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Do You Feel Like a Prisoner at Work? Here’s How to Fix It

Are you acting like a prisoner at work?


Well then please answer these questions honestly:

  1. Do you feel 100% comfortable getting up once every thirty minutes to stretch and move your body?

  2. Do you feel at ease leaving your desk or position to take a quick two to five-minute walk around the building or to step outside?

  3. Can you leave work to go to a doctor’s appointment without worrying?

  4. Can you disconnect from your all-digital connection for an hour to focus on getting high-value work done without interruption?

  5. Is it possible to refuse to attend meetings you find useless, or to request meetings be run more effectively and efficiently?

  6. Do you have the option to work standing up?

  7. Do you feel you have the control to eat healthy food choices and to exercise on your lunch break?

  8. Do you have a view of green at your desk or while working?

  9. Can you insist on being treated with dignity and respect?

  10. Can you make suggestions to improve the way you or you and your team reach your goals at work?

I hope you could honestly answer yes to every question on this list. If you did, then congratulations! Please explain to me in the comments how your workplace supports your health, wellness, and well-being by giving you the freedom and flexibility you need.


Did you answer no to any or all of the questions? It is the time to assess your relationship to your work and how it is negatively impacting your health and well-being.


Are You Chained to Your Desk?


I am sure you have read that sitting is the new smoking. Sitting for long periods at your desk increases your chance of developing a chronic illness and takes years off your life. The bad news is that you cannot compensate for hours of sitting with a daily hour of exercise.


No, you can’t go for a run every morning to make up for your ten hours of desk work.


Exercising every morning is a proven way to improve your overall health, productivity at work, and the quality of your sleep. But to increase your overall health and wellness, you need to be active all day long, not just once a day.


It is therefore so critical to feel free to get up regularly from your desk and move. A short 5-minute desk yoga routine at your desk, a quick stroll around the block, and a trip up a few flights of stairs are all good options to get your body moving at least once an hour.


Free Yoga at Your Desk Videos on Youtube:




If you don’t feel free to get up and move once an hour, then talk to your boss and your team.


Show them the scientific evidence of how long periods of sitting and inactivity are negatively impacting not only their wellness and health but also reducing their lifespan and even inhibiting maximum work performance.