A 40+ hour workweek and constant engagement with digital devices, coupled with inactivity can take a toll on the body over time. Employees need to be aware of the negative effects they face while working desk jobs. For the modern employee, balancing work and personal responsibilities, trying to avoid weight gain and dealing with the effects of digital eye strain can make it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle at work. 

Work-Life Balance 

With technology making employees accessible around the clock and the increasing competition between businesses, it can be difficult to find a necessary work-life balance. The constant stress that employees feel to keep up with industry changes and work hours can damage personal relationships, health and happiness. By making a few changes to your day-to-day, such as letting go of perfectionist tendencies and unplugging from technology, you can achieve a better work-life balance. 

In the competitive workforce employees face today, it’s typical for them to feel like they need to be perfect but that’s also what causes them to feel overworked. It’s the responsibility of management to make employees feel less pressured, but employees should also stop trying to be perfect. Working hard is admirable but constantly striving to be perfect is taxing.

With laptops, smartphones and tablets, it’s easy to always stay in contact with everyone and everything. This is an incredible development, but it’s also slightly overbearing. As an employee today, it’s necessary to unplug from work at the end of the day. You need to take time to relax and enjoy your personal life, which isn’t possible if you’re constantly checking emails and working on assignments outside of work hours.

Sedentary Lifestyle

According to the American Heart Association, the average American should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. However, when working a technology-heavy desk job and struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance as it is, there is likely a small window of time that employees can fit in an exercise routine. 

Employees should make subtle changes to their day-to-day lives to remain active. By simply taking the stairs whenever possible, getting up from your desk every hour, stretching 1-2 times a day and going for walks on your breaks, you will already be fighting against the negative effects associated with desk jobs. 

It’s important to make yourself aware of your habits at work to avoid sluggish behavior, lack of focus, obesity, diabetes and more. 

Digital Eye Strain 

Along with sitting at your desk for long periods of time, you’re also likely engaging with digital screens almost constantly, which can lead to digital eye strain. Symptoms of digital eye strain include pain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes, to name a few. You should be taking action to disrupt these effects by using night mode on your devices, getting a new pair of computer glasses and taking breaks from your screen regularly. 

By making slight changes to your day-to-day, you can create a healthier and more enjoyable life for yourself. It can be difficult to work around all of life’s obstacles, especially in today’s workforce, but making slight adjustments and finding the right work-life balance for yourself will make all the difference.