5 habits at work that harm your health

Office workers often sit continuously for 7-8 hours a day, accounting for most of their working time. Living habits during this time can affect physical and mental health. Below are common mistakes.

Eating a full meal and not taking a lunch break

Lunch break is the time when the body and brain recover after many hours of work. If you take the time to eat and then continue to handle work or do other activities, your body will not have enough time to relax.

According to Everyday Health, the habit of eating during breaks and not resting can affect the functioning of the digestive system, increasing the risk of bloating, indigestion, fatigue and reducing the effectiveness of nutrient absorption. Every day, you should spend 20-30 minutes for lunch, avoid eating while working so that your body can rest and the digestive system can work more effectively.

Sitting for a long time

Sitting for more than 8 hours a day, especially when frequently crossing your legs or maintaining the same position, can reduce blood flow back to the heart, affect circulation, and increase the risk of varicose veins. Prolonged sedentary habits are also linked to metabolic disorders such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Sitting hunched over, leaning too much or having inappropriate furniture arrangements puts the spine, especially the lumbar and neck areas, under greater pressure, easily causing pain, fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders. Besides, typing on the keyboard or using the mouse continuously for many hours causes the muscles of the neck, shoulders, lower back and wrists to always be in a state of stiffness, increasing the feeling of pain and fatigue.

To limit these harmful effects, you should get up and exercise every 30-60 minutes, walk around or do some light stretching. When working, keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and you can use pillows to support your spine. At the same time, stretch your arms, rotate your wrists and relax your shoulders for about 10 seconds before continuing to type on the keyboard to reduce muscle tension and prevent pain.

Looking at the screen for too long

Using devices such as computers or phones for long, continuous periods of time can lead to eye strain due to the effects of blue light. Over time, eye function declines, causing dry eyes, eye fatigue, and blurred vision. Patients may have headaches due to stress, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating in the afternoon.

To limit, office workers should look out the window or farther away (at least 6 m), every 20 minutes. Reduce glare on the screen, align the screen with your eyes.

Forget to drink water

When focusing on work for a long time, the nervous system will ignore internal signals such as thirst. Over time, the disconnection between the nervous system and the body will become a bad habit, contributing to unexplained fatigue, mood changes, and cognitive decline.

According to Very Well Health, not drinking enough water is one of the common causes of headaches and constipation. Dehydration also makes you crave food, leading to eating more and excess calories. You should place the water bottle at eye level, take small sips regularly to help the nervous system recognize physical signals such as thirst.

Snacks

Snacking habits cause you to consume too much sugar every day. Snacks high in sugar or salt can increase inflammation, promote cravings for high-calorie foods, leading to weight gain and obesity.