Did you know lifestyle changes activate genes to fight cancers? That how you spend your time influences both genetic function and how you function?
In his groundbreaking National Geographic piece, Michael F. Roizin makes an undeniably compelling case for leading a healthy lifestyle. He asserts that 40 percent of premature deaths in the United States are related to lifestyle choices.
You will spend 100,000 of your waking hours, or one-third of your life, at work. Are you spending that time intentionally? Are you taking measures to reduce stress and feel fulfilled on the job? As it turns out, doing so is directly correlated with living longer. I bet I have your attention now. You are about to learn how to self-engineer genetic changes that will prevent disease and lengthen your life. But first, a little background.
The public discourse around work-related stress primarily focuses on job performance and satisfaction. While you cannot discount these factors, if you’re like 83% of Americans who still feel stressed at work despite having this knowledge, you probably need more incentive to change. So perhaps the only way to motivate you to make fundamental changes is plunging into the very topic with which you are most uncomfortable: your mortality. The hard truth is, if you don’t start moving the needle, you will pay the price sooner than you think.
Several unhelpful behaviors—poor time management, gossip, micromanagement, prolonged sitting, etc.—in your professional life influence gene function negatively, increasing your chances of developing diseases and a range of health issues, big and small. They include:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Weakened immune system
- Depression or anxiety
- Skin problems, such as acne or eczema
- Menstrual problems
I’m not advocating for the termination of all stress. It is, after all, a natural side effect of being human. Plus, in the proper doses, you can make acute stress work for you. I’m here to help you reduce chronic stress, the type that gives you the “consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period.”
Here are behaviors you can change to live longer now.
Energy management
If you find you are consistently in catch-up mode at work, endlessly torpedoed with tasks, then you need to take stock of how you spend your time and what needs to change. Chances are, you feel it is taking a toll on your health. If you’re unsure where to start, consider creating an energy chart—an invaluable tool to map out where you are now and where you want to be. It is especially great for all you visual learners. You may even try creating (1) a life energy chart, (2) a work energy chart, and (3) an integrated life-work energy chart.
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