If sitting is the new smoking, and stress is a significant contributor to disease, then the typical radiologist today faces significant occupational hazards. Studies have clearly demonstrated that how we live our lives on a daily basis is a major contributor to our health.
As radiology has shifted to a sedentary way of life with increasing workload and stress, there are many steps we can take to care for ourselves properly. This article provides some tips to improve your well-being at the workplace.
Exercise
Prolonged sitting has been tied to increased mortality and multiple chronic diseases, including cancer, depression, diabetes, obesity, and back pain.1, 2, 3 Whether or not you reach the physical activity guidelines for adults in the U.S. of 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise) and two or more days per week of strength training, excessive sitting is an independent risk factor for disease. The days of "squats" and "twists" during film hanging are long gone.
Dr. Stacey Funt.The use of PACS workstations, coupled with increasing workload and productivity metrics, has caused many of us to limit our physical activity to a few bathroom breaks during a nine- to 10-hour shift. The following tips incorporate movement into the day to break up the metabolic changes that occur during sustained inactivity:
Stand up as often as you can. As obvious as it may seem, many of us simply need to be more conscious of the importance of movement.
Enlist the aid of your mobile device. There are many apps that offer desk workouts, hourly reminder alarms, and ways to track your fitness. Some are quite subtle and won't draw attention. For example, try out the free versions of "7 Minute Workout" through your app store of choice. The movements don't need to be big, just enough to wake your body out of a metabolic "slumber" during prolonged sitting.
Consider an adjustable-height desk. These desks can be one of the best ways to build movement into your shift, and costs have come down considerably. While some hospitals may have restrictions, they are certainly ideal for home or private office use. For example, the Human Solution has a basic model of its Uplift 900 Sit-Stand desk for $699.
Turn your seat into a miniworkout. Ball chairs or the less-obtrusive balance disk cushions can offer you core strengthening while sitting. These can easily be found, along with reviews, on Amazon.com.
Stand up when on the telephone. The phone ringer is a good reminder. If feasible, stand while talking to your consults.
Take movement breaks whenever possible. While a quick Internet break to check the latest news is tempting, try to build in activities that require more than a mouse click.
Stress management
The typical demands upon the radiologist, bolstered by more recent political and economic challenges, set the stage for increased stress at work. Chronic stress is known to affect the immune system, central nervous system function, cardiovascular function, and metabolism. Headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety have all been linked to stress.
Use the following tips to minimize your experience of stress and improve how you react to stress throughout the workday:
Take slow, deep breaths. Deep breathing can indirectly stimulate the vagus nerve and engage the parasympathetic nervous system to help calm you down. There are many breathing techniques for stress management, which can be learned on the Internet, at a local yoga studio or meditation center, or from a book.
Shift your emotions. If your brain tends to ruminate or you can't seem to shake a looming, dark cloud, check out information on positive psychology. Websites such as AuthenticHappiness.com from the University of Pennsylvania are excellent resources. Talk reassuringly to yourself when you realize you are locked in a stressful frame of mind: "The work will get done" or "All will be OK" can help shift your brain away from negative pathways. Also, putting a "container" around work situations can help keep emotions from infiltrating other aspects of your life.
Listen to calming music. Portable speakers for your mobile device are easy to find, or you can stream music from places like Amazon Prime Music or Grooveshark.com.
Evoke the "relaxation response" on a regular basis. While stress elicits the fight-or-flight response, we can counteract the physiologic changes by intentionally triggering what Dr. Herbert Benson from Harvard University termed decades ago as the relaxation Response.4 Ways to elicit the relaxation response include mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) techniques such as meditation, tai chi, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation, as well as repetitive prayer or other activities that include the repetition of a sound, word, or movement while passively setting aside everyday thoughts. Just 10 minutes a day can significantly affect how you feel and manage stress.
Exercise outside of work. Regular exercise in your free time can help you manage stress better during the workday. There is also the added benefit of a reduced risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, metabolic syndrome, anxiety and depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke.5,6
Take action if you are in an undesirable work situation. Although finding a new job may take time, start taking whatever action you can, and know that nothing lasts forever.
Separate yourself from the gossip chain. If your group is currently in transition, continuous informal discussion of what may come to pass can be extremely stressful. If the rumors are getting to you, take a break and don't take part in the conversation.
Currently, it is estimated that approximately 80% of chronic disease is attributable to lifestyle factors.7 Researchers have discovered that the behavior choices we make during the workday can actually turn on or off genes (the field of epigenetics) that contribute to health or illness.
We have much more power to affect the quality of our own lives than previously thought. Although the typical work scenario of a radiologist may be less than ideal for wellness, there are many steps we can take -- right now -- to ensure our own health and vitality.
Here's to good health for the radiologist.
References
- Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW. Too much sitting: The population-health science of sedentary behavior. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2010;38(3):105-113.
- Dunstan DW, Howard B, Healy GN, Owen N. Too much sitting -- A health hazard. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2012;97(3):368-376.
- Vlahos J. Is sitting a lethal activity? New York Times. April 14, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html. Accessed January 9, 2015.
- Mission and history. Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine. http://www.bensonhenryinstitute.org/about/mission-and-history. Accessed January 9, 2015.
- Physical activity and NCDS. Exercise is Medicine. http://exerciseismedicine.org/support_page.php?p=3. Accessed January 9, 2015.
- Physical activity and health. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). February 16, 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health/index.html. Accessed January 9, 2015.
- Ford ES, Bergmann MM, Kröger J, et al. Healthy living is the best revenge. Findings from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition - Potsdam study. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(15):1355-1362.
Dr. Stacey Funt is a board-certified radiologist and a health and wellness coach. She is the founder of Lifestyle Health, a consulting and coaching company, and lectures to healthcare professionals about lifestyle medicine. Dr. Funt works as a part-time radiologist in New York. Her website can be viewed at Lifestyle Health.
The comments and observations expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of AuntMinnie.com.
