Do you find yourself frequently reaching out to painkillers and aspirins during the day? Headaches are unpleasant, and they can significantly affect your productivity. But have you ever considered what could be the reason for frequent headaches?
Most people can find a variety of triggers in their day-to-day life for a headache. When you work at a desk for a long period of time, dehydration could cause headaches as you get so engrossed in the task that you forget to drink. Similarly, skipping meals can trigger a headache as your brain doesn’t receive essential nutrients to maintain optimal functions.
High-pressure works can also lead to sore heads, causing stress migraines during the day.
Lack of sleep is also another frequent cause of headaches. Sleep deprivation weakens the immune system and increases fatigue levels, making you more sensitive to headaches.
But have you ever considered how your home office could be a trigger too? Indeed, ineffective home office decor and structure can create a favorable terrain. Here’s what to check in your office:
The indoor air is polluted
Indoor air pollution is frequently overlooked. However, the air inside your home could contain more pollutants than traffic fumes. Indeed, dust, volatile organic compounds, and other particles can be present in the air, even though they are invisible to the naked eye. Indoor air pollution can lead to health discomfort, including headaches and respiratory distress. You may want to consider the addition of an air purifier to remove particles from your home office. Additionally, it is worth checking filter-based units, such as your A/C. Faulty devices can fail to retain particles even with new filters, so it may be a good idea to consider air conditioning repair if your unit fails to regulate temperatures. Particles could not only be released back into the room but also affect its functions.
You have inadequate lighting
You may be familiar with screen glare, which occurs when the sunlight is reflected off your monitor, but lighting issues can be more complex than that. Having the right lighting in your home office will reduce eye strain and fatigue, which can be linked to headaches. Dark environments put a lot of pressure on your eyes. But excessive brightness is just as unpleasant!
Additionally, small reflections on the screen may appear manageable, but as your eyes adjust day after day, you can develop pain in your eyes and frontal lobe.
The air is stuffy
How often do you renew the indoor air? Maintaining high air quality in your office requires different techniques, such as purifying the air and removing VOCs. But refreshing the air regularly by bringing in fresh air will also help reduce stuffiness. As a rule of thumb, you should ventilate the room at least once a day for 30 to 60 minutes if the weather allows it. Renewing the air in the room will help reduce headache events by:
- Increasing oxygen levels
- Increasing moisture levels, which makes the air less dry
- Removing particles and pollutants
Could your home office be the cause of your headaches? Fortunately, the hypothesis is easy to test out. You can improve elements of the settings by addressing the air and light quality in the space. Reducing the presence of pollutants and disruptors can help create a healthier work space.