The hazardous nature of some occupations is obvious. Policeman, fireman, construction worker, race car driver, .... But you'all who sit at a desk all day? What could go wrong? It turns out, you likely work in a pernicious environment - not just you, but most every office worker. Did you know ...
Fluorescent lighting “saps your soul”. A Thought Co study identifies multiple hazards from fluorescent lighting, from migraines, eyestrain, increased stress levels, sapping vitamins, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) to even worse [On second thought, don't read the study. It's pretty depressing.] People with a diet of daylight are significantly more alert. Find a way to get some natural light into your space.
Maybe not surprisingly room temperature is also an efficiency factor. With temperatures @ 68F/20C, employees make 44% more mistakes than at an optimal temp (77F/25C) - the claim is “chilliness” keeps you distracted. [Editor comment: I am skeptical. Have these researchers never heard of sweaters? For me, 77F = nap time]
This next thing will seem irrelevant - but bear with me. A major chord - e.g. major third vs. a minor chord - e.g. minor third, are associated with music being “happy” or “sad”.
I tried to find some scientific rationale for this, but it’s pretty sparse & in fact is probably a “western” thing. But trust me - it just is. Listen to Lenten music - it’s all minor key. So what? Well ... it turns out that the combination of a spinning disk and a computer fan produces background noise in a minor key. So you are subjecting yourself to “sadness” producing sounds for 8-12 hours a day. But there’s an easy fix - crank up some Vivaldi on those headphones. For those averse to classical, LinkedIn has even published a "songs to inspire you at work playlist".
Next item - sitting. Sitting is hazardous to your health. The Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal reports that those of you who spend most of the day sitting have a 54% greater chance of a heart attack - and guess what, neither smoking nor regular exercise have a bearing on that risk. A New York Times Magazine report on a study by Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic of 123,000 Americans found the death rate 20% higher for men who sat for 6 hours or more. For women - it’s 40%. If you’re not ready for a career change to say ... a bartender, maybe you should consider a standup desk. Sitting .. is bad whether you are morbidly obese or marathon-runner thin. “Excessive sitting,” Dr. Levine says, “is a lethal activity.” And while you’re at it, lobby for those rubber ball chairs for your school. Or maybe try it yourself.
The key is to keep moving. Or as an 89 year old lady I met on a recent bike ride said: "keep it wigglin'".
And this is just the start of the hazard list: the disease risk of indoor circulating air; repetitive motion disorders; eyestrain; the color of the walls - get rid of beige; toxic fume emissions from your computer or the carpet; ... So,
Let’s Be Careful Out There
P.S. Take an alcohol wipe to your keyboard and work surface. But, on the other hand, "t
Author note: I spent 35 years basking in fluorescent light and the glow of a computer screen. Well, except early on, it was punch cards - not much glow there.
Copyright © 2018 Dave Hoplin
Basking in the presence of punch cards was an underrated pleasure.
ReplyDeleteI once worked at a place where an employee ran on a treadmill at a stand-up desk. “I need to fit my skinny jeans” she declared. Problem was, she didn’t actually produce much, and, eventually, even the management noticed. Agreed, though, gotta keep it wigglin’.
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