Workplace Stress and Health
by Judith Wurtman, PhD

Improving Productivity and Well-being Through Nutrition and Sleep.

Simple changes in sleep, eating and exercise patterns can increase employee productivity, and decrease psychological and physical side effects from workplace stress.
Concern over the mental and physical well being of the employee is increasing, especially as companies note the financial cost of obesity and related problems among their workers. However programs concerned with improving nutrition and fitness may not recognize the relationship between workplace stress and obesity. Several studies published in the last two years found workers experiencing gaining weight from their depression and anxiety over long work hours and demands. (1 – 4) And the toll from the stress, weight gain and related medical problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular and orthopedic problems may linger into retirement.

Small but significant changes in changes in sleep, eating and exercise patterns can have a profound impact on productivity, emotional and mental well-being.

The first step is to get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation has been linked to mood changes, cognitive impairment (difficulty in word retrieval for example), and overeating. Lack of sleep may start a vicious cycle of decreasing productivity thus requiring longer time to accomplish work goals. And this in turn leads to more sleep deprivation.

Large meals eaten late in the evening may make it difficult to fall asleep and alcohol often causes people to wake up during the night. High fat foods cause the body to work at digestion while it should be sleeping. The best foods for easing into sleep are carbohydrates like potatos or rice. Foods high in starch and low in protein allow the brain to make serotonin. Serotonin calms the mood and turns down mental energy so the workday problems can be put to rest.

Breakfast and lunch affect brain power and thus mental productivity. Protein foods which increase the synthesis of two brain chemicals involved in mental work ( 5) should be consumed at this meal and again at lunch Fat should be avoided; it causes mental lethargy and by slowing down productivity will increase the hours needed to get the work done..
Many people experience a late afternoon mental and emotional slump . This may slow productivity enough to make working late inevitable. Serotonin which helps to make sleep possible at night is paradoxically involved in increasing mental and emotional energy late in the afternoon. Simply eating a small, very low fat, carbohydrate snack like a small bag of pretzels renews serotonin and as a result, mental energy and concentration rise and emotional lethargy goes away. Exercise will not increase serotonin but it does increase blood flow to the brain. People feel rejuvenated after they exercise and often are able to work more effectively and efficiently. A brief interlude of activity late in the afternoon will help boost lagging thought processes. This is not a substitute for regular before or after work exercise routines but an add-on. A 15’ walk outside, running up and down a few flights of steps , pushups or deep knee bends increase blood flow and energy levels.

These small but significant changes in sleep, eating and exercise should bring about a substantial improvement in wellness even in the most stressful work situation.

References
1. Kivimaki, M, Head, J, Ferrie, et al J, In. J Obesity 2006
2. Overgaard, D, Gamborg, M, Gyntelberg, L, et al Obesity 2006
3. Moffitt, T et al, Psychol Med 2007
4. Shields M Health Reports-Statistics, Canada 1999
5.Liberman, H, et al Nutrition Rev. 1986