If you were putting together a list of things that are bad for your Health you would probably think of junk food, sugar and lack of exercise, but what about work? Most people don’t consider the impact that their work can have on their health, which is a big problem if you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle.
Sitting Down
People are saying that sitting is the new smoking these days and living a sedentary lifestyle is one of the worst things for your health. So many people work at a desk all day long and sitting for too long leads to a range of different Health Issues. Weight gain is an obvious one because you aren’t moving around and burning that many calories. Over time, this increases your chances of developing problems with your heart and sitting for too long has even been linked to cancer.
If you want to reduce the damage caused by sitting down all day long, you need to make an effort to be more active whenever you can. If you don’t have the time to work out and you hate the gym, you should at least try walking or cycling instead of driving and taking any opportunity to move around a bit more. Taking regular breaks from your desk to walk around a bit helps as well.
Loud Work Environments
Offices aren’t the only work environment that can harm your health. If you work in a loud environment, this can do a lot of long term damage to your hearing if you are not careful. It’s important that you consider hearing protection strategies so you can prevent hearing loss in later life. Always wear ear defenders and try to stay away from loud equipment as much as possible. If your employer doesn’t have adequate safety measures in place, it’s important that you talk to them about it. You should also have regular hearing tests to make sure that there isn’t a problem.
Mental Health
Regardless of what kind of workplace you are in, there are always risks to your mental health. Stress is one of the biggest contributors to mental health issues and workplace stress is at an all time high. It’s harder to get away from work because you are constantly available via email and many people are set up to work from home. This means that people are working longer hours and not taking enough time to relax and unwind. Although we all experience stress from time to time, excessive stress can lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety. If you find that you are getting too stressed at work, it’s important that you speak with your employer about your workload. You should also consider seeking advice from an online therapist if you feel that your mental health is suffering.
Many people are unaware of these common work related issues and their health suffers a lot as a result. But as long as you watch out for these problems and take steps to prevent them, you can protect your health.
