Has Sitting Down Become a Modern Addiction? The fact that excess sitting is bad for your health is no big secret—it’s actually a well-documented fact. But, as our world becomes increasingly hyper-connected and digital technology continues to evolve, is sitting down transforming from a mild issue to a fully-fledged societal addiction? The looming threat of COVID-19 has highlighted the possibility of remote working across industries, with a sharp 24% rise in home working since the start of the pandemic. But, how equipped are we to operate ‘from a distance’ long-term? Inadequate work spaces, poor lifestyle management, and excess sitting are among the main challenges many home or remote workers face. This increase of sedentary-related illnesses are becoming woven into the fabric of modern society—and without addressing these issues, we could be staring down the barrel of a mass health & wellbeing pandemic in the coming years. Sitting isn’t natural to humans, but we’ve made it feel right Sitting down for excessive periods isn’t like alcohol, food or even smartphone addiction in the sense that it’s completely covert. It goes unnoticed on a mass scale. We all sit down (and sometimes, we need to)—and being hunched over a desk, glutes glued to a chair has been the ‘norm’ for mny decades. We’ve become dependent on excess sitting, it has indeed morphed into an addiction. But the cold, hard fact is: the human body isn’t designed to be in this position for hours on end. If you look at the movements of babies or toddlers, you’ll probably notice that they instinctively shift around frequently, stretching, standing, shuffling, and squatting as much as possible. That’s largely due to the fact that our bodies aren’t naturally engineered to adopt a sitting position. In a nutshell, that’s the very reason that sitting down too much isn’t advised. Sitting down is bad for your health & wellbeing
As the world evolved from an innovation standpoint, humans invented tools of convenience to facilitate excess sitting. And, while chairs and traditional worktops are welcome in this world, we should use them more sparingly. Why? Well, because sitting is bad for you. Yes, sitting down too much is linked to:
As you can see, sitting down too much, while convenient, isn’t your friend. On the contrary, standing more while focusing on good posture offers a wealth of health-boosting benefits. Sit less, move more: it’s time to take a stand Now you’ve identified that you may be a little too reliant on excessive sitting and you understand the risks to your long-term health & well being, it’s time to take a stand. By committing to moving more, taking frequent screen breaks, and standing for extended periods while you’re working, you will significantly improve your health, well being, and productivity levels. https://youtu.be/jaVlpKkKOK8 To help you take an all-important stand and maintain your health indefinitely, here at Humble Works, we’ve developed a collection of stunning standing desks that are portable, 100% ergonomic, built to last, and crafted from a mix of high-quality eco-friendly materials. With our standing desks, you can set up a happy productive workspace, safe in the knowledge that your posture is on point and you’re taking an active role in counteracting the negative impact of excessive sitting. If you are working from home (or an office for that matter) and you want to take charge of your wellbeing, check out our two signature standing desks and take that first rewarding leap towards a happier, healthier work life. You won’t regret it. "Sustainable solutions based on innovation can create a more resilient world only if that innovation is focused on the health and well-being of its inhabitants. And it is at that point - where technology and human needs intersect - that we will find meaningful innovation." —Frans van Houten We hope this has inspired you to take a stand and for more professional pearls of wisdom, read four ways to improve your health & wellbeing when working from home.
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The Ideal Workspace for Creativity & Productivity Do you feel lazy, unmotivated or disengaged when you walk into your workspace? Why not try to amp it up? Whether you’re in the office or at home, you should create a space that talks to you on a personal level — a space that motivates you to work, one that inspires you. Operating in an environment where you can engage, collaborate, connect and produce freely while remaining calm and relaxed is the key to success. To help you create a desktop space that improves your posture at work while enhancing your physical as well as mental wellbeing, we’ve got a few tips up our collective sleeve—and we’re going to share them with you, right now. Seven rock-solid tips to create a workspace that inspires and motivates Get your ergonomics just right Trendy workspace furniture is a must, but as trends change, your choice and expectations will change too. But, while keeping up with the latest trends is nice, comfort and practicality will form the foundations of an inspiring, productive workplace—that’s where ergonomics comes in. Ergonomic designs will reduce the odds of an injury, provide comfort, give your back the support it needs and of course, improve your posture. When it comes to peak physical and mental wellbeing in the workplace, investing in the right furniture is essential—check out the Humbleworks adjustable wooden standing desk(it will make a stylish and practical addition to your home office). Keep your eyes on the goal The key to sustainable workspace success is organisation—so when you’re setting up your new office, always keep this in mind (this is the ‘prize’, as it were). Having vision boards and setting goals will motivate you to keep on track with your workspace improvements. With your ergonomics considered and your organisational goals set, you should add mementoes as well as pictures or items that will help you feel calm, happy, and inspired. If you furnish your workspace with things that remind you of your mission and values, you will urge yourself to work harder. Don’t forget about space, lots of it Believe it or not, moving around frequently will help boost your productivity. So, create enough space to move around your workspace freely—it will help you remain creative, motivated, and inspired throughout the day. Sitting excessively is detrimental to your wellbeing, hence having the space to stand and move around will help you stay healthy while optimising your workspace. Our body needs to move every 30 minutes, else muscles start to lose their flexibility. A high table coupled with regular screen breaks are key to remaining energised and productive—sit less, stand up, move more—it’s that simple. Reflect your personality Your workspace is a reflection of who you are, so fill it with a combination of inspirational elements to create a space filled with positivity, creativity and productivity. As we said, every small personalisation you make will create an emotional connection with your workspace. The more you express yourself through your personality, the more you are likely to express your creativity. It’s like a flow, where one concept leads to another—a productive domino effect that will boost your success in the workplace. Give that coffee priority Introducing regular coffee (or general drinks) breaks into your work routine will serve you a reason to get up and move. Going for a coffee will get you away from your desk giving you the freedom to move around, relaxing your muscles while enhancing blood circulation. You don’t necessarily have to have coffee but that five-minute break will help you keep your energy levels up—getting away from your desk will also give you a chance to change the environment and connect with that all-important lightbulb moment. Stay clean and messy Einstein quoted, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”. There are two types of people: those who gain clarity and inspiration from a neat desk and those that get motivation from a messier, more cluttered space. If you prefer a slightly busier workspace, don’t feel compelled to tidy it within an inch of its life—do what works for you. Think about which type of environment makes you more comfortable and go with it. As we said, providing your ergonomics are in check and you have a system, you will do just fine. Match your decor Put together the elements that work best for you—be it in your office, cubicle or at home. For example, you can paint your wall a colour that matches your workflow and makes you happy: having too much white can feel empty while having dark can feel dull. Strike the right balance by choosing a colour scheme that suits you, and you’ll be flooded with good vibrations every working day. Plants also make an excellent addition to any workspace as they increase oxygen flow while enhancing wellbeing. Plus, plants are also known to create an environment that increases productivity. Go for as much sunlight as possible, or in lieu of that, go for good lighting, it will make a huge difference. Create a space that makes you happy and attracts healthy vibes and you will reap great rewards.
We hope these tips help you to boost your workspace productivity just like they did for us at Humbleworks HQ. Working at home? Here are some more tips on how to boost your everyday health and professional wellbeing. The fact that excess sitting is bad for your health is no big secret — it’s actually a well-documented fact. But, as our world becomes increasingly hyper-connected and digital technology continues to evolve, is sitting down transforming from a mild issue to a fully-fledged societal addiction? The looming threat of COVID-19 has highlighted the possibility of remote working across industries, with a sharp 24% rise in home working since the start of the pandemic. But, how equipped are we to operate ‘from a distance’ long-term? Inadequate work spaces, poor lifestyle management, and excess sitting are among the main challenges many home or remote workers face. This increase of sedentary-related illnesses are becoming woven into the fabric of modern society — and without addressing these issues, we could be staring down the barrel of a mass health & wellbeing pandemic in the coming years. Sitting isn’t natural to humans, but we’ve made it feel rightSitting down for excessive periods isn’t like alcohol, food or even smartphone addiction in the sense that it’s completely covert. It goes unnoticed on a mass scale. We all sit down (and sometimes, we need to) — and being hunched over a desk, glutes glued to a chair has been the ‘norm’ for many decades. We’ve become dependent on excess sitting, it has indeed morphed into an addiction. But the cold, hard fact is: the human body isn’t designed to be in this position for hours on end. If you look at the movements of babies or toddlers, you’ll probably notice that they instinctively shift around frequently, stretching, standing, shuffling, and squatting as much as possible. That’s largely due to the fact that our bodies aren’t naturally engineered to adopt a sitting position. In a nutshell, that’s the very reason that sitting down too much isn’t advised but Humbleworks brings the amazing solution that is Adjustable Standing Desks Sitting down is bad for your health & wellbeingAs the world evolved from an innovation standpoint, humans invented tools of convenience to facilitate excess sitting. And, while chairs and traditional worktops are welcome in this world, we should use them more sparingly. Why? Well, because sitting is bad for you. Yes, sitting down too much is linked to:
Sit less, move more: it’s time to take a standNow you’ve identified that you may be a little too reliant on excessive sitting and you understand the risks to your long-term health & wellbeing, it’s time to take a stand.
By committing to moving more, taking frequent screen breaks, and standing for extended periods while you’re working, you will significantly improve your health, wellbeing, and productivity levels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4A4G-43S3k To help you take an all-important stand and maintain your health indefinitely, here at HumbleWorks, we’ve developed a collection of stunning standing desks that are portable, 100% ergonomic, built to last, and crafted from a mix of high-quality eco-friendly materials. With our standing desks, you can set up a happy productive workspace, safe in the knowledge that your posture is on point and you’re taking an active role in counteracting the negative impact of excessive sitting. If you are working from home (or an office for that matter) and you want to take charge of your wellbeing, check out our two signature standing desks and take that first rewarding leap towards a happier, healthier worklife. You won’t regret it. “Sustainable solutions based on innovation can create a more resilient world only if that innovation is focused on the health and well-being of its inhabitants. And it is at that point — where technology and human needs intersect — that we will find meaningful innovation.” — Frans van Houten We hope this has inspired you to take a stand and for more professional pearls of wisdom, read four ways to improve your health & wellbeing when working from home. The Covid-19 outbreak has shaken the world upside down, forcing us to change the way we work and live, in every way imaginable. Our universally isolated and socially distant lifestyles can prove to be a real struggle, particularly when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. Working from home now becomes ‘the norm’—and for many, we know it’s a real challenge. Not all of us are equipped to live in isolation or stay away from people we love, but of course, this is a necessity at the moment until the situation subsides further. But, that doesn’t make it easy. No matter how creative or productive you may be, maintaining mental wellness can prove challenging in our current climate. Being home can be frustrating: you may feel bored, have insomnia or also feel isolated And then, there is the matter of stress and anxiety. “It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.” – Mandy Hale We know that stress and anxiety is a real burden and when it gets too much, it can have a negative impact on your everyday life. To help you look after your mental health in isolation, here are some tips and hints from all of us at Humbleworks HQ. Here are are a few ways to handle anxiety and stress Stay in touch with friends and family via social media or calls You may have been busy and running around before we were thrust into a state of isolation—so take this opportunity to connect with near and dear ones. Enjoy laid back conversations filled with laughter and nostalgia. Doing so will help you feel connected and flood your brain with positivity. Stick to a personalized routine If you followed a routine outside of isolation, why not form one in isolation? Wake up at a consistent time each day and put together a routine that will give you purpose, flow, and motivation; maintaining a framework will help to prevent you from falling into a lethargic lifestyle while keeping you both physically and mentally supple. Sticking to a routine will also provide you with a level of focus that will help keep your anxiety at bay. Change your mindset It isn’t always easy, but take a little time each day to look at all the positives the isolation has given you and keep moving forward; knowing there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Find ways to be more healthy, both mentally and physically speaking, with mindfulness, fitness regimes, walking, running, cycling, music or art. Give priority to mental wellness Prioritize your mental health and take steps like mindfulness and meditation to manage it. Isolation is tough, but even the slightest bit of effort and social connection can go a long way. If you’re mentally low, talk to someone you love, go outside for a walk or focus on an activity that makes you feel good. It is all about balance and being present. Take care of yourself Putting the least amount of stress on your mind and body should be the top priority right now, so go ahead and take care of yourself. Enjoy a little pampering, treat yourself to something you love, enjoy a lie in — basically anything that makes you happy, alleviates stress, and reduces your anxiety. New beginnings Life is not just about work, it’s about play, too. Consider the lockdown a gift of time and learn something new. We get an enormous amount of wellbeing from new challenges, so take this time to commit to achieving a new goal or learning a new skill without pressuring yourself, and start your new journey today. This positive level of focus will work wonders for your wellbeing. “You can’t always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” – Wayne Dyer Exercise for anxiety and stressOur lives are wired in such a way that stress, unfortunately, is inevitable. But, there are exercises that can help—and we’re going to look at some now. When we exercise, our body releases endorphins that help alleviate stress. Also, regular exercise can improve your vitals, increase blood circulation, enhance the brain’s cognitive functions and improve sleep quality— all key ingredients to reducing stress and anxiety. Here are regular exercises you can try to help reduce your stress and anxiety during lockdown:
“Do not let your difficulties fill you with anxiety; after all it is only in the darkest nights that stars shine more brightly.” – Ali Ibn Abi Talib We are living in challenging times—but, by taking heed of our advice, you can help to manage your stress during the pandemic. If you need to talk to someone, here is a link to some essential resources that will help—don’t suffer in silence—we’re here for you.
If you need some guidance on your new professional situation, read our guide on what you’re entitled to when working from home. Think You Have Put On Weight During Lockdown? We all have that fear of putting on a few pounds here and there. But, when fear becomes reality, you’re often left wondering what went wrong. And, if you put on pounds this lockdown, there is so much more to it than you might think. According to a recent survey, 47% of British Nationals acknowledge that they have gained weight since the lockdown started back in March—a relatively high number but with multiple root causes. Many people stay at home or work from home and still manage to keep fit, so what went wrong during the lockdown period? The lockdown had been physically and mentally exhausting on every one since people aren’t generally used to living in an isolated environment, let alone staying away from their loved ones. To top that, the work from home concept became stressful for some, though it was inevitable. Even at HumbleWorks HQ, we put on a few collective pounds ourselves. Here’s what we believe caused this dilemma. Here’s why you may have gained those pounds during a lockdown: Stress Many of us may not realize it but stress is a trigger for multiple things. During the lockdown, your stress levels may have risen due to working from home-related burnout, feelings of uncertainty, lack of socialisation, and financial concerns, among many other reasons. Stress not only impacts you mentally with anxiety, and in extreme cases depression, but it can also trigger binge-eating habits as well as increased cortisol levels that promote fat storage in your body - a contributor to weight gain. Turning into a couch potato We understand that working from home was necessary in the interest of your safety—and the safety of others—but, turning into a couch potato was not. Sitting for a prolonged period on your couch or chair may well have added to your weight gain. Also, entertaining yourself in isolation may have proved an equally hazardous contributing factor —like playing video games, binging on Netflix, connecting on social calls for hours on end to keep in touch, or staying in bed though sheer lack of motivation. There are many factors here, you name it, and all are equally responsible for sitting for prolonged periods But, remember: sitting is a slow killer associated with multiple health issues. Comfort eating Comfort eating became more like a ‘quarantine diet’ in lockdown. Due to food shortages and logistical roadblocks, many decided that cooking frozen food or ordering takeaways most days was so much easier than cooking healthy food —not to mention the increased alcohol intake. Lack of a routine Mass quarantine destroyed our regular routines for months on end. This level of upset inevitably fostered new, unhealthy habits due to physical barriers and mental fatigue. In these cases, reaching for the remote control was often so much easier than creating new daily rituals. And, of course, less movement and exercise means more weight gain. Now that you know what went wrong, why not find a way to make a change? Check out these tips that helped us at HumbleWorks to gain back our ground while still working from home. Here’s how you can still maintain yourself if you’re isolating or working from home or still in lockdown: Settle into a new routine Putting your life together with a routine is a lot of work but it isn’t impossible. Take time to sort through your priorities and jot down a list of activities to add to your routine, arranging your time as you would when you used to commute to work. Setting allocated time for meals, chores, exercise, and work will help you maintain a solid level of health while working towards your goals. Make insightful choices Stressing about weight gain creates a negative impact on the body and mind. So, the best way to tackle it is to make insightful choices. Address diet changes by swapping unhealthy food for healthy calories—or go for a caloric deficit if you want to limit your food intake. If you don’t like the gym, choose an activity you can do outdoors locally or at home. Every mindful choice you make will get you one step closer to a happier and healthier life—so keep working towards those goals, step by step. Find more excuses to move
It is quite obvious by now that a lack of movement leads to being unfit. So, find every opportunity you get to move around, be it strutting around the house or putting together a simple exercise regime. At the moment, many people are investing in the services of virtual personal trainers or trying out YouTube fitness videos—both are effective. Try moving enough to achieve 10,000 steps a day; if you usually drive to the shop, walk instead (if it’s close enough). Take the steps instead of the escalator/elevator. Walk around the garden—the point is, do whatever works for you. All that movement will gradually start making your muscles more flexible and start burning stored fats. Give ergonomics a thought When choosing tools or furniture, ergonomics are essential. Turn a blind eye to generic furniture and invest in the ergonomic kind—items specially designed to provide comfort while creating a healthy, efficient work environment in your place of choosing. Are You Sitting Too Much? It’s Time To Find Out! Imagine waking up fresh as a daisy, nailing your working day, and still having plenty of energy to enjoy some well-deserved family time in the evening before heading off to bed content and restful. Sounds good, no? While it may sound like some far-fetched utopian dream, being consistently content and energized is well within your reach—all you have to do is make some tweaks to your lifestyle. Did you know? The average person spends around nine hours (or more) of their waking day sitting down. That’s a lot when you really think about it. Our emotions and consciousness are so deeply rooted we space out without realizing, but our subconscious keeps us going. So, ever thought why that happens and what can you do about it? In addition to diet, sleep, and exercise, sitting down for excessive periods of time can have a significant impact on your overall health and wellbeing. In short, if you sit down too much, you will suffer, both physically and mentally. The reason your brain is often overwhelmed by your daily life (or just ‘struggling through’) is that it subconsciously follows a deeply etched sedentary habit. Now, if standing is one of your main habits, you’re likely to feel better, enhance your energy levels, and flood your brain with mood-enhancing chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. If you are feeling sluggish, you might be sitting down too much. Here’s how to find out. Deal with your emotions & train your brain Before we delve any deeper into sitting down, let’s take a moment to explore emotions and the role they play in our everyday health & wellbeing. Emotions are powerful, so dealing with them head-on is one approach. By learning how to be present and tune into your surroundings, you will form solid foundations for your emotional processing abilities. Life is busy. There will always be loads of stuff to do, but don’t allow your brain to trick you into unhealthy habits. Every time you take on a task or activity, stop and think about it. Is what you’re doing efficient or beneficial to your life? Is there a better way to do it? Or, is what you’re doing harm to your wellbeing? When you start processing your emotions and training yourself to be more mindful, you will make positive changes consistently—which brings us back to sitting down. As humans, we’re not built to sit for long periods—the most sedentary of activities was simply meant to be a short interval between standing and moving. But, these days it feels like we take standing intervals between sitting. The more tuned in you are and the better you are at processing your emotions, the more mindful you will be about sitting down for excessive periods. These small changes can show you visible results in your mental and physical health over the long term. Try the Chair TestNow that you know how mindfulness and emotional processing plays a role in your daily wellbeing, let’s get back to the issue at hand: your sitting habits. It’s time for The Chair Test. This simple test will determine where you stand—we mean sit (no pun intended)! It’s simple: explore these tasks and answer yes or NO. Based on your answer score, you will know the truth about your sitting habits. So, go ahead, open your eyes to reality.
Score Yourself: For each, you get one point. 0:Congrats, you aren’t a chair addict so you’re in the green zone. 1-2: You’re a chair pre-addict. 3-5: You’re a chair addict. 6-8: You’re a prisoner of your chair. 9-10: You’re super sedentary, it’s time to make a change. Are you a sitting addict? It’s time to take a STAND, literally. Never fear, here at Humbleworks HQ, we know a thing or two about the benefits of reducing your sitting time. And, we’re going to give you a few pointers on making those lifestyle tweaks that will help you work towards a happier, healthier life. Take it one step at a time Moving on from one sedentary activity to the next doesn’t qualify as taking a ‘one step at a time’ approach. To make a sustainable change, you have to break your excessive sitting habits. We recommend you make changes incrementally, and at your own pace, keeping the end goal of sitting less without effort in mind at all times.
Start with the simple 30:5 rule: move around after every 30 minutes of sitting to free your muscles and maintain your body mechanism. Slowly move on to standing for meetings and coffee breaks, and when you’re ready, invest in a standing desk to enjoy all of those health-boosting benefits while you’re working. Baby steps lead to a greater change, the kind that sticks. So, don’t leap, take your time—you will get there in the end, and it will be worth it. In today’s world, most of our activities are based on being idle, but there are alternative (better) ways to do things—and most of them involve moving or standing. So, take heed of this wake-up call before it’s too late. And, if you’re looking for further inspiration, read our guide on which adjustable standing desk to buy for your specific needs. We all have that fear of putting on a few pounds here and there. |
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