It's old news that office working is hardly ideal for your health, with everything from stress, erratic air-con and constantly glaring at your computer screen being cited as the cause. It doesn't help that you can barely get a break from sitting at your desk to make a dent in your 10,000 steps a day. Yet more studies are now saying that not only does office work harm your health, it might even shorten it!
A recent study found that those who sat for more than three hours a day in a job, could be shaving two years off their life expectancy. - most office workers do easily double or tripple this figure; suggesting we all need to do more to be active while desk-bound. More studies link work-related to stress to a similar impact on your health. A new quiz (ironically by Calibre- an office furniture company of all people!) let's you put this to the test and see what your office life expectancy is!
Yet fear not- even if your score causes alarm bells there are still some things you can do to boost your health while working the 9-5.
1.Stick to a strict lunch-hour. So many workers don't even make full use of their lunch hour; barely leaving their desk. Use your lunch hour wisely- to rack up steps on your pedometer, expanding your range of reading in the park or making the effort to get a proper lunch; no soggy sandwiches allowed!
2. Make the most of a commute. Sometimes it can feel like we've done a full day work before we even get to the office-thanks to a horrendous commute. Start your commute the right way- download a TED talk to listen to on the way to get you inspired before work or keep a gratitude journal to make a list of things you are grateful for each morning (even when you have to stand up on the train for the entire journey!)
3. Pack an overnight oats for the journey. Overnight oats are the perfect breakfast food: full of fibre and protein which will stop you nipping off for a quick crossaint on your journey. Prepare these the night before by adding almond milk to oats, banana and peanut butter. Simply grab the oats as you leave the house!
4.Take a herbal tea break. Herbal tea breaks are so much better for your health. Herbal tea takes longer to stew meaning that you have to take a proper break before sipping. Pick peppermint to beat the post-lunch bloat and ginger to pep you up come three o'clock.
5.Don't drag yourself in when sick. One of the biggest problems with office working (especially if you're in an open plan) is the annual cold or virus that spreads around the office like wildfire. The average cold can take a few days to bounce back from but it takes a lot longer if you don't take the proper time to rest. This can impact hugely on the office environment- those who work in a large office can come to more contact with germs than the general population.
Although office working can be stressful, follow these tips to make your office life expectancy improve!