You’re probably reading this at a desk in an office. The simple act of sitting down and staring at a screen might seem harmless, even enjoyable, and yet reams of research show that sedentary jobs are making us fat, giving us sore backs, and triggering heart attacks. Dr John Tickell, a medical doctor and bestselling author of Laughter, Sex, Vegetables & Fish, has spent over 25 years researching what it takes to live and work well. I asked him for his top five tips on staying healthy in the office.
His first tip is to “climb 200 stairs every day. It’s good for your thighs and back and heart and lungs”.
Several years ago, there was a study conducted at the University Hospital of Geneva. Rather than catching an elevator, employees were required to use the stairs for 12 weeks. By the end of the experiment, their results were impressive. Their lung capacity had gone up by 8.6 per cent; their cholesterol had reduced by 3.9 per cent; their body fat had decreased by 1.7 per cent; and their waist circumference had gone down by 1.8 per cent.
Dr John’s second tip is to “go to the water cooler every 30 minutes and have half a glass of water.”
(On the topic of water, I saw Tapped last week, an eye-opening documentary that investigates the evils of the bottled water industry. And there are definitely evils. For example, according to the Aussie website, Go Tap, set up by the founders of Planet Ark, half a billion dollars is spent every year on bottled water in Australia, and this generates the equivalent number in greenhouse gases of 13,000 cars on the road. Only a third of those bottles are recycled.)
After a glass of water, Dr John suggests doing 10 backwards shoulder rolls. Why? Because 98 per cent of the activities an office worker performs are in front of the body. A consequence of such an imbalance, he says, is “a crooked and bent and painful spine,” unless simple exercises are done to counteract it.
My personal favourite is his third tip: “Hug someone you love before you leave home.” He placed special emphasis on the word before.
The benefit of a hug can be found within oxytocin, otherwise known as the ‘love hormone’. In research published in the Psychosomatic Medicine journal a few years ago, physical affection was found to increase the presence of oxytocin in the body. The same study showed that a higher rate of this hormone resulted in lower stress levels and reduced blood pressure. That’s why a hug before work gets people pumped for the day ahead.
Tip number four: “Tell someone in the office every day ‘well done’ on something they did last week or this week. It makes people feel better, and better people make better companies.”
A survey last year of 3000 employees by the Australian Institute of Management revealed that two-in-five of the respondents felt unappreciated by their boss. So, if they can’t get praise from their boss, they may as well get it from their co-workers. As experts attested in a blog post last month, being recognised for good work is one of the biggest drivers of motivation and performance.
Dr John’s fifth tip is to take two deep breaths every two hours, and “think about your next 3-day break away with your partner or your spouse or your lover and plan it and book it".
"No wonder 40 per cent of marriages break down; do the things you used to do when you fell in love.”
At the very least, the excitement of looking forward to a short break makes a tough work environment a little more bearable.
Often, workplace wellness conversations focus on the safety aspect. It’s about preventing strains from poor ergonomics or preventing injuries from workplace hazards. Rarely is the conversation about drinking water or giving a hug or saying thanks or planning a break. You know, all the stuff that protects the mind.
*) James Adonis is one of Australia’s best-known people-management thinkers
English - KOMPAS.com
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