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Archive for category: Healthy Workplace

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It Pays to Be Proactive!

Recently on our blog we provided you with some insights on “sitting disease.” There is an increasing concern over the health problems that can be caused by our sedentary work lives including increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and the development of musculoskeletal problems. It`s estimated by Statistics Canada that the average Canadian spends approximately 50 to 70 percent of their daily lives sitting and another 30 percent sleeping. With numbers like this it`s no wonder there is a concern!

In the past, many companies have been proactive in their approach to assist employees who experience issues caused by prolonged sitting. However, studies show that being proactive can go a long way to improve the health and happiness of employees, reduce both absenteeism and presenteeism, and related costs. The following from Medical Xpress discusses how a proactive approach can increase job satisfaction, reduce costs related to absenteeism and health care, and help companies to retain talent long term.

Medical Xpress:  Proactive office ergonomics can increase job satisfaction and employee retention

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Culture Creation

Focus on building a positive workplace culture is at the forefront of many business decisions as more and more employers are realizing they need to take care of their biggest asset, their employees. Creating a more positive culture and environment for employees is a process that cannot and will not happen overnight. So what’s the best way for employers to start? By empowering their people. By definition empowerment means “to give official authority or power to someone.” Of course it’s not suggested that employers forfeit all control and authority, however, but by empowering employees with more decision making and responsibility they can actually increase employee productivity and help to create a shift toward a more positive culture. The following from Forbes has more on this shift toward creating a people focussed place of work.

Forbes:  4 Ways To Build A Workplace Culture That Empowers People

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How to Conquer “Sitting Disease”

The negative health effects of sitting for extended periods of time, coined as “sitting disease” has been a hot topic recently. Studies show that sitting for extended periods of time, as many of us do at work, while commuting, and even while watching television or reading, can lead to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and a decreased lifespan. But while we need to work, commute, and enjoy our down time, how do we combat these negative effects? Here are our top 5 tips to conquer sitting disease:

1. Take Regular Breaks: Taking a regular break can help boost productivity, reduce stress and benefit your physical health. Once an hour make sure you stand up, walk around the office, stretch or do some simple exercises like squats or lunges.

2. Stand While You Work: Standing workstations are becoming an increasingly popular choice in offices across the globe. These workstations allow you to adjust your desk from sitting to standing so you can have both options during the day.

3. Switch Your Seat: If you must sit while working, think about changing your seating options! From exercise ball chairs to desks with pedals, there are many options to help you increase your health while sitting.

4. Perfect Your Posture: While you are seated ensure you are not slouching, leaning or bending over to access your workspace. Sitting up straight and ensuring proper posture will go a long way for your physical health!

5. Make it a Mobile Meeting: If you’re meeting with a colleague see if you can have your meeting on the go. Take a walk around the block while you discuss or walk to your favourite coffee shop where you can continue your discussions there.

Check out the following article from The Guardian for more information on “Sitting Disease” and be sure to speak with your employer or an occupational therapist about ways your workspace can be accommodated.

The Guardian:  Is Sitting Down Bad for my Health?

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How to Create a More Productive Work Environment

No matter what type of work you do, everyone can experience productivity blockages during the day. Whether it’s a poor sleep the night before, the afternoon sluggishness, or simply a lack of inspiration for the project you’re working on, these slowdowns in productivity can be detrimental to your success. Occupational therapists are often involved in helping people to achieve workplace productivity by providing solutions for a more adaptable and comfortable working environment. The following article from Forbes discusses 5 small changes you can make today to help you concentrate and increase your productivity.

Forbes:  5 Small Workspace Changes That Will Make You More Productive

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30 Days Of Organization

This August Entwistle Power has launched a social media campaign dedicated to helping you clear the clutter and get organized! Being organized, at home and at work, helps increase productivity, decrease anxiety and stress, and can help teach responsibility to children. Check out these great organization tips from WebMD and follow our campaign using #organizedOT for daily tips and tricks to help get yourself and your life in perfect order.

WebMD:  10 Ways to Cut Clutter in Your Home

 

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Mental Health At Work

While minor accidents are common in the workplace and quickly addressed, higher instances of stress, mental illness, and workplace bullying are being seen across all industries. So who in the workplace is the first responder in issues of mental health? The following from the BBC discusses a way to ensure your company is tackling these workplace issues and improving the work environment for all.

BBC News:  Do you need a mental health first aider in the office? 

 

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Time “Savers” that Could Kill You

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

I have been asked a few times to write a blog on time management. While I don’t profess to be an expert in this, people often do ask me how I “fit it all in” and my answer is always “I have learned how to effectively management my time”. What still surprises me though is those people that have not yet shifted their focus to “managing time”, but instead try to “save time” or wish there was just more of it. For me, that thinking is disillusioned. We can’t find or get more time – time is constant. What we need to focus on then is using the time we have optimally and in line with our priorities. This takes insight and self-discipline to accomplish, and in a future blog I will speak to some of my personal strategies here.

But before I do that, I wanted to start with the list of “time savers” that I don’t endorse. Ones that I feel are, in the extreme, life threatening and yet have become staples, patterns and habits by many, bragged about by some, and only work to help people shove more stuff into their already hectic schedule without forcing them to realize the real problem is prioritizing. So, here is the list of the time savers that I feel could kill:

Sleep Less. I will admit that I have previously considered cutting a few hours of my zzz so I could steal a few more hours of “productive” time. This is not an uncommon thought. Many people speak openly, or even brag, about how they “worked until 5am” or “only got a few hours of sleep last night cramming to meet a deadline”. Entrepreneurs are the worst. Our minds don’t tend to shut off and you will often find us emailing in the late hours or very early mornings. However, evidence continues to mount that “adequate sleep” is one of the key predictors of health and happiness, and the age old 7-8 hours per night still applies as a recommended dosage. Even napping is now being encouraged as a way to shut off the mind and to cognitively and physically reboot mid-day (I keep my naps to 20 minutes to not interrupt my sleep cycle). What research is showing is that inadequate sleep actually worsens brain capacity, making people less productive. So, the time you gain from sleeping less you then lose (and then some) in productivity. I would rather sleep thanks! Thus, stop thinking that sleeping is a hindrance to your ability to get things done. Reducing your zzz will only be a detriment to your health in the long run.

Texting or Emailing when Driving. Illegal or not, this is still happening and now texting and driving is the leading cause of motor vehicle accidents and deaths. STOP IT (yes, I am yelling at you guilty folks). Newsflash: the only thing you should be doing when driving is, well, driving. If we are talking about time management here, then think about the time you could lose from making this mistake. Lost work time while you are recovering from an accident. Loss of career if you can never return to work due to a disability. Lost productive time when you are dragged into a lawsuit when you cause a collision and are sued as a result (worse if you are driving a company car and take your employer down with you). Lost ability to emotionally manage when you know you caused another person’s (maybe someone in your own car) injury or death. The list goes on. And remember too that if you are emailing or texting when driving – what is the nature of the message anyway? Short and curt, fraught with spelling errors, auto-correct problems, or even those catastrophic email errors that are caused from forwarding the wrong message to the wrong person or “replying to all” when you meant to reply. There are both health and reputational risks from texting or emailing when driving and thus the time it might “save” you could cost you everything. The solution? If you have to multi-task driving with communication, use the phone with a hands free device. Then at least your eyes are still on the road.

Fast Food. I need to preface my comments here with the reality that I was raised in a fast food family. This was our business and I worked in our restaurant chain from when I was 13 to 19. So, believe me I get the appeal of fatty and good tasting food that is provided quickly. But this too is killing us. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many other chronic illnesses are caused from poor dietary habits. Yet, people continue to think that using the drive-through will save them time. My experience with “fast food” is that it is rarely fast (just time your drive-through and walk-in experiences) and some of what is served is not even really food. Processed, frozen, overcooked, stale, loaded with additives and preservatives. Yummy. Also consider that when eating “out” people tend to overeat and consume significantly more calories than if they ate at home or prepared a snack before they left. Several years ago I used to love to grab a Tim Horton’s before my first client of the day. After all, I would be in the car for 30-60 minutes and drinking my tea was an enjoyable beginning to my morning. Then I became cognizant of the time I was spending in line. 5-10 minutes per morning was 25-50 minutes per week of just “waiting”. Not to mention the accumulating cost of some hot water in a paper cup with a tea bag. So, I decided to go “Tim’s Free”. It was liberating. I could (and still do) drive by Tim Horton’s and smile at the drive-through line while I drink my home-made tea that takes me 1 minute to make and costs a nickel. While I still understand that “fast food” is a treat, and can be used as such, I will argue that too many people who proclaim to be “so busy” actually waste time waiting for crappy food. The solution? Have some ready-made meals or snacks in the fridge and grab these on your way out the door. Put them in a cooler bag, or store them in your work fridge. Forgoing the fast-food habit will save you time, calories, and ultimately your health.

“No Time” to Exercise. This one drives me batty. So many people claim to “not have the time” to exercise despite the ample evidence proving that exercise is a #1 predictor of health. This “no time” excuse needs to stop. We all have the same amount of time in a day, so the reality is that people don’t MAKE the time, or this is just not a priority. That is not a judgment. If exercise is not a priority then people can just admit this and stop using “time” as the shield. Personally, I believe that the time spent exercising pays itself forward in productivity. Reduced stress, more energy, increased mood, better time management, improved ability to prioritize, and of course all this on top of the fact that this could lengthen life. Avoiding exercise to “save time” is a fallacy. I don’t buy it. Personally, I think I qualify as “busy” but still exercise 1-2 hours daily. So people need to be honest with themselves, their priorities and recognize that avoiding exercise to “save time” could have the opposite effect.

In the end, consider your “time savers” and project these over the next 10 years. What will that look like for you? Don’t wait to suffer the consequences of sleep deprivation, a car accident, a health issue from poor eating habits, or physical decline from a neglected body to realize that being productive at the cost of your health is not productive at all.

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Food For Focus

Do you sometimes find it hard to focus? Whether at home, work, school or play, distractions are everywhere which can effect productivity and increase procrastination! The following from Men’s Health Magazine suggests 7 super foods to help you focus, improve memory and give you the boost you need to concentrate on your daily activities.

Men’s Health:  The Best Foods For Focus

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Workplace Safety – Not Optional

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 2.34 million occupational fatalities every year across the globe. In Canada alone injury and illness at work continues to be a significant problem.

It is estimated that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) from working cost Canadian society upwards of $20 billion a year. Reports from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board in 2012 indicate that 43% of the claims were due to sprains and strains, 20% were due to low back injury and 19% were due to overexertion.

In Ontario, the Ministry of Labour enforces the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Occupational safety and health (OSH) is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. This Act explains the procedures for dealing with workplace hazards and allows the law to be enforced when workplaces have not adhered to the policies put in place.

Occupational therapists are experts at helping injured people to return to their jobs in modified or full capacities, or assist people to be retrained or find alternative forms of work if their previous occupation is no longer suitable. We conduct jobsite evaluations to outline the physical and cognitive work demands, assess the individual’s physical, cognitive and emotional preparedness to return, and often look at the ergonomics of their workstation or body positioning when doing the job. The overarching goal of all this is to ensure that people can return to work safely, can perform tasks independently, are productive, and to reduce the risk of re-injury. We also provide devices, education, organize work schedules and gradual return programs, and collaborate with employers, physicians and other health professionals to promote a successful outcome. With respect to prevention, we conduct workshops and provide education and training programs for employers and employees alike to promote health and safety while engaging in all work tasks.

April 28th is recognized as The World Day for Safety and Health at Work. It is held as an annual international campaign that seeks to promote safe, healthy and decent work environments. It also commemorates people who have had an accident or injury in the course of their job. It is important that we are all involved in this initiative – workplace safety should not be optional. Consider these four steps to make sure that health and safety are paramount in your organization:

  1. Get on board: You don’t have to be an owner or boss to be concerned about safety. Everyone is responsible for contributing to a safe workplace.
  2. Get in the know: Understand the hazards and risks at your own workplace.
  3. Get involved: If you see a hazard on the job, speak up and offer your insight and possible solutions.
  4. Get more help: All workers have the right to refuse work if they have reason to believe it is dangerous. Speak to a supervisor if you have concerns, or seek guidance from the Ontario Health and Safety Contact Centre at 1-877-202-0008.

Or, if you are off work due to injury or illness and need help returning, would like solutions to help you work more comfortably, or are concerned about the impact of your job on your physical, cognitive or emotional health, consider contacting an occupational therapist. We are here to help.

References

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. http://www.wsibstatistics.ca/asset_files/images/ByTheNumbers2012_S1_pg5.pdf

United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/events/safeworkday/

Ministry of Labour. https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/prevention/index.php

Ministry of Labour. https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pdf/workbook.pdf

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A Little Creativity Can Go A Long Way

Are you feeling overwhelmed at work? Do you sometimes find it impossible to deal with your ever-growing inbox and workplace stress? The key here is to realize that your inbox will never be empty and instead of working harder, we need to work smarter by focussing on better productivity. Studies now show productivity at work is linked to how you spend your free time when not on the job. The following from Prevention Magazine suggests that expressing creativity and gaining a sense of accomplishment in your free time may increase your self-esteem helping you to tackle tasks on the job. Check out the following and let us know if you agree!

Prevention Magazine: The Happy Way To Be A Bit More Productive At Work