Focus on workplace wellness!

For many of us, our places of work have become focal points in our lives: the places where we do our thinking, achieve our goals, and spend so much of our time. However, for many the workplace can also be a place of stress, exhaustion, and drains in energy which can even result in physical aches and pains. Still, it doesn't have to be this way; there are many little things we can do to help maintain a productive office life while continuing to stay healthy and low-stress. Try following these simple guidelines to ensure that you get the most out of both your professional and personal life!

The simplest things we can do to make our work lives easier is to simply take a few precautions to avoid physical aches and pains. Making a few ergonomic adjustments to your work environment cuts down significantly on the physical issues that might arise during the workday. For instance, you can improve your desk posture (and shorten the amount of time you spend sitting in it!): when at your desk, your feet should be on the ground at roughly a 90-degree-angle. You should be within easy reach of your keyboard, your phone, and anything else you might need to get to. Your back should be straight and you should be looking more or less straight ahead without slouching or having to lean your head forward. But no matter what position you may find yourself in, the most important thing to do is switch it up! Change positions often, and take short breaks to stretch, stand, or walk around at least twice an hour.

Unfortunately, no amount of ergonomic adjustments will be able to completely and utterly wipe away the effects of the long days and even longer weeks we spend at our workstations, and certain problems--like carpal tunnel syndrome--can result from such overuse. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve ailment that occurs at the wrist and can affect the forearm and hand, leading to inflammation, numbness and pain. If the problems persist, treatments may even have to include placing the forearm in a sling or even--in some cases--surgery. Luckily, in many cases this condition can be nipped in the bud with light exercises, frequent breaks and correct posture. Chiropractic joint manipulation and practices like yoga have also been shown to be quite effective.

Of course, the challenges we face at the office are not just physical. In fact, the vast majority of what we deal with is an ailment of a less direct kind: workplace stress. This all-too-common problem has been shown to affect 80% of the workforce. Whether the cause is workload-related or rooted in people issues, time consumption or even lack of job security, it can sometimes feel like there are more than enough stressors to go around. Still, there is quite a bit we can do to help aid in combating this phenomenon. One reliable stress-relief technique is--yet again--to make sure to take frequent breaks during the workday; just being able to step away for a moment from whatever it is that's stressing us out can make us re-evaluate things and come to a solution. Take walks, and change your environment--if your work enables you to get outside, make sure to take advantage! Another possible aid in the battle against stress may lie in changing what you consume on the job. If you're the type of worker that gulps down several cups of coffee per day, consider switching to tea. Above all, try to employ positive thinking, maintain a healthy sense of humor, even try meditating to ease the mind! There are as many ways to battle the stress we feel as there are causes for that stress; keeping an eye on this fact will make it that much easier to find a solution when things seem most frustrating.

For better or worse, many of us are tied to office life, and the time we spend in professional settings can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster ride from high productivity and creative thinking to mental blocks and frustration--not to mention occasional physical pain! But as usual, there is much we can do to maximize the healthy and productive side of things while minimizing the negatives. Being aware of possible physical pitfalls and stress triggers can help us avoid them, and positive thinking and ergonomic approaches to our workspace can make things that much easier. Workplace wellness is something we can all achieve!