Whether it’s a company office job or work from home, sitting at the computer every day has become part of the not so healthy everyday life of a surprisingly large number of people. The huge range of occupations that require the use of PCs, laptops and other similar gadgets is growing day by day, following the general digitalization that aims to make business easier. And while for many this is a dream job and they simply can’t imagine themselves in other work circumstances, one should take into account the fact that even this seeming convenience takes its toll when it comes to health.

People who are forced to spend hours and hours of their time during the day staring at the screen are, unfortunately, much more susceptible to numerous illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases, thrombosis caused by immobility or permanent problems with the spine and back. Even that isn’t all, as such conditions encourage a few more problems due to which you’ll just wish to be one of those employees who don’t stay in one place and are on their feet all day.

Such situations require additional care for our own health, and it wouldn’t be bad to recall some crucial steps that’ll assist you in maintaining solid well-being of mind and body despite working in such circumstances.

1. Stretch every now and then

If you’re forced to sit most of the time anyway, that doesn’t mean that you can’t afford a tiny stretch from time to time. You probably do frequently and unconsciously when you get tired of the monotonous position you have been in for a long time. However, it’s recommended to set aside at least 5-10 minutes every couple of hours for such activities for a generally better feeling during the day. These are simple and effective stretching exercises that you can easily do during the lunch break or at predetermined moments during working hours.

Stretching helps you alleviate the unpleasant feeling of stiffness and pain in the neck, back and extremities, which are usually present as a consequence of bad body position. In addition, it stimulates circulation throughout the body and reduces pain in the collarbone, lower back, shoulders and blades.

2. Make a little pause for walking

Apart from stretching, it’s also quite desirable to get up and walk at least every half-hour or hour. You can go get something to eat, order coffee or just chat with colleagues from another part of the building or with family members. The point is to use every single available moment to change the position of the body and move the muscles and joints.

Exercise is crucial for vitality, and since these activities are limited while you’re working, every opportunity to practice them is valuable. There are even special exercises that can be done anywhere, including the office, and besides that, you can always try and climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator – that’ll mean a lot in such circumstances.

3. Don’t skip healthy meals

Just because you don’t have too much time to cook or prepare meals at home doesn’t mean you have to leave things to chance and become a regular guest at a bakery or fast food store. Combined with constant sitting, this way of nutrition can only bring you extra pounds and fatigue. Healthy foods add energy to your life routine, give you the strength to endure a busy day, and at the same time supply your body with all the nutrients it needs.

Try to prepare meals that you can take to work the day before. These can be a salad, meat, fruit for a snack or cereals that you can consume with yogurt or milk. Fortunately, you can find practical lunch boxes in all averagely stocked stores today – it’s up to you to choose the type that suits you best. The more you get used to eating at home, the easier it will be for you to make an effort to prepare food yourself and get rid of unhealthy habits.

4. Hydrate and take vitamins

Although our body already contains 80% water, it’s necessary to maintain this level and hydrate. You’ve probably noticed that if you don’t have the habit of taking the recommended dose per day, headaches, fatigue and general exhaustion occur quite frequently. Therefore, always have a glass or bottle of fresh water near you and do your best to fill the minimum dose of hydration during the day. In case you’re prone to forgetting and you rarely remember to do it on your own, use one of the numerous practical reminder smartphone applications.

In addition to water and a healthy and moderate diet, try to include various vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin b12, Vitamin D in your routine while also understanding certain benefits that come along while you understand the risks of vitamin b12, vitamin C, and others. These can be supplements and vitamin complexes that contain daily doses of useful substances, and from time to time you can also practice detox. Medsignals.com, for example, recommends some of the detox drinks that, when used properly, can remove harmful substances from the body in a few days, so you can find products such as Clear Choice Rescue Cleanse in the store online. Of course, there are numerous reviews to make it easier to decide – the choice is yours after that.

5. Ventilate the room regularly

The current COVID-19 pandemic has changed the perspective of observing cleanliness. However, even if we exclude this situation, it’s extremely important to ventilate the work area regularly in order to replace the stagnant air with new and cleaner air. Given the amount of people who usually work in the same room, a few of them can be potential carriers of viruses and bacteria, especially in critical periods during the year when the seasonal flu comes.

Open the windows wide at least a few times during the day and let the air flow. If the weather conditions allow it, you can even leave them open as long as it suits you. Along with dusting, this should reduce the risk of infection.

6. Give your eyes a break

And, well, maybe the most frequent problem that long-term work on a computer might cause is visual impairment. The most common disease that impaired vision is related to the computer and it’s called computer vision syndrome. These symptoms include eye fatigue, dry eyes or excessive tearing, redness and burning sensation in the eyes, sensitivity to bright light, as well as slow focusing, headaches, hypersensitivity to contact lenses and disturbances in color perception. If you need to find good contact lenses, you can visit www.contactlenses.co.uk

If we take our eyes off the monitor for a few seconds every five or ten – fifteen – and even twenty minutes, we significantly reduce the harmful impact. And of course, the lighting of the workplace is quite significant. Light sources reflecting on the monitor and directly behind it should be avoided – that prevents excessive effort and helps preserve your vision.