Time to Take Care of Yourself

We live in a society that is constantly on the go. The average work week for white collared jobs is between 35 to 40 hours. While this seems like plenty of time, workaholics are averaging at least 50 hours a week. A study has shown that working more than 50 hours a week can actually reduce your physical and mental well-being, measured by a depression score. With more than 8 in 10 Americans stressing about their job and workload, it is safe to say that work can take quite a toll on our bodies, both physically and mentally. “Workaholism” is also linked with increased risk of heart attack, diabetes, weight gain, poor sleep, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and some cases, unhappy marriages and can contribute to higher divorce rates.

With all of these conditions being linked to working, it is important to consider how to be preventative when you are required to sit for more than 40 hours a week. These studies have found that you are at more than a 40 percent higher risk for depressive symptoms and without exercise your risk of symptoms for depression is tripled for those who sit more than seven hours a day. If you have ever wondered why you are so tired from sitting at your desk job all day, it is because slouching in your chair can actually sap your energy as well.

It has been shown that people with desk jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease and people who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die from a heart attack. Even if you have dedicated quite a bit of time to exercise, the time spent sitting is still far greater than what is healthy for your body. Those who think an hour of working out before or after work is helpful still cannot compensate for such prolonged periods of sitting. So what can you do? The following steps will reduce the stress on your body from sitting for an extended period of time:

• Use a chair that supports your back well
• Use something to rest your feet on comfortably
• Resist the urge to cross your legs, as it cuts off circulation
• Keep your computer monitor at arm’s length
• Keep your computer monitor at eye level to prevent slouching and harm to your neck
• Rock back and forth, as it can boost concentration
• Get up every 30 minute to loosen up joints and relieve tension
• Stretch your muscles by doing a few lunges, calf-raises and shoulder shrugs

Exercise is always important, especially if you have a job where you are stationary all week. Regular exercise can reduce your stress, anxiety and lower the risk of several diseases, as well as improve one’s sleep. A quality night’s rest also helps lower the risk of depression, heart attack, obesity and diabetes. So when you feel like you need to sacrifice time exercising, sleeping or eating right to work more hours, remember that your health always comes first. At the Phoenix Family Medical Clinic, we care for our patients and their needs and accept most insurance plans. Please give us a call today at (602) 773-5600 or visit our website at phoenixfamilymedical.com.

• Prev
• Next