Without knowing why, many people will suffer from work-related stress during their lifetime. This may be due to poor posture, the placing of your monitor, keyboard and mouse or it might be that you have little access to good, healthy air or there is too much stress from the demands of your employer.
The effects of working in an office, which is detrimental to your health, may cause you to take time off work. Millions of work days are lost each year across the UK as a result of this and the total cost to employers is equal to several billion pounds a year.
When people become stressed, many develop headaches and migraines and this will potentially lead to further poor health, time off work and the burden on the NHS system.
Healthy considerations
By searching the Internet you will quickly find a range of articles about the correct posture to be used when you are sitting at a desk. The use of a pneumatic chair will allow you to find a comfortable position to work at your desk or at a computer workstation.
Find the best placement of your monitor; this will probably be somewhere between 20 and 30 inches from your eyes. Your mouse is best placed in a comfortable position so that your hand and arm can relax and the keyboard should be placed so that your forearms have no need to bend more than 20% above the level line from your elbows.
In the ideal scenario, you should rest at least every 20 minutes and if you’re able to walk away from your desk for even just one minute you will be able to stretch your body. This helps reduce the pressure on your spine because when you sit you are placing three times the pressure on your spinal discs.
Considering your lighting
Where natural lighting that can be provided for your work area, you will feel healthier because your concentration can be four times better than if you work completely with artificial lighting.
Experts suggest that when you have plants in an office environment, most people’s blood pressure will be slightly lowered, which increases their productivity.
An office must be cleaned efficiently and effectively because dust levels can cause breathing problems in many employees. Where plants are placed in a work area the dust levels will automatically be reduced by around 20%.
Some people will go as far as suggesting that lavender oils will provide a relaxing effect for workers which will inevitably reduce errors made on the computer or their work.
Light and stimulating music can help reduce the boredom that some people feel, which will inevitably lead to fatigue in the workplace. By speaking with colouring experts, you will be to choose colours that reflect the mood required in the office space.
Some businesses choose an open plan office environment because it increases the levels of motivation because the chances of distrusting other people will be reduced because there are fewer places to hide. Conversely, a lack of privacy may affect, detrimentally, the working results of introverted people. A closed plan office provides a much higher level of personalisation and privacy for the office space, but it does cause a feeling of isolation in the working environment.
Employers and employees can regularly discuss a range of fitness regimes which may include a company gymnasium while also promoting healthy eating in the office. A combination of all of these factors will lead to a healthier office environment.
Damien Higgins believes a healthy office is a happy office. He writes for bottled water cooler supplier Eden Springs.
