4 minute read
WELLNESS
Unpinning the “pins” from COVID-19
Using this new year to re-examine what we have allowed to linger in our bodies and minds can help remove the “pins” that may ultimately deteriorate our long-term health.
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COVID-19 hit the world, causing quick and radical changes to how we work and live. Good triaging skills allowed us to continue work and play amidst significant challenges, but an infinite number of reminder “pins” were put in things that were not immediately necessary. With the new year upon us, it may be time to consider addressing some of these lingering “pins” to assure the long-term health of our bodies and minds.
The Mind
The pandemic has impacted our ability to feel balanced between work and life. An article in the Occupational Health Science journal identified a shift toward higher levels of worklife conflict, poor job satisfaction, and lower well-being scores resulting from this workfrom-home scenario. In addition, sudden difficulties with boundary management, role demands, and space demands still challenge many households. Recalibrating our gauge to this new world may be helped by considering the concepts that integration and balance bring to this work and life space. Work-life integration refers to the integration of work and personal life. Its success lies in blending the two, incorporating personal interests and activities into work, or using work skills to pursue personal interests.
Employees who demonstrate this ability to bring their two worlds together report a higher level of worker satisfaction and engagement. Work-life balance refers to our ability to allocate the appropriate amount of time and energy to the various aspects of professional and personal life. New tips on keeping both in balance include managing those secondary forms of communication and virtual workspaces. These can drastically impact our timing and scheduling of priorities due to the newer use of shared calendars and the constant stream of chats. Allocating blocks of time for specific priorities is one management tactic that can help bring balance. Another essential ingredient to this mix is discipline.
Managers and mentors have a role to play in demonstrating this balance and integration for their employees. According to the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 20(1), 82–92, employees with work-life-friendly role models were likelier to segment between work and home; they reported feeling more energy and engagement. “One may conclude that supervisors as work-life-friendly role models are highly important for employees’ work-home segmentation behavior and gatekeepers to implement a work-lifefriendly organizational culture.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted romantic relationships for better and some for worse. On the downside of the equation, couples already experiencing relationship difficulties were more likely to report increased conflict, domestic violence, and decreased relationship satisfaction during the pandemic. Negative long-term relationships can create a significant deterioration in health. Research shows that healthy relationships can reduce the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and a lower risk of heart and lung disease. So, as a new year rises, whatever relationship challenges have been “pinned” for later may be worth considering for action now.
The Body
The pandemic has impacted our musculoskeletal systems in two ways. First, working from home has brought on a surge of garage, closet, and couch workers leading to a rise in medical care for neck pain, back pain, and wrist pain. Two studies conducted during the pandemic in the United Kingdom and the United States found that the number of people reporting musculoskeletal injuries increased by 20% and 26%, respectively, among home workers. Injuries are likely due to lousy ergonomics, a poorly designed home office setup, or sitting in a stagnant, slouchy, and compromised position for a long time. Additionally, allocating time between sitting, standing and movement is vital in assuring the body stays mobile and injury free.
The second impact of COVID-19 on the musculoskeletal system is the effect of the virus itself. Orthop Res Rev. 2021(13: 141–150) reported that “infection with the virus can cause a range of musculoskeletal symptoms such as arthralgias, myalgias, neuropathies/ myopathies, and potential bone and joint damage. Additionally, current therapeutics used in managing COVID-19 patients can also cause musculoskeletal effects that clinicians should be aware of.” In this study, the authors point out that rehabilitation can restore the musculoskeletal system and help regain mobility from damage left behind. However, the sooner restoration begins, the less likely one will experience long-term health effects.
Using this new year to re-examine what we have allowed to linger in our bodies and minds can help remove the “pins” that may ultimately deteriorate our long-term health.
The above information is for educational purposes only. Nothing in this article constitutes medical advice. All medical advice should be sought from a medical professional.
EMILY REIBLEIN
Director-Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Crowley Logistics
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