With recent events causing more people to work from home, the issues that come from sedentary work lives have only continued to be present. Whether you’re in your home office or a corporate one, being sedentary and stationary all day can affect your health far more than you might realize. We’re going to go over some of the potential dangers of a very sedentary job to give you a fair warning about these very real issues that many people face.
Table of Contents
Extreme Blue Light Exposure
If you have a very sedentary job, chances are quite high that you have to spend the vast majority of your day looking at a computer screen. Computer screens emit a lot of light in the blue spectrum, which can cause a few different issues if not handled properly. This blue light can damage your vision over time, causing serious eye strain and even triggering major headaches in certain people. Take regular breaks if your job requires that you look at a computer for most of your workday.
Blood Circulation Issues
A sedentary job often means that the person working will be sitting for most of the day. Sitting in a chair for hours is not ideal and can mess with your circulatory system, as blood will pool in certain places around your body if you remain immobile for long periods of time. Those with high blood pressure may feel these effects more quickly than others. Getting out of your chair to take a quick walk or stretch can help prevent varicose veins from developing or reduce your blood pressure.
Posture Degradation
The way that we sit in our chairs at work has a huge effect on our posture. Practically no one maintains a healthy posture when they’re working at a desk for long periods of time. Hunching over a keyboard and mouse for long hours can strain your neck and back. A solution for this is to use a standing desk that lets you change whether you are sitting or standing throughout the day, preventing your back from getting stuck in unhealthy positions.
Mental Fatigue
One common potential danger for those in sedentary jobs is mental fatigue. Staying in the same place and staring at numbers or words on a screen all day can seriously degrade your mental state if you aren’t taking care of yourself outside of work. Mental fatigue can manifest in many ways, such as increased irritability, physical exhaustion, brain fog, and more. Over time, these issues can develop into even more debilitating mental conditions. Make sure you take breaks from work and don’t continue to work beyond what you can handle. If you don’t, your poor mental state will eventually catch up to you and start to affect your work.
By practicing a bit more mindfulness, you can prevent the worst of these dangers from happening. Stay aware of what your mind and body are telling you while working to determine the best way to protect yourself.
