Top Health and Safety Tips For Employees In The Workplace

If you work a standard 9 to 5 job, you might not think of office safety as a primary concern while going about your daily routine. Emails, reports, and meetings are all standard procedure, but maintaining a healthy and safe office life often requires going above and beyond the needs of your employer. Many modern offices place importance on mental and physical well being, but on the end of the day the onus is on the individual employee to take care of themselves.

The good news is that there are a number of quick activities that can substantially improve your office life if made part of your daily routine. Here are a few to get you started:

1. Gimme a break - This tip comes courtesy of MIT, and although it is designed for students, is perfectly applicable for employees cooped up inside an office for the majority of the day. Take a break for 20-30 minutes every so often. Use this as a reward for making progress on your daily tasks and to reset your brain so that you may approach a task from a fresh perspective. Your brain, just like your modem, needs to be unplugged every so often so that it can work at its full potential.
2. Blood flow - While you’re on your break, do something different than what you’ll do for the rest of the day. If you are required to sit at a computer for most of the day, take a short walk or stretch out in the parking lot. If you are so inclined, start a lunchtime exercise club and get the whole office involved. That’s exactly what attorney Cristina Hinds did when she started power-walking at lunch with her team of paralegals. Not only did they report higher levels of energy and productivity, they avoided the dreaded post lunch lethargy.
3. Hydrate - One of the most effective ways to maintain your health throughout the day is also the easiest. Stay away from sodas, energy drinks, and other sugary alternatives in favor of good old fashion water. The age old guideline of 8 cups of water per day might be a bit cliche at this point, but it is still sound advice. Water is crucial for lubricating joints, helping flush toxins from the body, carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells, and regulating body temperature. The main draw for most people to increase their water intake is that even mild dehydration can cause feelings of fatigue and the sensation of being drained of energy.
4. Proper Equipment - Carpal tunnel and lower back pain can be serious medical conditions, but with properly calibrated office equipment, these afflictions can be nipped in the bud. To prevent carpal tunnel, correct your posture by refraining from slouching and rolling your shoulders forward. Be conscious of your posture throughout the day. Adjust your chair and lumbar support so that your natural posture is not to slink forward. If your office offers alternatives to the standard desk and chair setup, like standing desks or ball chairs, try them out to see if one works for you.
5. Stress Management - Your job may be a large part of your life, but it shouldn’t consume your life. Work hard at the office, but try not to stress about things that are out of your control when you get home. Managing your stress can also involve getting plenty of rest (7-8 per night), eating well (cut down on the junk food), and developing a balance between your work and personal life that works for you. Enjoy time with friends and family so that you can return to work the following day refreshed and ready for a new start.