While I do love a good beach and a good donut, we aren’t here to talk about those things. We also aren’t talking about the sometimes unrealistic idea of an athlete’s physique as a lot of social media platforms seem to portray. In this week’s blog we are discussing negative health habits in the workplace, how they affect our health, and ways we can improve.

Let’s start with some data.  According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 4.2 million workers in January 2018 missed work because they had an illness, injury, medical problem, or doctor’s appointment. That was higher than the number of workers who missed work for the same reasons in January of recent years. The last time more than four million workers had missed work for the same reasons in January was in 2013. About 2.9 million people in January 2018 who usually work full-time worked part-time because of an illness, injury, or medical problem or appointment. Another 1.3 million employed people did not work at all during the survey reference week for the same reasons.

In 1960, 50% of jobs required moderate physical activity, in 2018 only 20% of jobs required the same. 2015-2016 studies on sedentary jobs showed significant increases in obesity (14.3% to 39.8%), diabetes diagnosis (.91% to 7.4%), and even death. People who spend the most time sitting are 50% more likely to die than those who sit the least even with healthy habits in place. Did that get your attention?

• Individual
  • Loss of pay
  • Decline in workplace reputation
  • Excessive absence discipline
• Co-workers
  • Increased workload
  • Undesired overtime
  • Increased accidents
  • Conflict with absent worker
  • Increased coordination problems
• Organization
  • Decreased productivity
  • Increased cost
  • More grievances
  • Increased accidents

Most of us have at least a general idea of how to take care of our health outside the workplace. Maintain a healthy body weight, drink plenty of water, reduce salt intake, exercise regularly, etc. What about at work? Do you do anything at work to maintain healthy habits or do you just go in for the 8-5 grind? Adopting healthy habits and sticking to them at work can positively affect all areas of your life. You will be able to improve your physical and mental health and your productivity and performance as well. Moreover, by maintaining healthy habits at your workplace, you will be able to inspire your co-workers to do the same. While this list isn’t all-inclusive, let’s look at a few things not to do in the work environment and ways almost all of us can improve.

Don’t Sit for Long Periods Without Getting Up

I’ve got bad news that you don’t want to sit down for. All that time you spend in your office chair can lead to weight gain, double your risk for diabetes, and significantly increase your chance of getting heart disease or dying early of any cause. Sadly, your morning run or evening CrossFit workout won’t reverse the risk. Improvements: Use a sit-stand workstation like we do here at Tower Street, go for a walk at lunch, take the stairs instead of an elevator, or use a timer to get up every 20 to 30 minutes. Stretch and walk around. This is one function I love about my Apple watch. I sometimes forget how long I’ve been sitting, and it reminds me to stand up and move around. 

Eating Mindlessly

This one also may strike a chord with some. You scroll through emails while you polish off a panini. You hardly taste the food, and an hour later, you don’t remember whether you ate at all. The kitchen is full of snacks. Sound familiar? In one survey, 28 percent of workers said they seldom, if ever, take a break to eat lunch and 39 percent said they routinely eat at their desks. That’s a problem because research suggests how you eat is as important as what you eat. Improvements: Put your work away and leave your desk. If possible, sit down and chew every bite thoroughly. Meal prep healthy meals and snacks for the week.

In conclusion, unless you work in a spa, you may never transform your workplace into a health retreat. But by ditching your unhealthy work habits, you can improve your health and wellbeing and may boost your creativity and productivity in the process.

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