According to the EU’s figures, Britons work more hours than anyone else in Europe. It’s said that people in the UK spend an average of 42hours a week at work – with a staggering 526,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016/2017.
Are you one of the many people working at a desk, in an office, five days a week? If so, you’ve probably heard of the health implications of sitting down for the majority of your day, but what mainly goes unnoticed is how crucial it is to have stress-reducing measures in place. Stress doesn’t only have adverse effects on mental health, but long-term physical health issues, too.
Fatigue
Headaches and pains
Weak and sore muscles
Insomnia: lack of sleep
Irritability
Negative impact on mood
With this being said, what are the main ways of keeping stress-levels down as much as possible - when in an office environment?
Exercising for just 20 minutes daily can lift your mood, increase your energy levels and can sharpen your focus.
Working in an office job usually means sitting at a desk – equating to hours on end of staying sedentary. Don’t let this become a routine, and if it is – it’s a habit you’ll need to break if you want to reduce your stress levels and boost your health. It’s proven that getting up to walk around just once an hour, for a short amount of time, is what’s needed to get your blood flowing and your brain functioning properly again – resulting in increased focus.
Pre-plan your walking and lunch breaks throughout the day
Delegate your workload to relevant colleagues – there’s no need to put all of your work on yourself if there are others who can help
Prioritise your important tasks
Plan, note and tick off things that you need to do outside of work: it’s extremely important to find a work-life balance which works best for you
Many people turn to ‘comfort foods’ as a way to cope with stress. This happens when the brain releases cortisol – a hormone which makes you crave fatty, sweet and salty foods for temporary pleasure. Ironically, eating these types of unhealthy, fast foods makes the stress issue even worse – as they make you feel lethargic.
Avoid the unhealthy foods – adopting a healthy diet packed full of lean proteins, high fiber fruit and vegetables, complex carbs and mood-boosting antioxidant foods will stabilise your stress levels and make you feel happier (and healthier!)
It’s easy to venture to work, keep your head down and get your work done – but sooner or later you’ll be in desperate need of some work friendships to keep you going and motivated throughout your work days.
Top tips for fostering positive work relationships:
Put down your mobile phone at lunch and get involved with office chit chat
Encourage managers to host more staff socials outside of the office and team workgroups in the workplace to boost team relationships
Research from the University of Connecticut has found that even mild dehydration can alter mood, energy levels and the ability to think clearly. You may think you’re drinking enough water, but this may not be the case; thirst doesn’t appear until you’re 1 or 2% dehydrated – by this time the dehydration is already making an impact on how your body performs. It’s for this reason that it’s important to stay well-watered throughout the day to maintain high levels of productivity.
Tips for increasing your water consumption in the office:
Encourage managers to install a water dispenser – it’s going to be challenging to avoid keeping hydrated if you’ve got a constant reminder
Start your day as you mean to go on – with a glass of water
Water can be bland – add slices of fruit to an infused water bottle to add your own flavour
Track your water intake with a smartphone app
Making sure your stress levels are as low as possible at work is great for your overall physical and mental well-being, but you aren’t to know what’s around the corner regarding illnesses that are out of your control. Acquiring health insurance cover is a great way to make sure you’re going to receive the best healthcare, should you ever need it.
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