frc. If in doubt, discuss your requirements with your employer.
Try to Exercise
Office workers often find it difficult to exercise, and their sedentary jobs can play havoc with their health and fitness levels. It is, however, vital you make time for exercise at some point in the day, so you can burn calories, maintain a healthy weight, and improve your muscular strength and flexibility. So, take a walk during a lunch hour, climb the stairs over taking an elevator, or walk or cycle to and/or from work.
Avoid Tension Neck Syndrome
Tension neck syndrome can strike when your neck and upper shoulders are in a fixed position for a long time. For instance, you are more likely to experience the health complaint if you talk on the phone for most of the working day. Unfortunately, this can lead to neck and shoulder pain or tenderness, as well as muscle tightness. To avoid developing the condition, you must ensure your neck is not bent to one side for a long time. If possible, use a headset, speakerphone, or shoulder cradle at work.
Prevent Eyestrain
Eyestrain is also common for office workers who spend much of their day staring at a computer screen. This can lead to a difficulty focusing, headaches, and a sensitivity to light. To prevent experiencing eyestrain, you should ensure a computer screen is an arm’s length away from your eyes. What’s more, you must be able to comfortably see the screen from this distance without needing to squint.