Occupational Wellness Tips

This well-known phrase prompts us to look at the effects of a disorganized space on our overall well-being. For many of us, constant visual disorganization can lead to negative stress, which releases cortisol and can impair focus, memory, and productivity. If this is you, take 10 minutes at the end of today to start organizing your space, whether it’s your physical workspace or your digital desktop. On the other hand, some people find that a less organized environment can actually boost their creativity by encouraging the mind to wander and form new connections between ideas. Whatever your personal preference, workplace wellness starts with how you intentionally set up your workplace environment. Let’s support ourselves with positive working conditions that help us stay focused, inspired, and productive. 

Occupational Wellness is having personal satisfaction and enrichment from one's vocation. Tip: Take time to reflect on your professional journey—where you are now and where you want to go. Writing out your occupational goals gives your ambitions structure and clarity. Once your goals are on paper, break them down into achievable steps and create a realistic written timeline to reach them. Start small if needed, and build momentum over time. Remember, occupational wellness isn't just about productivity or promotions—it's about aligning your work with your values, strengths, and passions. When your career reflects who you are, it becomes not just a job but a source of fulfillment and growth. Find out more about Occupational Wellness.

Occupational wellness thrives when your work feels meaningful and aligns with your values, skills, and goals. Reflect on what energizes you, seek roles that challenge and fulfill you, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Whether you love your job or you are exploring career changes, invest in purpose-driven work. You will improve your satisfaction and overall well-being just by making these small changes. Find out more information about occupational wellness from the National Institutes of Health.

Long hours of work or study without breaks can lead to burnout. Short breaks throughout the day can improve productivity, reduce stress, and refresh your mind. The Pomodoro Technique can also help individuals develop more efficient work habits. Through effective time management, they can get more done in less time while achieving a sense of accomplishment and reducing the potential for burnout. Try the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break.

Resource: Pomodoro Technique Explained.

"Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor;” a proverbial saying from William Cowper a late 18th century English poet. Boy, is he right. A change in your routine might be what you need to inject some motivation and inspiration into your everyday life. Throw a fun wrench in your typical evening, day, or weekend. Incorporate new activities into your day, change the environment at work or in your home office, learn a new skill or language, explore different hobbies, taking a different route to work, try a new foods, or simply making a conscious effort to be more mindful and present in your daily life; essentially, adding variety and novelty to your usual activities to keep things interesting.

Your job does not define you, so love what you do. Be proud of who you are at work and be proud of your work. Don't settle, and do all you can to avoid overworking. This can bring on stress and anxiety and will diminish your production and your perception of the work you are doing. Remember to take breaks and give yourself grace and try to make strong connections with co-workers and colleagues who can act as a support structure when you might experience challenges. Look for the benefits in your job and create a plan to reach your occupational goals, and if you feel stuck, seek out a professional to talk with who can provide you with some strategies to help you break through your plateau. 

It always pays to have good posture. Whether walking, sitting, running, or during any activity. Poor posture can be bad for your health. Poor posture isn't necessarily a bad habit, either. Poor posture can result in Inflexible muscles that decrease range of motion (how far a joint can move in any direction) and can have a negative influence on muscle strength which can affect balance in a number of ways. For more information on the importance of good posture please visit this article from Havard Health Publishing. 

When you are busy during the day just getting things done, it is easy to forget to take a break. But frequent breaks during the day are shown to improve focus and alertness. Studies show that sitting for too long can be detrimental to your health. Exercise snacking every 30 minutes while working can be a great way to take a break. That can include stretching, taking a short walk, or taking care of a small task. If your schedule is completely booked, there are many stretches you can do right at your desk! Take time for yourself during your busy workday; your mind and body will thank you. 

You may or may not have much control over where your office is located and how it’s set up, but workplace wellness begins with how you set up your workplace environment. We’re best able to set ourselves up for healthy practices at work when our office environment supports positive working conditions that help us stay inspired, focused and productive. 

Think about how you work best: Do you need a quiet space? Plenty of light? Do you need desk space to write on, a place to easily access paper files or documents? Are you most focused if you’re facing a wall, or most inspired if your desk positions you to look out a window? Though it seems simple, intentionally setting up your workspace to increase focus and productivity can significantly reduce workplace stress down the road. Apply these practical tips even if you are working remotely. 

Eyes become easily strained when you’re constantly focused on your computer screen. Reduce the risk of tired eyes by looking away from your computer for at least 20 seconds in 20-minute intervals. 

While doing this feel free to focus on your breathing. Although allowing your eyes to rest makes for a nice break during the day, the focus on breathing adds another layer of focus. While your eyes are closed, take three deep breaths, focus on the inhale and exhale of each breath. Then take a moment to notice anything you are feeling (e.g., is it hot or cold in the room? Are you feeling anxious in any way? What does it feel like to be sitting or standing while you are closing your eyes). 

Take this time not only to take a break from the screen, but also to replenish yourself spiritually if you feel the need to do so.

Make your annual checkups with your doctor and schedule the recommended screenings for your age group.  Check your teeth twice a year with your dentist. Make your health a number one priority.

Do eye exercises - As we continue to work remotely from home, many of us are using digital devices more than ever. Not only that, computer setups have become more elaborate with having to view multiple screens at once. This results in an increase in strain on the eyes. Try to take some time to look away from the screen from time to time during the day to give your eyes a rest. Also, you can cup your eyes with your hands to experience total darkness for 30-60 for quick rejuvenation. Making it a point to look away from the screen often and do eye exercises can minimize issues like dry eyes or headaches. Here are some ways you can get your eye exercises in during the day. 

You’ve heard it plenty of times this year, but you need to regularly wash your hands to prevent germs from spreading at work and at home. Try singing the alphabet song or the happy birthday song twice while rubbing your hands together in warm, soapy water to kill germs on contact. When you are in the office, desks and cubicles are a hot spot for germs to fester and multiply. Copiers, water fountains, and break areas can be covered with germs and bacteria as well.  Unfortunately, the domino effect applies to workplace illness, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With flu season around the corner, it’s important that you keep yourself from spreading germs. Besides getting a flu shot, there are many other ways to help prevent illness and the spread of germs. You shouldn’t wait until you feel under the weather to implement germ prevention.

Ergonomics is the science of posture and proper positioning during tasks and activities.  The goal of ergonomics (i.e. the scientific study of people at work) is to prevent soft tissue injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) caused by sudden or sustained exposure to force, vibration, repetitive motion, and awkward posture.  To create an ergonomically sound work environment, specialists like ergonomists and industrial hygienists recommend designing tasks, work spaces, controls, displays, tools, lighting, and equipment to fit your capabilities and limitations.  Check out this link for more information.  CDC Recommendations on Ergonomics.

People were designed not to sit so much and before the industrial revolution, we moved more throughout the day using our hands and bodies to produce work. Now, we live in a world that does not require movement. Working from a desk or from home and sitting in a chair for many consecutive hours makes us sedentary and is associated with sitting disease or ‘sitting sickness.’ Yes, that is correct, a disease related to sitting. 

Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle can explain, in part, how our modern lifestyles are associated with obesity, more than 30 chronic diseases, and high healthcare costs. For more information on this click here Sitting disease research. 

What to do? We need to move more. An easy way to make sure you are moving throughout the day is to take a break every 30 minutes. This can be done by standing up, getting out of your chair, and walking or moving for about 1-2 minutes every 30 minutes of your day. Don’t worry if you miss a 30-minute break; try to commit to moving more. You can even set the alarm or set a calendar reminder to get up and move around. Moving your body throughout the day will help your circulation as well as your bones and muscles. It is very important that you keep your body moving, so next time you find yourself sitting for a while, stand up and be counted!