Ergonomics How-To, COVID Risks, Care for Caregivers and More!

Talking Turkey

Thanksgiving is just around the corner but Coronavirus cases are surging in some states. Should you bring the family together, keep the celebration local, attend a parade? Whether you're hosting a feast or keeping it virtual, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has some tips.

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Diabetes and COVID-19: What You Need to Know

People with diabetes, particularly if not well controlled, may be at increased risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19. If you have other conditions, like heart disease as well as diabetes, you may have more risk of getting seriously sick from COVID-19.

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Playlist: Care for Caregivers

45 million Americans are helping take care of a family member. Mental health risks are a serious concern: Higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout are common for caregivers.

November is Family Caregiver Month—support your colleagues who are currently balancing work, life, and caregiving.

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Great American Smokeout®

Quitting smoking isn’t easy, it takes time and a plan. You don’t have to stop smoking in one day. Start with day one. Let the Great American Smokeout event on the third Thursday in November be your day to start your journey toward a smoke-free life.

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COVID-19 Is One More Reason to Quit Smoking

Because the coronavirus primarily affects the lungs, people who smoke and vape are at much greater risk for health complications if they get COVID-19. Studies suggest smokers who develop COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to need intensive treatment compared with nonsmokers.

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Podcast: The Enduring Impact of COVID-19

Nicholas Christakis is a doctor and a sociologist who has studied the science of infectious diseases and how plagues of the past have altered societies. "Everywhere you see the spread of germs, for the last few thousand years, you see right behind it the spread of lies," he says. "Denial and lies ... [are] almost an intrinsic part of an epidemic."

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How to Create Pandemic-Proof Grief Support at Work

Workplaces have long struggled to address grief and death, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the many things this pandemic has brought to light, one is that employers are wholly unprepared to support the grieving workplace that will soon return to their desks. Lantern partnered with DEI Collective to develop a grief in the workplace guide as a part of their Pandemic-Proof Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Toolkit.

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Mental Health and the Path Forward: Addressing the Mental Health and Substance Use Crisis

On November 5, NEBGH kicked off its first in a series of events that brings together its multi-stakeholder members to address five key areas ripe for change. This dynamic event featured leaders from News Corp, Brown Brothers Harriman, and Mount Sinai, among others. NEBGH has been selected to lead efforts in the Tri-State region as part of a transformative, national initiative to improve mental health and substance use care. Read more HERE. Have questions about this initiative? Contact: Jennifer Fucci.

Working from Home – Ergonomic Considerations

SARS-CoV-2 has meant that millions of employees are now working from home. They have had to transform kitchen tables and bedrooms into temporary home offices. Many of these ad hoc workstations are far from ideal – tables that are too low, a couch that’s too soft, a chair that provides no support. These poor ergonomic practices can impact people’s health and make work-from-home challenging.

This presentation provides some useful tips that may keep employees safe and avoid health impacts down the road. These are:

Don’t hunch over your laptop: we know it’s easy to work on a laptop for a few hours on the weekend or in the evening to catch up with emails, but working for 40-plus hours a week can lead to back, shoulder, and neck strain. Laptops may encourage a hunched body position so if possible, use an external monitor or laptop stand with an external keyboard and mouse. When looking at the screen, your eye line should be level with the web browser address bar – you shouldn’t be looking downwards.
Work at an appropriate height: where your elbows naturally fall flush with your table/desk height. This promotes better wrist alignment rather than having the wrists angled, which can impinge nerves and tendons and causing carpal tunnel stress.
Use an office chair (if possible): Office chairs allow for adjustments e.g. height and lumbar support, they are also stable and do not easily tip. If you don’t have an office chair try placing a firm cushion under your buttocks as this will raise your hips and increase the curve of your spine. If needed, a small cushion can add lumbar support.
Don’t let your feet hang: If your feet don’t touch the ground place your feet on a few books or boxes under your desk. This will ensure that your thighs are parallel to the floor and your hips are slightly higher than your knees. This reduces pressure and stress on your lumbar spine.
Give your eyes a break - the 20/20/20 rule: After 20 minutes looking at a computer screen, spend 20 seconds looking at something in the distance at least 20 feet away. This gives your eye muscles a break and helps reduce eye strain.
You can use your couch for work but not a computer workstation: Couches can be a great place to change your position for a call but they are generally not ideal places to work on a computer for many hours a day.
Listen to Your Body and Move!: When not doing computer work, take the opportunity to move and walk around! Consider using a comfortable chair for phone calls or virtual meetings. Gently stretch the parts of your body experiencing tension throughout the day. Change positions frequently. For each hour you work, get up and move! Alternate among sitting, standing and moving.
Energizing: Take a break every 60-90 minutes and try a microburst of energy - It is a small (short in duration), intentional activity that results in a disproportionate, higher return. A microburst can be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual i.e., connected to one’s purpose in life – call a family member or a friend.
Stretches: Stretches can really help alleviate muscle, joint and tendon injury, so get into the habit of stretching particularly head, neck, shoulders and upper limbs.
Develop Routines: have a start and end to the working day, there is a temptation to just keep working! Finish your work at the same time as you normally would, pack your work belongings away so you are not tempted to return to work. Then do something distracting, for example, listen to music, go for a walk, video-chat with friends or exercise. Remember to get at least 7.5 hours of quality sleep every night.

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Mental Health and Weight Management Solutions for Employees Working from Home!

Are your current programs effective in a work-from-home environment?

Thinking about a refresh?

Don’t forget to check out NEBGH’s recent guides:

Renew Your 2021 Membership Dues! If you haven’t’ renewed your dues, but would still like to take advantage of our “early-bird 5% discount,” email Jennifer Fucci today!