01/03/2024

How Your Job and Workplace Affect Your Health

Work is the new doctor's office

If you’re trying to improve your health, the first stop is likely to be your doctor’s office. But your own office may have nearly as much influence on well-being, according to a growing body of research that suggests your job can affect everything from mental health to risk of cardiovascular disease and how long you live.

"Health happens everywhere," said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association. Given that the average employed U.S. adult spends more of their waking hours working than doing just about anything else, that includes the workplace, he said.

Work-related stress is one culprit for health problems, since unmanaged stress can contribute to heart disease, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues and other chronic conditions. Long hours on the job can also cut into time that would otherwise be spent sleeping, exercising, cooking, seeing loved ones or doing other activities that can boost wellness. Such problems are most effectively fixed when employers change workplace conditions, rather than leaning on workplace wellness initiatives as a Band-Aid, said Laura Linnan, director of the University of North Carolina’s Collaborative for Research on Work and Health.

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.