In November 2023, the Arbeitsschutz Aktuell Digital Pop-Up Event a platform for exploring new trends and solutions in the field of occupational health and safety. Simon Fiechtner presented our concept for healthy working in the (home) office there: our AI-based health coach "Isa".
At Deep Care, we strive to revolutionise healthy working. To achieve this, health and well-being must be increasingly focussed on. But what exactly does that mean? For us, it means involving employees more in promoting their own health. In other words, giving them the opportunity to actively help shape healthy working practices. The best way to do this is for employees to take the initiative and take responsibility for their own health. For this reason, we develop smart solutions that train individuals on a personal level. Accompanying people over a period of weeks enables them to practice health-promoting behaviour in the long term.
In the office, the following is needed above all to maintain physical health. Breaks from sitting, movement exercises, sufficient hydration, short breaks, the opportunity to work standing up and an ergonomic sitting posture are important. Regular loading and unloading of the musculoskeletal structures can reduce the negative effects of an excessively sedentary working style. A mobile way of working also reduces the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Companies benefit from these measures through increased employee health and productivity. Healthy employees tend to be absent due to illness less often, perform better at work and therefore contribute to an overall improvement in company performance. They also promote a positive working environment and strengthen the company's image as a caring employer, which in turn can have a positive impact on employee retention and recruitment.
More on the topic: What does all this sitting do to us? (Health science classification)
The development of routines is crucial in order to sustainably integrate healthy behaviour into everyday working life. Routines are formed through the regular practice of healthy behaviour. For example, by consciously incorporating movement exercises or the use of a standing desk into the daily routine over a longer period of time, habits are consolidated. This creates a health culture at company level that is supported by the employees.
From a behavioural science perspective, it is crucial to practise a behaviour regularly over a longer period of time so that it develops into a fixed habit. This is due to the nature of habit formation in the human brain. Our brains tend to form habits through a process called neural plasticity. Repeated behaviour strengthens the connections between neurons, which promotes the formation of neural pathways. These pathways facilitate the execution of a behaviour as the brain tends to choose this path of least resistance due to the reinforcement of these connections. Studies have shown that the regular performance of a behaviour leads to changes in certain brain regions, particularly in the brain's reward centre. When a behaviour is performed regularly and is associated with a positive experience or outcome, the brain reinforces this association. This causes the brain to perceive the behaviour as rewarding and less stressful, which increases the likelihood of it becoming a habit. Therefore, performing certain behaviours regularly over a long period of time is key to developing habits. By consciously incorporating these behaviours into the daily routine, a healthier working environment can be created in the long term, as these changes eventually become ingrained habits that are performed automatically and without conscious effort.
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