A Healthy Relationship With Work Are Is For Your Health

Work is different for everyone. It means something different for everyone. Whether you are an employee or in a leadership position can actually have an impact on your heart health. 

A Balanced Heart Is A Healthy Heart

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We spend a significant time at work and what we do when we are there matters.  On a practical level, the amount and types of physical activity as well as the environment of your work can have an impact on your health. Work environments where you are seated and sedentary for the majority of your day can lead to greater risk of heart disease.  On the other hand, people who do continuous physical activity during the workday may end up with a higher cardiovascular load, higher blood pressure and heart rate. 

One study evaluated the 20 most common jobs among more than 65,000 older women. It found bookkeeping and accounting clerks, supervisors of sales workers and administrative support workers, and nursing and home health aides were among those who had  higher than average risk of poor cardiovascular health, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Teachers, counselors and real estate brokers were among those less likely to have poor cardiovascular health.

Besides the physical aspects of work, let’s talk about the dynamics at work that bring psychological stress.  We are all aware of the factors that cause us to have stress at work, whether it be an inability for flexibility, an over demanding boss, difficult coworkers, lack of financial reward, just to start. 83% of US workers experience work related stress and 25% say that work is the primary stressor in their lives. The main causes of workplace stress are workload (39% of workers), interpersonal issues (31%), juggling work and personal life (19%), and job security (6%).

While stress can be good for our bodies in most cases, long term, chronic stress can be harmful to our hearts. Remember, the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol into the bloodstream. When these stress hormones are chronically released in the bloodstream, the heart starts pumping more rapidly, the arteries clamp down and become stiff, inflammation develops  and the stage is set for atherosclerosis and the development of plaque in the arteries. 

Stress Management and Heart Health 

Because our work is such an important part of our lives for many of us, managing stress at work is a critical part of a heart healthy life. This requires a few things.  I know it is not always easy to solve these issues, but these are some issues to think about:

• Moving towards a job that supports us physically and environmentally – If the basic physical environments of your work aren’t working for you, it might be time to consider changing things up!

• Managing your workload – Ensuring you are taking on the appropriate amount of responsibility can be a matter of many different factors. First, what you can own is ensuring that you work productively, creatively and self-manage towards your own success. Understand what your success markers are. Self- success is part of what drives us forward to release the good and happy hormones!  If there are clear expectations with success measures met, work is more likely to be satisfying.  If the expectations are unclear, then it is more likely that work will become more of a stressor for you. It may be important for you to set boundaries with co-workers so that they don’t dump excessive amounts of work on you. You may need to have conversations with your supervisor or boss about what you can really handle and brainstorm strategies for more efficient processes or alternative ways of working . And again, in some cases, if there’s really no alternative, you may want to look for a new role or new organization. 

• Managing your relationships – Again,  always start with what you can do. How might you begin to shift unhelpful patterns in your communication and behavior? Are there ways you can show your co-workers you trust them and they can trust you? If needed, put in the extra time to build rapport with them.  Communication is the most critical part of managing relationships. Think about your communication skills and figure out how best to get what you need.

A productive and congenial and safe work environment can be energizing, releasing all sorts of positive hormones into our body. The connection we feel with those with whom we share common goals and purpose, as well as meaningful relationships, built on trust, mutual respect and support, can be highly beneficial to our well being.