If you always suffer from headaches for being cooped up in the office all day, you are not alone. Such headache is often accompanied by fatigue and tired eyes which is due more to the office environment than anything else. It makes you lose concentration and interest and you ended up feeling irritable and unproductive. But wait, before you start reaching for that painkiller tablet, try these 4 tips first and see if it helps.
1) More Fresh Air
Most office buildings are air-conditioned where supply of fresh air is poor. The air quality worsens with the chemicals released from the air-conditioning system, air fresheners, insecticides, pesticides and the pollutants already existing in the building. When we breathe in these harmful substances, it's no surprise that we have headaches.
The best way is to open the office windows regularly to let in fresh air, though this is near impossible in most high-rise office buildings. Alternatively, get out of the buildings at times for a breather. By investing in air purifiers or/and filters, you can enhance the quality of office air. You also should increase the cleaning frequency of the office air-conditioning system.
2) Your Eyes Need to Breathe Too
If we overwork our eyes, it could lead to headaches too. This is because the muscles around our eyes get cramps which will stress the optic nerves connecting to our brain. Focus your eyes on a distant object from a high place for 5 to 10 minutes to rest your eyes. You should do this after every hour staring at the computer or the documents.
Perhaps it is time for a checkup visit at your optometrist to get a new pair of eyeglasses.
3) Mind Your Sitting Position
Many of us may not be aware that a poor sitting posture may hinder blood circulation, thereby causing headaches. As a rule of thumb, always keep the head aligned with the spine, and the wrists straight and aligned with the forearms. That's why our chairs are very important in giving us a good support for our backs to avoid slouching.
Avoid habits that could strain your muscles thereby causing headaches, e.g. we love to grip the phone between our shoulder and ear to talk on the phone while our hands are still on the keyboard. Over-exertion of muscles for a long time could lead to headaches.
4) Stress is the Killer
Stress, coupled with exhaustion & anxiety, could easily lead to headaches or tension in the neck muscles. Though this is mostly unavoidable in our fast-paced environment, we should somehow learn to "spread out" our stress. We can stop work awhile to crack a joke or two with colleagues, or to enjoy a ten minutes tea break at the pantry. It benefits you to get away from your computer awhile.
------
Find out how to keep your health in tip-top condition at
http://www.ionehealth.com
