How in the world is occupational wellness connected to the Science of HOPE? How is the Science of HOPE related to your role in CSS? Is it going to add to my workload? The answer to the last question is easy, no, this will not be adding to your workload. What we found out when we started researching the Science of HOPE is that we have all be using the Science of HOPE at CSS already, we just didn’t know it!
According to the CSQuest article What is Wellness? occupational wellness means gaining, through work, the importance of satisfaction in work, enrichment we get from work, and meaning of work to us. Some say they spend more time at work than in their homes with their families. This may be true because, in the U.S., the work ethic is to work as hard as we can to achieve as much as we want, so we can pass it on to our children. Of course, in the 21st century this way of thinking about work is changing to ‘work as much as is necessary to live the life I want, and if I have to change jobs to do that, no problem.’
Regardless of one’s approach to work, meaning, and satisfaction of work is important to today’s workers. The enrichment we get from work is found in our passion or commitment to the type of work we do. Child Support workers are more likely to say they get meaning and satisfaction from their work.
According to the CSQuest article, Encouraging Occupational Wellness, “…when a person is doing exactly what they want to do in life while being comfortable and content with their personal and financial situation and future plans, that is occupational wellness.” The article goes on to say we should work toward a career that is personally and financially rewarding and enjoyable, even though this may be difficult. The article concludes with ways to improve occupational wellness, and finding a profession that is enjoyable. These remind us that in the Science of HOPE, having goals and working toward them are essential to make tomorrow better than today.
If you want to improve your occupational wellness, the CSQuest article Tips for Improving Your Occupational Wellness has 5 tips you can use to improve your work environment. These tips include lighting, ergonomics, and three other topics.
On the topic of ergonomics, if you are finding you have a backache or your hands hurt, or you are getting headaches, you might want to take a look at the CSQuest article Ergonomics: How to Limit Computer Strain on Your Body and the Teleworking Tip found on CSQuest, Are You Comfortable? An Ergonomics Specialist Offers Advice, as well as Computer Workstation Ergonomics Self Assessment Checklist. These articles offer tips and advice on adjusting your workspace to be more comfortable and to protect your body from damage.
It is said that we work very hard and spend a lot of time working on and thinking about our work and the people we work with and serve. But, if too much of our work life interferes with other areas of our life, we may need examine our work/life balance. The CSQuest article Creating a Healthier Life, has a discussion of what life balance is and offers tips on how to create balance in life. If you are feeling stressed, find that work is on your mind more than you want it to be, and your recreational, personal, and social life is not what you want it to be, you might find helpful information in this article.
We spend a lot of time sitting working on a computer. You’ve heard that sitting is the new smoking1, 2? In terms of life lost and health problems, sitting for hours day after day is causing as much morbidity and mortality as smoking. We are damaging our health with so much sitting. To improve health while working remotely, we can set a timer to get up at regular times and walk around a bit, or dance to favorite music, or do a short exercise regime. Doctor Francisco Lopez-Jeminez recommends overcoming the problems extended sitting can cause that we stand up once an hour, move for five minutes an hour, and do not sit for more than 8 hours a day.
During our workday we may feel stress and tension, especially when it settles in vulnerable areas, like back, shoulders, or we get a headache. We know that stress is not good for our health and wellbeing, especially it can cause physical problems and we can negatively manifest it across our personal relationships. The CSQuest article Tips for Relieving Stress Quickly by Using your Senses, has helpful advice for relieving stress using our senses of sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch or movement. The article explains how to use our senses to help us move quickly out of stress and into peace and relaxation. Try this during your workday and see if you feel better!
We have referred to several CSQuest articles about relieving stress and moving every 5 minutes. It is equally important to pay attention to emotions during work. As stated in other articles in this series, our mental and emotional health contributes to the satisfaction we have with work. These other articles, HOPE is All Around Us Physical Wellness are good resources for recognizing when we are not feeling our best mentally, and when our emotions need some attention.
Whether you are just beginning your occupational life, or nearing time for retirement, it is always a good thing to assess occupational health, and occupational goals. Part of assessing occupational health is to check satisfaction and enjoyment with work. If the assessment shows us that we are not at our peak of occupational wellness, then we can look to the future and plan what we want, then find pathways to achieve goals we set, and perhaps find a mentor.
Additional Resources:
1Repost: Sitting is the New Smoking, February 16, 2021, Dr. Melanie Chandler, Mayo Clinic.
2Why sitting has become the new smoking, April 28, 2022 by Mayo Clinic Press Editors.
For related articles, try clicking one of the tags at the bottom of this page.