Our job gives us happiness and satisfaction. But how many of us get the chance to work in a great environment with healthy surroundings? Feeling about your job depends  on the atmosphere in the office.

Dry Workplace
The dry atmosphere in the office chronically dehydrates us. This results in fatigue and headache, a reduction in productivity and in severe circumstances even fainting.

Remedy: Slipping water intermittently will help you offset the fatigue. Getting up to fetch a glass of water will also provide a much needed break from your desk.

Office Chair
Sitting on a ill – designed chair exerts excessive pressure on the muscles and can cause low back pain. Slouching not only makes a person look older, it also leads to a huge drop in diaphragm and ribs.

Remedy: The office chairs with five legs in a star shape should be preferred. It must also have an adjustable back to provide evenly distributed support. Position your chair properly, with your feet on the floor and elbows at right angles to the desk top. Sit right back in your chair with your back and shoulders straight and supported by the back of the chair.

Computer Screen
It’s not very difficult to find square – eyed workers in every office, suffering from headaches, eye strains and vision problems.

Remedy: 5 to 10 minutes of break every hour can protect your eyes. Make sure that the monitor is 13 – 23 inches away from your eyes and the center of the screen is four to six inches below your eye level. The minimum font size should be 12. keep the screen clean. Lubricating eye drops and special computer glasses may also help solve persistence problems.

Computer Keyboard
Drinking tea or coffee, eating snacks or applying make up are common practices at an average desk. But we are not aware that the food and other residues are some such contaminants that make keyboards dirty.

A keyboard can become an incubator, spreading viruses to anyone who comes into contact with it. The viruses and bacteria could potentially cause illness such as gastrointestinal upsets.

Remedy: Wipe the keyboard several times a day. Avoid having snacks at your desk.

Telephones
Using the telephone for just 2 hours a day can cause posture to deteriorate rapidly.

Remedy: using a headset can reduce the cause of physical damage by around 40 %. Wipe phones regularly with alcohol based antiseptic wipes.

Printers / Photocopiers / Fax
Cartridges and toners can produce low atmosphere ozone that are quite damaging. Regular exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels has been shown to increase the risk of tinnitus (ringing in the ears)and of deafness. Overexposure to methyl alcohol and methacrylate fumes from photocopiers and fax machines can cause headaches, skin rashes or even breathing difficulties.

Remedy: Keep windows open. If the noise producing equipment is near the seat, it is advisable to move the desk away.

Ways to Integrate Health In the Office

* Allow circulation of fresh air in the office by opening the windows early in the morning and late in the evening.

* Fill your workplace with plants. Indoor palms, English ivy, peace lilies and chrysanthemums.

* Take frequent breaks from sitting. This could be getting up for water or even making copies.

* Indeed of using your phone to get what you need, use your legs. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

* Make sure to sit up straight. Poor posture affects your mood and contributes to chronic back and neck pains.

If you are suffering from any of the disorders discussed above, speak with your manager about making changes to your workplace. Employers willingly develop ergonomic programmes to help workers adjust their place of work and arrange office equipment to minimize problems.