Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: This World Day for Health and Safety at Work, experts from SEHA, the UAE’s largest healthcare network, share their top tips on how to stay healthy at work with a focus on managing stress, staying healthy and maintaining a good posture.

Dealing with office stress

According to Naser Al Riyami, Psychologist at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, when we are overwhelmed at work things tend to get out of hand and our behavior can begin to turn for the worse.

“Being overwhelmed at work tends to reflect in behavior changes at home quite quickly and profoundly. As the tension builds up, we can spiral into a dangerous cycle of feeling overwhelmed and feelings of anxiety resulting in a whirlpool of dissatisfaction, avoidance and aggravation. Most people try to keep their work lives separate from their personal lives but the borders are fluid and when the going gets tough, it is useful to highlight successful strategies for stress management at work.”

Dr. Al Riyami recommends meditation and mindfulness through controlled breathing and body awareness to empty the mind and dissociate from the intensity of emotions. As well as increasing focus and concentration, this can help people clearly consider how to complete duties and responsibilities more safely.

“Never underestimate the power of a few minutes a day or a few minutes a week to reset your capacity to continue working effectively and efficiently. These practices can take as little as 5 minutes a day,” concludes Dr. Al Riyami.

Smart ways to eat healthily during office hours

Office hours can often make things tough for your diet. With coffee breaks at the local café and vending machines silently tempting you with soda and candy bars, healthy eating can be challenging when at work. Latifa AlDhaheri, Dietitian at Ambulatory Healthcare Services, shares her easy and effective tips to eat healthy even when you're working:

  • Have a filling breakfast: A nutritious breakfast doesn't just keep you fueled to power through the day but also regulates blood sugar levels, enhances productivity and lowers risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
  • Pack home-cooked meals: Getting home cooked food to your office makes sure the food is healthy and fresh. Food cooked at home best satisfies your taste buds. You can customize it according to your own tastes and preferences.
  • Stay hydrated: Water has no calories, and helps you stay energized and fresh throughout the day.
  • Snack smart: Stock up on healthy and balanced snack options like pitted dates, sliced fruit, dark chocolate and homemade veggie chips.
  • Cut the junk food and the cold drinks: Bingeing on junk is the unhealthiest habit possible, so be mindful of it, it is also important to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks, sodas, energy drinks, packaged juices and lattes. These drinks contain heavy amounts of sugar, which hampers your diet. Extra sugar and cream in your tea and coffee should be avoided. Opt for black coffee or green tea as a viable alternative to cut down on calories as well as boost your metabolism.

Exercise also plays an important role in staying healthy in the workplace. Nazik Amin Ali, Clinical Dietitian at Al Dhafra also suggests that simple changes, such as opting for stairs over the elevator, parking further away from the office, and making meetings as active as possible, can all play its role in keeping people healthy.

Maintaining a proper posture

As we spend most of our adult lives in the workplace, it is paramount to ensure that we are mindful of our posture. According to Sumeya Mohammed Al Hammadi, Manager of Rehabilitation Services at Tawam Hospital, when we practice proper posture, we keep our bones and joints in alignment.

“Practicing proper posture helps us stand, walk, and sit in positions that reduces stress on joints allowing our muscles to work more efficiently. Good posture can also help prevent muscle strain, overuse disorders like osteoarthritis, and back and muscular pain,” explains Al Hammadi.

To ensure you are maintaining a proper posture, always sit comfortably without slouching and keep shoulders relaxed with your back straight and supported.  

To find out more about SEHA’s services, book an appointment by calling 800 50 or visit SEHA.ae 

-Ends-

About SEHA:

The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC–SEHA – is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

SEHA is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy.

SEHA is committed to continuous improvement of customer care to recognized international standards and providing the community with world-class healthcare. SEHA operates 14 hospitals with over 3,385 beds, 70 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and 3 blood banks. Its facilities accommodate 117,162 inpatients annually and conduct 43,262 surgeries, as well as treating more than five million outpatients.

SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with more than 14,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care, and administrative personnel. Learn more at www.seha.ae