To anyone who has an office job or has ever worked in one will agree, trying to stay active is one of the most difficult challenges of having this type of job. Office jobs require long hours, being seated most of the time, and only being able to eat when convenient to do so.

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The problem with having an office job is that it doesn’t just prevent you from getting physical activity during work hours, but it also makes you tired for most of the day including once you get home. The question

With all the deadline and task you have at the office, do you really think you have a healthy work-life balance at all?

Let’s Get Active!

Healthy Work-Life Balance

Most people with office jobs will know that the last thing you want to do after a long day at the office is to get active. You’d rather do something less strenuous for the body and mind. This can end up developing into bad habits and neglected health without you even realizing it.

One of the worst things and most common problems you can encounter from inactivity and poor lifestyle habits are becoming overweight and even obese.

Over 66% of men and 60% of women in the UAE are already overweight or obese according to a global study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

This is a concerning statistic as obesity alone can create many other health issues and complications. Aside from becoming overweight, neglecting your health because of an office job can also harm you in many other ways, including neglecting your social life and mental health.

Even though you have an office job or any job that means you become inactive, you still need to make time to exercise, eat well and ensure your lifestyle is based around maintaining good health. 

Hazards of Work-Life Imbalance

Healthy Work-Life Balanc

1. Weight gain

Gaining excessive amounts of weight is probably the most common and noticeable change in living a sedentary lifestyle. As most office jobs will require you to stay in a seated position most of the day, your physical power isn’t at use; however, your brainpower is.

This means that not only are you not burning any calories, but you’re also still becoming tired and feeling gradual fatigue from the mental work required of you.

Without physical movement throughout your day and eating foods that may not be healthy, you are not able to burn the number of calories you are consuming, hence why you will gain a noticeable amount of weight should your lifestyle not change.

2. Loss of muscle, joint, and bone strength

Ever heard the phrase ‘use it before you lose it’? Well, it’s true and almost literally. By being inactive for long periods and not correcting poor lifestyle habits, your health will decline.

Staying in a sedentary position for long periods will weaken and decrease muscle mass, weaken bones as well as create weak and stiff joints. All this happens because of inactivity. Not being physically active or not stretching out your body can lead to soreness, stiff joints and back pains. 

3. Increased stress at work and home

Finding a balance between work and leisure is important for physical and mental health. As most office workers will spend the majority of their day at work, lots of stress, fatigue, and even frustration are brought home.

This can majorly impact your mental health as well as your social life. Being stressed at work and home not only means you can’t balance your life but also means you aren’t managing your health well either.

4. Gradually worsening social life

Social life can be severely affected by all of the above points. Stress, poor health, and weight gain can all cause problems for your social life. It is important to be aware of your surroundings, your environment and the people in them.

There may be people in the workplace that may be the cause of your stress, but that doesn’t mean the people who care for you should suffer from your problems too.

Having supportive people around you who you can count on and trust, can improve your stress levels as well as improve your mood and stress levels.

How to Balance Work Life and Your Health

1. Exercise more

If you work from 9 am to 5 pm daily, then try to find exercise outside of those hours. It can either be early in the morning before work, or any time after work.

Whether it’s hitting the gym, going for a run, walking the dog or working in the garden, it’s important to get physical activity in. This will keep your body feeling strong as well as burning calories to lose or maintain weight to counteract your inactivity in the office.

2. Eat smarter

Eat at the correct times of the day and make sure your food is healthy if your office job is making you tired mentally and physically. Make sure you’re fuelling yourself up with the right stuff. This can mean snacking on healthy foods while you work or during breaks as well as eating healthy meals before and after work. 

3. You need to stretch

No matter what your physical condition is or what you do for work, you need to stretch throughout your day. Because you don’t have the time to exercise or engage in the physical activity of your choice, stretching is the best thing to do as it only takes a few minutes and can be done in your workspace. Stretching helps to keep the body feeling flexible as well as preventing cramps, soreness, joint pains, and fatigue.

4. Organize your time better

Organizational skills are the practical term of balancing your life. Balance is the key to better health as too much of anything can’t be good for you. By organizing your time better, you can flourish in your work life, home life and social life.

Try to organize your food, exercises, work, and spending time with family and friends from the day before. You’ll notice this will give you more time to focus on what’s important without compromising your health and social life.

Keep in Mind

Healthy Work-Life Balance

If you are struggling to diet, find time to exercise, or balancing work life and social life, there’s nothing wrong with seeking help. You can speak with a professional psychiatrist, your medical practitioner, a personal trainer from a fitness club, or even a friend or work colleague in a similar situation or circumstance as you.

There are so many resources you can find to get advice from. Many people have office jobs and can manage it. They can perform their best and work while also staying consistent with their social life and physical wellbeing.

There’s no point in having an office job if you can’t manage your health. Good health is the base foundation for everything else in your life, including your office job.

Head over to the Okadoc app to immediately book an appointment with your health practitioner.