Have a Healthier Workplace

Here's how to avoid workplace hazards.

Most of us spend our working hours in environments we can't completely control, whether we're facing a cash register, a client, or a computer screen. Little and not-so-little annoyances—from dry eyes to rushed lunches—can affect your health and your performance. Luckily, small adjustments can make a surprising difference in the quality of your day. Here are five of the biggest office health challenges and the best ways to beat them:

1. Sights for Sore Eyes. According to a study reported in the Survey of Ophthalmology, computer users risk tired, red eyes, burning and blurred or double vision. People blink up to 60 percent less often while looking at the screen, causing dry-eye symptoms. Your eyes are also sensitive to dry air, paper dust and ventilation fans. To protect yourself, look away from the screen and at a distant object at least every 30 minutes. Use eye drops if you feel strain. And if you wear reading glasses and work at a computer more than an hour a day, get a pair of glasses especially designed for the distance you normally sit from the screen.

2. A Pain in the Back. Sitting too long in a badly designed office chair can provoke both acute and chronic back pain. So with that in mind, remember your ergonomics. Adjust the height of your chair and keyboard and the distance from the computer screen. If you've adjusted your workstation, try getting more exercise outside work to improve your mood.

3.Noises Off. A Cornell study found that even low-level noise in open-style offices results in more stress. Explain to cubicle neighbors that it's important for all of you to keep your voices (and any noisemaking devices) low. People who don't need to be on the phone constantly may find noise-canceling headphones to be a big help. There are also a number of products that aim to block conversational noise around cubicles.

4. Desk-side Noshing. Eating out every day for lunch—or at your desk while distracted by e-mail and phone calls--tends to make you overeat and choose the wrong food. Try to brown-bag it and take enough time out so you can actually chew your food. And most importantly, stay far away from the desk with the candy dish or birthday cake. Studies show that the closer your proximity to those office snacks, the more likely you are to gain weight.