Having a desk job can come with a high amount of stress that can wreck havoc in your body. Use this post as a guide to help you learn some simple self-care practices to combat stress and promote inner peace in the midst of your busy workday.
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Why Workplace Massage 2: Breaking Down Function of the Desk-bound Body
Most people are required to sit in front of their computers to perform highly engaging tasks. Brain is active, but body is not. The human body is designed to move, not to be still. Sitting still causes muscles to get “cold” and have little blood circulation. Lack of circulation means lack of oxygenated blood to your muscles, causing them to contract. This results in tension, discomfort, and pain. Incorrect posture and body mechanics also lead to aggravation of nerves and muscle tension.
Why Workplace Massage?
Can’t people just go get a massage somewhere else, like a spa, where they can fully relax and not have to go back to work?
The duration of chair massage is so short – would it even make a dent in my stress level?
In this blog, I will address not only why is it important for the workplace to invest in wellness services, but why is it precisely in the workplace that they must be offered.
What Should Worksite Wellness Programs Address
Holistic workplace wellness programs should address each of the key aspects of the dimensions of wellness (University of California, 2016; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2016):
- physical health is an employee’s ability to maintain a healthy quality of life with minimal physical stress or fatigue
- emotional health relates to an employee’s ability to cope with life’s challenges in a healthy way
- spiritual health helps to ensure that employees maintain a state of peace and harmony
- occupational health involves an employee’s personal satisfaction with the job; this helps to ensure that all individuals remain engaged
- environmental health requires employees to recognize how they impact their physical environment and take responsibility for protecting it
- intellectual health is an employees’ ability to be open minded about new ideas and experiences