According to a recent study, one in two workers don’t leave the office all day, and 27 percent of staff snack on unhealthy foods at least once a day. Such habits make for a less than enjoyable work environment and could be the reason you’ve been feeling less than excited to head to the office. A quarter of the people questioned said that working with their colleagues made their lives miserable, which further promotes the idea that it’s the time you spend at work that could be making you stressed and unwell. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that soaring stress levels and poor diets have a negative impact on our health. 28 percent of workers say that their negative work environment is impacting their health, causing them to feel stressed and unhappy, which is damaging their wellbeing.
Another complaint of people who were questioned said that their colleagues bullied them and made their working life difficult each and every day. This form of stress and the development of negative emotions has led many people to feel as though being at work hinders their health. Our diets are also at risk, if this study is to be believed, with one in four people snacking on biscuits and chocolate at least once a day, as well as drinking an average of three cups of tea or coffee each day. Furthermore, 50 percent of staff never leave the office for fresh air and some light exercise, even on their lunch break. The pressure to hit deadlines and deal with an ever-increasing workload has meant that 41 percent of people don’t even use the toilet, even when they need to, where 47 percent of people also claim that there have been numerous occasions where they have felt thirsty, but haven’t got a drink due to laziness.
Nutritionists agree that these habits can have a negative impact on our overall health, largely because we spend such a large proportion of our week at work. Eating at our desks is fine if we’re on a tight deadline, but it’s important to opt for health snacks, such as fruit or nuts, as is ensuring that we stay hydrated with plenty of water. You should also aim to stay active, even if it means a short walk around the block on your lunch break to give your body some exercise, breathe in some fresh air and give your mind a break from staring at a computer screen.