Is Your Job Keeping You From Being Healthy?

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We all hear and talk about work-life balance and how important it is to maintain our health even when we are working hard. This often comes more into play when we are starting a company, have started a new job, or work in either a very physical or a sedentary position. The question becomes, “Is your job keeping you from being healthy?”

Most of the time, the answer is not found in your job, but in your response to your job and how you handle the risks and rewards. While this does not mean that there are not dangerous jobs, there are things to watch out for in any workplace. If ignored, those things can directly affect your health.

So is your job keeping you from being healthy? Here are some of the reasons it might be, and some things you can probably do about it.

Potential On-the-Job Injuries

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Yes, some jobs are just dangerous. There are physical hazards that you must pay attention to no matter what your job is. For instance, jobs that require operating heavy equipment, climbing, or a lot of outdoor work opens employees up to serious risks. Here are some examples:

• Lineman: Climbing poles, dealing with electrical wires, and working in the hot sun make this a hazardous profession.
• Oil and Gas Field Workers: One of the riskiest jobs anywhere, this job involves not only hard physical labor, but the risk of being blown up if things go seriously wrong.
• Miners: Often working far underground, there are equipment and natural hazards that go with this job.
• Truck Drivers: Truck drivers often haul heavy loads, and the unloading and loading process can be dangerous as well as the risks they face if they are ever in an accident.
• Farm and Factory Workers: Essentially any job where you handle heavy equipment and are outdoors shares similar risks.

However, just because you work in an office does not mean there will not be potential hazards there. Frequently, office workers have other types of job-related injuries.

• Repetitive Use: Things like typing and other repetitive tasks performed by workers on a production line or mechanics can cause muscle aches and even carpal tunnel injuries if left untreated.
• Strains and Sprains: Holding your neck wrong at your desk, twisting the wrong way, or other odd movements can cause these even when you are sitting down. If your job involves walking around, navigating cluttered spaces, or lifting, they are even more common.
• Eye Strain: Staring at computer all day is no good for your eyes, and while you can wear special glasses or change screen settings to help, sales reps, call center employees, writers, accountants, and administrative staff often suffer from this.
• Sips and Falls. A wet floor, an icy sidewalk, or similar hazards can cause injuries at almost any job, but especially custodial work, the food industry, or production environments where there may be wet or slick floors.

Prevention is both up to the employee and the employer. Employees must follow safety protocols and recommendations, use provided safety equipment, and report any spills, faulty equipment, and other potential hazards.

Employers must provide that safety equipment and reasonable safety guidelines. They should encourage office workers to change positions often, use ergonomic keyboards and mice, standing desks, and other devices to make their workplace safer.

Employees in more hazardous environments must be protected to the best of the employer’s ability, and that includes the enforcement of using provided safety wear and following protocols.

One accident can change your life forever, and one injury can end a career or at least derail it for a time. Staying injury free at work is possible, but it requires both employer and employee cooperation.

Stress and Negative Health Effects

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Stress has negative physical and mental health effects. While this is well known, it is easier to say it is true than to understand those effects and combat them when you are in a stressful work environment. If you allow the stress of your job to get to you, your job can keep you from being truly healthy.

To combat this stress, many employees and employers are focusing on work/life balance and taking advantage of remote work opportunities. This means a number of important steps.

• Set Schedules, and Keep them Sacred: Your child’s music concert is just as important as the other things you do all day. Schedule it, and don’t let other things get in the way.
• Take Breaks: You will actually be more productive if you take breaks rather than not taking them. Set timers, take a lunch hour, and use those times for walking, meditation, or other stress-relieving activities.
• Stop Multitasking: Being busy is not glorious, and multitasking makes you less productive. Read “The One Thing” by Gary Keller, and use time blocking and other techniques to stay focused on one task at a time.
• Know Your Limits: Don’t take on more than you are capable of handling. If you are getting too stressed and busy, delegate.

One of the best things you can do to combat stress and be healthier is to get out and move around. Take a walk on your break, sit in the sun, hit the gym before or after work. You can even commute via bike or walking or a combination of both when weather permits in your area.

If you work a more physical job, some stress may come from that risk. Try meditation or even just sitting quietly and listening to music on your breaks. Do stretching, yoga, or even martial arts in your off time. Watch the number of hours you work, and be sure to take breaks when you need to.

The Challenges of Sedentary Work

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Sedentary work, whether in an office, at a security desk, or other environments, offers many health challenges. These are made worse if you are not in a place where you have the ability to stand or move around often. There are, however, things you can do to meet these challenges:

• Get a Standing Desk if Possible: While not always an ideal solution, a standing desk can help at least by changing positions. Just be sure you are using proper posture even when standing, and have a comfort mat to stand on too.
• Use a Ball Chair at Least Some of the Time: These do not work will all desks, but if you can use one, it will improve your core strength and balance while you are working.
• Get Creative: Treadmill desks, bike desks, and other options will help you work out while you are at your desk and working as well. They take a little getting used to, but it is worth the effort.
• Do Chair Yoga and Exercises: When it is possible on your breaks or between emails and calls, exercise using your chair and your desk.
• Take Office Laps: While it might look and feel weird at first, take laps around the office if you can’t go walk outside. Getting moving is key to staying healthy.

Get to the gym or get outside when you get off work. Make it a priority, and set it up as part of your schedule. Your body will thank you for it.

Your job can keep you from being healthy, but only as much as you let it. Take control of your health. Control what you can at your job, and remember to take care of yourself first of all. You can’t help others or be much use at work if you are not healthy yourself.

If you feel like your job makes these things difficult, have a conversation with your employer. If you don’t get anywhere, it might be time for you to look for a new job — one that wants to support a happy and healthy workforce.