IF YOU’RE USED to the hours of sedentary, stressful working conditions that come with your office job, you should know that your working environment is killing you a lot faster than you think. Aside from the stress that comes from tight deadlines, plenty of things you do every day in the workplace are slowly chipping away at you.
From the printer to your keyboard, the dangers presented in an office can have real effects on your physical well-being, just as mental strains can hurt you in the long-term. Cheery, right? Here are 18 ways your jobs is trying to kill you.
1. Sitting at your desk all day
Sitting for lengthy periods is terrible for your body. Aches and pains are the least of your problems – it can lead to an early death. You’re at a higher risk of muscular skeletal disorders, obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and more, even if you work out regularly.
2. …and slouching is even worse
If your job requires you to sit most of the day, it’s best if you get a sitting device that allows you to straighten your poor posture. If not, you’re “contributing to a pool of chronic, long-term ailments – including arthritis and bursitis.”
3. Motivational meetings
In order to get workers excited about the company’s mission, employers may host team building exercises or motivational meetings. But research has shown that forcing people to feel positive for something they’re unsure about can actually “highlight how unhappy they are” and, ultimately, will make them even more depressed.
4. Bad air quality in your building
The air inside a building can be up to 100 times dirtier than outside, and you’re exposed to a variety of unhealthy gases and chemicals. There are pollutants in the air conditioning, toxic particles, dangerous bacteria and mold all flying around, especially in buildings that aren’t well taken care of.
5. Over-exposure to printers and photocopiers
Photocopiers are a source of potentially deadly ozone if the filter isn’t periodically changed, and even small amounts can cause chest pain and irritation. Laser printers do too, along with toner particles that can get in your lungs and blood stream, which could lead to lung disease and other ailments.
6. Spending too much time on a hot laptop
Anyone can experience skin problems from the heat if you use a laptop on your lap instead of a desk or or stand, but there’s particularly concerning news for men. NYU researchers found that laptops can raise the temperature of the scrotum, which would affect a man’s sperm count.
7. Working for ten hours per day
European researchers have found that people who work ten hours or more every day have a 60 per cent greater risk of a multitude of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and angina.
8. Endlessly staring at your computer screen
Even though computer screens don’t give off radiation, the strain from staring over long periods of time can cause harm to your vision, though many effects are temporary. Beyond that, you can also experience headaches and migraines.
9. Being exposed to way too much light
Over-illumination can cause you many more problems than an everyday headache. Our body treats over-illumination as total darkness, so it messes with our internal clocks. Health problems can include a particularly high level of fatigue, stress, high blood pressure and an increased risk of certain carcinomas.
10. Being really, really bored
Boredom can actually shorten your life, according to researchers. A study from University College London showed that those who complain of boredom are more likely to die young, and those who report high levels of tedium are much more likely to die from heart disease or stroke. It also puts you at higher risk for workplace accidents.
11. Dirty keyboards
Keyboards can be a breeding ground for bacteria if not kept clean. Microbiologists found that keyboards can even have up to five times as many bacteria as a bathroom, and can include dangerous ones like e.Coli and coliforms — both commonly associated with food poisoning — along with staphylococcus, which causes a range of infections.
12. Germs in high traffic areas
Your keyboard isn’t the only bacteria farm in the office. Door and faucet knobs, handles, elevator and printer buttons, hand-shakes and more all are hotspots for bacteria. Microbes are everywhere, and some can even kill you.
13. Typing to much
Excessive amounts of typing is a well-known cause of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which is a painful wrist strain that can go up your arm. CTS can get bad enough to cause permanent nerve damage and muscle wasting.
14. Tight deadlines
You get stressed out when you have to meet a strict deadline, which can affect your learning and memory according to Science Daily. This sort of short-term stress can be just as bad as stress that last weeks or months.
15. Keeping your mouse in the same spot
If your mouse stays in the same spot all day, you can be prone to repetitive strain injury (RSI). Upper limb RSI occurs when your tendons are straining more than they should for long periods of time, which can be because of movement repetition, a sustained awkward position, or prolonged pressing against hard surfaces.
16. Smartphone overuse
People who use their smartphones heavily to text and email are prone to muscle fatigue and “Blackberry Thumb,” which is a type of RSI. The effects can get so bad that the pain can reach all the way up to your wrist and can be utterly debilitating to your hands.
17. Eating fast food for lunch
Most office-folk go out for an unhealthy lunch once in a while — some more than others, but even the occasional indulgence has its negative effects. A portion of fast food usually has around double the calories to another similar food of the same size, and they have a lot of oxidized fat, which increases the risk of heart disease.
- Vivian Giang and Kim Bhasin.
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