Is Your Job Bad for Your Health?
Your Boss may Damage your Heart - Work Brings More Health Risks too
Researchers at the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University have found that workers with difficult bosses have a raised risk of heart disease - but your boss may not be the only health hazard you face at work.
Boss From Hell
A study of 6,000 British office workers found employers who felt their supervisors treated them fairly had a 30 per cent lower risk of heart disease. In other words, bosses who are unsympathetic, expect too much of you or treat you badly might literally be taking years off your life by increasing your risk of heart failure.
Jennifer Fitzgerald, director of Mind For Business (http://www.mind-for-business.com) says: “Having an unfair boss can put you under constant stress which is bad for your health. Try to avoid getting emotional and keep discussions factual and objective. Ask for positive feedback along with the negative and keep a running written log of your positive achievements."
Terrible Hours
Whether you do shift work or simply work long hours, disrupting your sleep patterns can pose a serious risk to your health. Experts believe that interfering with your natural sleep cycle and being exposed to artificial light at night could cause breast cancer. Studies have shown that night-shift workers are up to 60 per cent more likely to get the disease, as light at night interferes with the production one of the body’s greatest natural defences against cancer – melatonin, which boosts the immune system and slows down the growth of tumours.
“Talk to you employer about improving your shift pattern,” says sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley. “Millions of years of evolution have taught humans to sleep when it’s dark and be awake when it’s light and doing anything different is unhealthy.” If you can’t change shifts, lobby your employer to provide a taxi or minibus home to reduce the risk of road accidents. Also, ask about daylight bulbs that trick your body into thinking it is actually daytime – they are healthier than artificial lights at night."
Canteen Food
Eating a poor diet at work can lead to obesity, which in turn can shorten your lifespan, cause diabetes, heart disease, stroke, infertility and depression. Also, fats hidden in processed foods and canteen food can harm your fertility. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who took two per cent of their energy from trans fats – which are used to extend the shelf life of foods – had a 70 per cent greater risk of infertility through lack of ovulation.
Nutritionist Lucy Pook advises drinking water throughout the day and snacking on nuts or dried fruit to avoid feeling famished at lunch time. “If you’re starving you’ll make bad choices," she says. “Go for jacket potatoes, fresh fish, salads, veg and fruit, and avoid white bread, sauces and anything fried or processed, as you can’t be sure what is in them."
Sitting Down All Day
A study by Professor Richard Beasley of the Medical Research Institute in Wellington, New Zealand found that a third of patients admitted to hospital with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were office workers. A DVT is a blood clot deep in the veins, and in the worst case scenario it can travel to the main arteries supplying the lungs and kill you. It happens when circulation is restricted, and early symptoms can be swollen ankles, restless legs, aching legs and cramps.
Leading vascular surgeon Dr John Scurr, who treats office workers with DVT daily, says office workers should do 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. Failing that they should take Zinopin Daily, a French pine bark supplement that relaxes constricted blood vessels and improves blood circulation. Dr Scurr also recommends avoiding high heels, drinking plenty of water and sitting with legs uncrossed.
Nasty Colleagues
Research from a leading psychologist suggests that bullied workers go through the very same emotions and stresses as battle-scarred troopers. Dr. Noreen Tehrani has counselled victims of the troubles in Northern Ireland, soldiers returning from combat overseas and victims of workplace bullying. "The symptoms displayed by people who have been in conflict situations and workplaces where bullying happens are strikingly similar," says Dr. Tehrani. "Both groups suffer nightmares, are jumpy and seem fuelled by too much adrenaline. Office bullying can range from malicious gossip, being frozen out of cliques or can even get physical.
Jennifer Fitzgerald of Mind For Business says: “Don’t stop to the bully’s level or try to ingratiate yourself with them, be yourself and think positive.” Boost your self-esteem by writing a list of five positive things about yourself each morning and draw up a list of friends who give you positive energy and focus on them when you feel bullied.
Don't be disheartened by the health hazards work brings. Being aware of them and tackling the problems positively will improve not only your working life, but your general well being.
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