Women, Your Job Might be Your Key to Diabetes

Work Whole-heartedly Irrespective of your Position

Take Time during Lunch to Go for a Walk

Our jobs might be a boon or a bane depending on our love towards our work. It seems to be blissful experience for some while some others feel it a stress, punishment or a commitment that has to be accomplished just for the sake of monetary benefits. How you treat your job might decide your mental satisfaction while how the job treats you might decide upon your health status in life.
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Work is Worship
People love to be in control and gloat in glory when they are offered leadership roles. Being a subordinate or a trainee puts you in an uneasy position as you are answerable to many things, forced to take the blame on issues and not entitled to decide upon anything without consulting the superior which can deter a person’s mind. A recent study published in a renowned journal shows that women who lack control are twice likelier to develop diabetes compared to women who are their own bosses at the workplace. The study was a long-term one (9 years) and included more than 7,000 participants none of whom had diabetes at the start of the study but almost 7% of them developed it by the end of the study period. Those with maximum control over their jobs were high on responsibilities and the deciding authority while those with minimum control over their jobs were often managed by the boss at every juncture of work. Surprisingly, low job control increased diabetes risk of women and not men. Though we don’t have any scientific proofs explaining this variation researchers believe that several characteristics of women might be responsible for such an outcome. These include the way in which women respond to stress (binge eating or relying on processed foods in times of distress), the longer time period taken by women to lower cortisol levels compared to men and the tiny percentage of women who hold field jobs compared to the male population.

Another study shows that women who work for more- than 45 hours per week are at a 63% increased risk of diabetes compared to women who work fewer hours. On the contrary, signs of diabetes fell down for men the longer they worked every week. Its possible that men who work longer hold high-skilled jobs that are well-paid while women who work longer are generally occupied in low-paid jobs whose working hours are pretty longer. This survey included more than 7,000 people aged between 35 and 74 years of whom one in ten participants developed diabetes during the study period (12 years).

Coming to a Solution
Stress is inevitable in life and none of us can control stress but all that we can do is control the way in which we respond to stressful situations. Overcoming stress and controlling it not only helps in doing our job in a better way but also helps us focus on other things such as working towards long-term goals, future plans and being more productive. Follow the tips given here to sail through the day smoothly without stress spoiling your work and your day:

1. Music is a great stress buster and listening to your favorite songs can help you stay away from stress. Practicing deep breathing, watching comical shows and reading funny jokes can relax your mind, deviate you from the stressful situation and load you with energy.
2. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress as it releases endorphins in the body. Take a walk every hour or so, do some stretches in between work and go for a walk during lunch breaks to accommodate activity as much as possible in your work schedule. So, rather than taking the elevator take the stairs next time or get up and fill your water bottle rather than asking someone around to do it for you.
3. Involve yourself in activities that release more oxytocin and dopamine hormones (happiness hormones) in your body. It might be talking to someone whom you love, spending some quality time with your friend who makes you relax and cool down with his/her peppy talks or sharing your thoughts with a colleague who responds with words of encouragement.
4. Eat foods that help you improve your mood. It can be nuts, blueberries, a cup of coffee or even bananas. For a whole list of mood-improving foods please visit the website www.firsteatright.com.
5. Keep the workplace lively with a few flowers in a vase, a colorful portrait or a motivating quote. This helps you add life to the monotonous 9-6 job and elevates your mood.

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