Working for long hours at a desk could be literally taking away years from your life. Â By spending the majority of your day in a stationary position, your body may be more susceptible to health risks..
The modern office job may seem like it’s less risky than a more physically demanding profession, however, statistics are showing it’s often the opposite.
Here are some of the biggest ways that your office job could be affecting your well-being in ways that you didn’t even realize.
Sitting Related Issues
Sitting for long periods of time isn’t good for your body. Not only can it lead to aches, pains, and cramps, but sitting for hours and hours can even lead to a shorter lifespan. Â People who work sitting down for most of the day may develop spinal issues which may lead to obesity and even cancer.
Office jobs make up for over 50% of the American workforce. Therefore the physical effects of this sedentary lifestyle is an epidemic. Â Design and ergonomics professor Alan Hedge, says you should change to positions every eight minutes, and take a two-minute “moving break” at least two times an hour.
Increased Risk of Heart Disease
Most people who work in an office don’t always opt for the healthiest choice for lunch, some more than others. Â Rather than the focus being on nutrition, it’s about convenience. Reaching for something greasy and processed on a regular basis will start to take its toll on your body.
Fast food has an exponentially higher amount of calories than something natural. Â High fat and high cholesterol mean a much higher risk of heart disease. Try to pack your lunch rather than eating out.
Increased Risk Of Depression
Between the commute to work to staring at data all day, the daily grind can start to suck the happiness out of you. Â If depression runs in your family, then working an office job may put you higher at risk for developing it yourself.
If you find yourself starting to show the signs of depression, you may want to talk to your physician about what action to take before things get worse.
Stress
Are deadlines driving you mad? Â Is your boss continually staring down your back pressuring you to produce faster and better work?
Working in a stressful work environment means carrying that stress onto other areas of your life. Â High-stress levels contribute to poor sleep, high blood pressure, and obesity-related diseases.
Eye Strain
The human eye wasn’t created to be able to withstand staring at a bright screen for hours on end. Staring at your computer for long periods of time won’t just lead to migraines and eye strain, but it can even harm your vision permanently.