Jobs are not always easy nor enjoyable, but that’s why people get paid to do them. In exchange for all the hard work and devotion that people give to perform their roles, they can get a substantial salary in return. But the money should never come at the cost of a person’s physical, mental, and emotional health.
Of course, these woes have been in existence since time immemorial, even more so because jobs in the past were manually laborious. But that won’t discount the fact that full-time jobs today take a much higher toll on people’s physical health, mainly because of the lifestyles they have grown accustomed to.
If you’re not convinced by the physical repercussions associated with working in the digital age, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are three parts of the body that sustain the biggest impacts when it comes to fulfilling full-time jobs nowadays:
Eyes
It’s no longer surprising that most people’s eyes are suffering because of their work and lifestyle. This is because working professionals would have to look at their computer screens and other mobile devices for a minimum of eight hours a day to accomplish their tasks. Plus, they’ll be using their smartphones in between.
After work, they’ll either de-stress by watching their favorite shows, scrolling through their social media feeds, or catching up with their friends, which are all mediated by technology as well. Anywhere you look, and whatever you do, there will be at least some connection between your activity and modern technology.
While there’s nothing wrong with that per se, too much exposure to your many screens will say otherwise. Those who are constantly on their laptops or phones tend to suffer from dry eyes, refractive errors, and eye strain. But it’s not anyone’s fault because that’s just how jobs go about these days.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything about it. If you think that your vision is becoming blurrier than it was in the past, don’t hesitate to get it checked out by an optometrist to see if you need to start wearing glasses. Or consider getting glasses with blue light protection to give your eyes another line of defense.
Back
Having to sit in front of a computer or around a meeting table for a minimum of eight hours a day can be painful for anyone, but it’s what jobs often require. It can lead to upper and lower back pain, numbness, tingling, or muscle spasms if not addressed immediately. And it can also cause serious back problems.
That’s why it’s recommended that office workers stand up and walk around at least once every hour to stretch their bodies. You can take this time to hydrate or go to the bathroom for a small break before continuing with your work. This way, you’re not continuously sitting in your chair for four hours straight.
But consider alternative solutions if you think that quick stretching breaks and the occasional massage sessions can no longer solve your back pain. For instance, you can look into advanced cupping therapy to see if it will help you relieve your back pain and function on peak performance.
You can also consider a more professional approach, such as seeking help for pain management if over-the-counter medications no longer work. The important thing is that you can address your back pain instead of dismissing them as a mere result of being overworked. By doing so, you can prevent the problem from leading to a worse condition.
Hips
Unlike those working in field jobs, office workers have a more comfortable and relaxed working pace because they won’t have to travel from one place to another constantly. But that in itself also comes with a burden—being sat in front of a computer all day can cause serious health problems too.
People who sit all day are more likely to develop diabetes, obesity, back pain, heart disease, and weight gain. Additionally, all that sitting can take a toll on your hips because of the pressure to sit upright throughout the day. That’s why you should consider getting a standing or height-adjustable work desk.
With this desk, you’ll be able to work on your computer while standing, instead of sitting down. It will help you lose more calories or burn energy and ease the pressure off of your hips because you’re not constantly sitting down. Plus, it can also encourage you to move away from a sedentary lifestyle.
Of course, it would be difficult to work all day while you’re standing, which is why a height-adjustable desk would be the better option. This way, you can lower your desk when you want to rest your feet while sitting down and raise it again when you want to work while standing.
There’s no easy solution to prioritizing your health in the digital age. These technologies are surely making lives easier because the processes are being streamlined, which means they eliminate the time-consuming workarounds, but they can also take a toll on people’s physical health. So finding the right work-life balance is necessary to stay healthy.
