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VIDEO: Workplace Ergonomics

By Asia Johnson on Thursday, April 20, 2023

April is a month of several health holidays, and we want to continue the month with a video focused on your workplace posture. Good posture is incredibly important to avoid long-term damage to your body.

Sitting at a desk for hours on end can result in musculoskeletal disorders. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, musculoskeletal disorders account for 31% of the total cases for all workers’ injuries.

Watch this video below to learn how to situate your workstation to maximize your posture.

When it comes to protecting your posture, simply being aware of what good posture looks like is be incredibly helpful. Try to do a “body check-in” every hour or so to make sure everything is aligned.

Reader Surveys

Poll Question: What Benefits—Not Including Health—Do You Value Most From Employers?

By Job Journey on Thursday, April 12, 2018

In a competitive job market, companies have to be more creative about how they attract and retain top talent. That might mean offering certain benefits over others in a bid to keep you with them for the long-term.

According to MetLife’s Benefit Trends Study, 61% of employees would be more likely to accept a job with a new employer who offers health and well-being benefits, and 51% if the employer offered financial planning programs.

For our April question of the month, we want to know what benefits you value most in a job.

Workplace Safety

Focus On Your Health for American Heart Month

By Job Journey on Friday, February 19, 2016

Heart disease affects all areas of your life, including your career. Since February is American Heart Month, it’s a great time to understand the risks of heart disease and learn ways you can stay healthy on the job.

Cardiovascular disease and strokes are not only common, they’re costly. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) says that the total economic cost of heart disease five years ago was $320 billion. By 2030, those costs are expected to reach $918 billion.

According to recent research, heart patients spent an average of $4,400 on medical care for heart-related issues. Given that cost, it’s important to know how you can protect yourself from heart diease and help keep your friends, family, and co-workers healthy at the same time.

Get Screened
The AHA suggests regular screenings to make sure you’re health is in check. Health care is easily accessible, which makes it a great time to get screened for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and more. Contact your doctor to find out how you can schedule a screening.

Eat Right
We all know the importance of eating healthy. Proper nutrition helps cut your risk of cardiovascular disease, so be sure to incorporate fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your meals. Instead of frying your food, consider grilling it when you can. Consider bringing your lunch to work and packing healthy food like fruits, light sandwiches, and juice.

Exercise Regularly
Exercising can be as easy as going for a walk around the block. When it comes to staying healthy, you just have to put forth the effort. It’s recommended that adults engage in moderate to intense exercise for at least 30 minutes, five days a week. But don’t give up if you can’t reach that goal. Small activities can add up quickly, like taking the stairs, walking the dog, or cleaning the house.

Cut Out Stress
One of the biggest factors in heart disease is stress. And let’s be honest, we’re all a bit stressed from time to time. While stress is natural, it can negatively effect your health. Consider adding a few techniques to your every day routine that may help cut down on the stress you put on your mind and body. Try meditation, relaxation exercises, or counseling to reduce stress and improve your health.

Learn to spot the events or activities that bring you stress and turn them around before you become overwhelmed. Know your limits, eliminate stressful relationships, and analyze your priorities before starting projects. If you feel overwhelemed at work, don’t hesitate to talk to your supervisor about your workload and make suggestions for how you can better accomplish your tasks without the extra stress.

How do you protect your heart health? Share your tips in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Cube Life

Celebrate “Clean Off Your Desk Day” With These Tips

By Job Journey on Monday, January 11, 2016

Have you had a good look at your desk lately? What do you see? Do you have piles of papers stacked up, dirty coffee cups lying about, or dust gathering? Is last week’s lunch still lurking behind your computer monitor?

Believe it or not, that cluttered desk may be costing you hours of wasted time and could also add to workplace stress.

Whether you share an office, work from home, or have a work area on a counter somewhere, keeping your work space clean, organized, and uncluttered can help you work more efficiently and give you a sense of relaxation.

Monday, Jan. 11, is National Clean Off Your Desk Day in the United States, and we want to help you not only clean your workspace, but also become better organized for the new year. Here are some tips to do just that:

Start the great purge. Empty your desk’s drawers and throw away or give away anything you don’t use regularly. File those piles of papers into organized folders or recycle them if they are unnecessary.
Organize the purge. As you remove items from your desk and work area, make piles. Have a pile for papers, a pile for office supplies, a pile for personal items, and a pile for everything else. Go through each pile and purge or organize as needed.
Time to sanitize. Now that your desk is bare, clean it. Use sanitary wipes or cleaning spray to scrub the entire area. Use cleaners and computer spray to clean your computer as well. According to a study from the University of Arizona, your keyboard is one of the dirtiest things you touch every day, so make sure to give that a good wipe down as well.
Make your desk make sense. Categorize your items into areas that need immediate attention, things that need follow-up work, and things you can pass along or put on the back burner.
Presentation matters. Try to put your items back in a way that looks pleasing to you and your co-workers. For example, find nice storage containers or baskets and create labels to help keep your space more organized.
Make a goal to clean off your desk every week. Friday afternoons are a good time to do a weekly cleaning and organizing so that your desk or workspace are clean and pleasant for the start of the next work week.

Still not convinced that a tidy work area is important? Consider a report issued by OfficeMax in 2011 that found office clutter undermines productivity and motivation. In addition, researchers have found that people who are organized typically eat better and live longer than people who are disorderly. Convinced yet? Go ahead and break out the cleaning supplies, but remember to keep your organization limited to breaks. While cleanliness is important, it’s also important to respect your work time.

What do you think? Any tips on organization you’d like to share? Give us your best desk-cleaning tips in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Workplace Safety

Is Your Desk Job Hurting Your Health?

By Job Journey on Friday, April 24, 2015

Could too much of a good thing be bad for your health? While it’s exciting to land that office job, it’s also important to remember that your body is made to move. Did you know that sitting in front a screen, like a computer, for extended periods of time can increase your risk of certain diseases? Check out these tips to make sure you’re staying healthy both at home and in the workplace.

Stay healthy.
Sitting is often unavoidable and, when broken up into smaller periods of time, won’t do too much damage. The key to staying healthy at your desk job is making sure you take breaks that get you out of your chair. In fact, experts suggest standing every 30 minutes, if possible. To help you get moving, try out these tips:

Stand Up

Set reminders. Try using your email or calendar to set reminders that will pop up and remind you to stand for a few minutes. You can also try this trick at home by using TV commercials as a signal for you to stand up and get moving.
Stand up and straighten your office or workspace. De-cluttering can also help you cut down on stress.
If you like to drink a lot of coffee or other beverage, use a smaller cup in the morning. This will force you to make more trips to fill up your cup throughout the day.
Stand up and get a glass of water if you’ve been sitting for too long.
When you’re eating lunch or talking on the phone, stand up if possible.
Instead of using email or interoffice mail, hand deliver papers to a co-worker.
If possible, use a printer that’s stationed away from your work area so you have to walk to retrieve your documents.
On lunch breaks, take a walk around the building or nearby area.

Rest Your Eyes

Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a break from your screen and stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to help the focusing muscles in your eyes relax.
Make a conscious effort to blink every 10-15 seconds so you coat your cornea and nourish your eyes with oxygen.
Try increasing the brightness level on your computer’s monitor to decrease eye fatigue. Also, it’s recommended that your computer screen be positioned 20-28 inches from your eyes.
Eat eye-friendly foods like kale and spinach to lower your chance of developing a cataract.

Protect Yourself

To lessen the strain on your back, try sitting at a 135-degree angle while you work.
Keep hand sanitizer at your desk and wash your hands regularly. According to IdealBite.com, the average office keyboard harbors five times more germs than a public restroom.

Even though there are risks associated with desk jobs, the good news is that there are ways to minimize these risks and stay healthy.

How do you keep your health in check while working in the office? Share your tips in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

The Job Search

Staying Healthy During a Stressful Job Search

By Job Journey on Friday, April 17, 2015

Let’s be honest – we’re all a bit stressed. Whether it’s in the job search, at work, or at home, almost everyone feels overwhelmed from time to time. Stress is a natural part of life, but even the smallest of stressors can have a negative effect on your health.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, stress affects both your body and your mind, and it can lead to depression, headaches, heart disease, stroke, and stomach disorders. April is Stress Awareness Month, so there’s no better time to start managing the stressors in your daily life, especially when it comes to your job search.

Know the facts.
When we feel threatened or anxious, the stress hormone cortisol is released into our bodies. This is also known as the “fight or flight” response,” which signals the body to free up energy so it can respond to a perceived threat. The problem with this reaction is that the body’s focus shifts to fighting the stressor instead of protecting your immune system. This can lead to the symptoms of a common cold, loss of appetite, fear, anxiety, nightmares, mental uneasiness, tension, lack of focus, poor sleep, memory loss, and exhaustion.

Let it go.
As one of the world’s most beloved animated princesses begs, “Let it go.” It’s easy to let a stressful situation take up permanent residence in your mind, but you should try to avoid it. Rehashing stressful situations, like a less-than-perfect job interview or a typo in your cover letter, can cause your body to relive the stress over and over again and bring on the same negative bodily reactions every time. Instead of replaying these situations in your mind, try to alter the way you think about what happened. Replace negative thoughts with affirmative ones, like statements of self-confidence. Another way to say goodbye to stressful thoughts is to meditate or focus on your breathing, which helps you calm down.

Set attainable goals.
At some point, everyone procrastinates. What can start as a harmless way to put off tasks can turn into a habit that leaves you feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and stressed. To avoid these unwanted emotions, try setting a long-term goal with smaller goals along the way. If your long-term goal is finding a job, your smaller goals may include sending 10 resumes, landing two interviews, or attending a networking event. Breaking your goal into smaller steps can help you see the bigger picture and the ways you can achieve it. And don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments along the way. Positive reinforcement can act as a motivator to help you reach your goal, so it’s important to be proud of the work you’ve done.

Don’t give up.
When you’re experiencing something stressful, it’s easy to automatically assume the worst. You may find your mind slipping into worst-case-scenario mode when you don’t hear back from a recruiter, you miss an important telephone call, or you forget to send a follow-up email. But, it’s important to remember that negative thoughts will only make your stress even worse. Consider whether the thing that’s stressing you out is something that will bother you a month or two from now. Ask yourself if you have any control over the stressful situation. Once you start seeing your stressors a little more clearly, you may find that they’re easier to handle in the long run. Take a moment to stop, re-evaluate the situation, and find some perspective. Oftentimes, the outcome is out of your hands and spending time stressing about it will only make matters worse.

Take care of yourself.
It’s no secret that job searches can drain you, both of time and energy. But forgetting to take time for yourself will only enhance your level of stress. Make sure you set aside time in your day to relax, enjoy a hobby, go for a walk, work in the garden, read a book, or do something that will help you recharge your mind and keep you both happy and relaxed. You may also consider de-cluttering your home or workspace to help put your mind at ease. Knowing what your stress triggers are, prioritizing your goals, and eliminating those stressors, can help you stay healthy during your job search.

How do you keep your cool during a stressful job search? Share your tips in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Reader Surveys

Poll: How Does Your Company Promote Health and Wellness?

By Job Journey on Friday, February 27, 2015

Staying healthy is an important part of your life, and many employers recognize that your wellness shouldn’t be hindered at the office. In an effort to help you stay on track with your fitness goals, many companies offer health and wellness benefits, programs, or resources in the workplace. Wellness programs range from health education, coaching, medical screenings, access to a gym, and more.

The attention to health and wellness that employers provide may even affect your job search. Since your health is important wherever you go, wellness programs inside the workplace may be a determining factor in your decision whether or not to accept a position at a particular company.

We want to know how your current employer promotes health and wellness. If you’re currently looking for a job, did any of your past employers promote health and wellness? Let us know by voting in our poll!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.