Ergonomics: Mind, Body, and Environment

Ergonomics: Samverkan of Mind, Body, and Environment

• Ergonomics adapts work and environment to human needs and capabilities.

The Interplay Between Body and Mind

• The body reacts to thoughts, reflecting them physically.
• Nervousness illustrates this, causing symptoms like dry mouth, weak knees, and loss of appetite before events like public speaking.
• Love can create similar symptoms alongside increased energy, surpassing vitamin supplements.
• The connection is likened to a rider and horse; the horse (body) responds to the rider's (mind's) behavior.
• A calm, confident rider equals a functional unit, while an anxious rider leads to a difficult-to-control horse.
• Stress or worry can disrupt sleep, showing the horse not obeying the rider.
• Stress is common in work and school environments.

Stress Dynamics

• Stress arises from the interaction between an individual and their environment, with stressors being the causes
• Stressors vary and demand adaptation, increasing perceived stress based on the demands relative to ability.
• Well-prepared individuals experience less exam stress compared to those unprepared.

The Body's Stress Response

• Body's reaction to a situation depends on perception of it
• A stressful situation triggers an alarm system, mobilizing bodily resources akin to a fight-or-flight response.
• Ancestrally crucial for survival, today's stressors differ, yet the response remains.
• The body tries to counter imbalance between environment and resources; the brain signals the autonomic nervous system to modulate breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion.
• The autonomic nervous system comprises the sympathetic (increasing activity) and parasympathetic (decreasing activity) branches.
• Imbalance in these systems due to stress leads to unhealthy consequences.

Stress Reactions

• During stress, breathing becomes shallow and rapid
• The sympathetic nervous system activates
• Blood flow and muscle tension increase
• Stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline release
• Heart rate increases
• Blood pressure rises, redirecting blood to skeletal muscles
• Balancing demands with resources is crucial to avoid harmful effects of stress.

Negative Stress Effects

• Chronic stress keeps the body activated, causing imbalance and potential health issues.
• Initial alarm reaction progresses to a resistance phase, sustaining stress hormone production, but eventually leads to exhaustion as resources deplete.
• Exhaustion manifests as surrender, pain sensitivity, weakened immunity, and stress-related diseases like cardiovascular issues and diabetes.
• Stress reactions are individual, contributing to:
  • Sleep issues
  • Persistent fatigue
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability, anxiety, or sadness
  • Panic
  • Memory and focus difficutlies
  • Palpitations, hypertension, or Dyspnea
  • Digestive problems
  • Headaches or muscle stiffness
  • Rashes or eczema
  • Sensory hypersensitivity

Positive Stress Concept

• Stress isn't always negative
• Anspänning is vital for alertness and performance, given resources and control.
• Positive stress occurs when resources match a challenge, such as before a date.
• If confidence is low, the date could cause negative stress
• Having recovery time is foundational, otherwise even positive stress is harmful.

Sleep

• Sleep is critical, occupying about one-third of life
• It aids recovery, processes information, maintains health, and partially regulates appetite to prevent excess weight.
• Sleep needs vary, with younger people needing more, averaging six to nine hours.
• Sleep effectiveness depends on timing with the biological clock and time spent awake.
• Subsequently lost sleep gets compensated via improved sleep quality.

Sleep Disturbances

• Sleep disturbances can be caused by stress, stemming from a sense of unease
• They impair concentration, learning, and overall well-being.
• Historically, women experienced dysomnia more, now it can be caused in data-gaming youth
• Playing video games late at night disrupts circadian rhythms, impacting sleep quality.

Optimizing Sleep Conditions

• Only sleep when drowsy
• Ensure the two hours prior to bed time is for relaxation
• Address concerns and issues early, avoid bringing it into a resting enviroment
• Stop caffeine six hours before bed to ensure relaxation
• Sleep in total darkness, and or a cool, sound proof environment, with a nice bed
• Seperate recreation or work from your sleeping area
• Uphold regular sleeping and waking intervals
• If sleep isn't forthcoming, do something else for a little while
• Avoid day-time or un regular naps
• Engage in regular physical activity
• Be in lit spaces during the day, especially the morning hours

Sleep for Athletes

• Sleep benefits athletic performance and recovery
• Hormones are discharged that contribute to overall health
• Growth hormone is released and used in muscle growth.
• Insufficient sleep during peak hours can contribute to subpar results.

The Work & Study Environment

• Work, school takes up large portions of our overall time
• Technology alters work and classrooms alongside its boundless opportunities
• Global communication requires a 24hr environment, blurring the boundaries of work and recreatiron.
• Coping and handling stress factors are foundational to ensuring a sense of calm
• It is important to see studies or work through sociological and psychological perspectives to grasp the overall needs and requirements

The Psychological Ambiance

• Health hinges on our feeling, control, and support
• Individual requirements can range from testing to assignments - and group cohesion
• High academic ratings can contribute to stress in classrooms, not being able to stack up can contribute to pressure
• Requirements are often benificial, though being too demanding or not being enough can both have issues
• Influence is an important psychological metric because it can give workers the opportunity to manage
• Problematic issues like computing erros can add unexpected stressors

Models for a Positive Psycological Impact

• A demanding-yet-commanding environment is ideal for self improvement
• Under-stimulation can lead to low influence and problems forming

Psychosocial Environment

• Social dynamics and group members play an important role in group harmony and self improvement
• Relations built on good morale, with good communication builds a good workspace in educational sectors, they are teachers and classmates.
• In workplaces, they are collegues and their boss. Online network play importnant parts, and build relationship in digital spaces.

Complications

• Complications inevitably happen
• The chance to share a connection through classmates, siblings and friends
• Avoid at all costs, but some are inevitably important and should lead to resolution
• Constructive dialogue is the best option for de conflitcs is foundational

Harrassment

• Harassment happens through unequal terms and is often problematic or negative
• The parties involved are unable to protect themselves by harrassment/bullying
• It can happen throughout life, bullying and being physically,mentally, or physically abused
• Has shifted to online harassement because some are able to stay in touch, and make comments
• Stand up and show your worth and the ability to make friends - never give up

The Physical Space

• Psychological/sociological factors need to be evaluated, also psychological stress
• Workplace arrangements can contribute to strain on the body
• The body is ready for action and the needs to be good action at all times
• Too much or extreme forces can become extreme, otherwise is often a positive effect

Considerations For Proper Layout

• Our workload and movements are foundational for ensuring phsyical work occurs.
• A solid and great workload is foundational which promotes wellness and is sustained to remain strong
• It is important to evaluate heavy objects to reduce overload in the musculature and increase relaxation and recovery
• Not all weight or force needs to be physical.

Load On The Scapulae

• This important part of the body is foundational for muscle/skeleture
• In working on a desk it can cause arms to enter unergonomic and un natural position. This can contribute to the muscle strain
• The sprained muscles are causing strain and blood flow restriction
• If the tension doesn't get released, oxygen an nutrients can't get through the network.

Force Distribution

• Don't forget the importance of rest and relaxing
• Micro breaks can improve the circulation and provide relief
• Force in any physical instance can cause damage
• There are other risk factors that need evaluation such as the skeletal layout
• Body is subject to forces

Spinal Load

• Lifting heavy can put an uneccesary strain on the skeleton, or specifically the body
• We need a spine, our skeletal body, and ensure we are being safe
• The physical composition of the torso is connected to a cartiledge called the spinal discs
• Vertebrae/spine needs to be kept in good shape for long term health
• When we are sedentary or sitting it subjects the discs to physical weight and forces
• If our backs are straights, the weight and forces are kept equal
• Bad lifting and bending the spine puts extra strain and disc pressure which leads to damage
• Straight backs ensure the long term health of the torso

Intervertebral Disc Compression

Sound, Illumination, And Air Flow

• It is important to ensure our workspaces are comfortable when we are around
• Make sure all spaces are properly lit and not too dim as it impacts visibility
• Temperatures should be maintained at 68-74 degrees f in farenheight
• Local conditions are of concern, and should have good flow and ensure good health

Lighting

• If the workspace is not well lit it is a source of discomfort which leads to headaches
• Insufficient lighting raises tiredness and bad moods
• Keep the lighting at a premium

Who Holds Responsibility?

• An individual or company has responsibility to ensure the workplace has minimal conditions of risk
• Everyone deserves solid and good access to resources

Manage the Body

• Regardless of workspace , you need some relief
• Conditions of the work, stress psychological all needs resources to improve
• Demands of exceeding ability also lead to greater performance challenges
• The ability to create a psychological and physical balance is of paramount importance

Coping Strategies

• Stress leads to requirements that need met
• Coping requires two methods: confrontational and actionable
• A psychological response that is constructive and solves underlying issues for the stress.
• Psychological also means finding comfort and safety with peers.

Psychological Exercises

• Mental play assists to make a great balance

• Can be used to manage anxiety

• Reduces the activities, increases activities

• Yoga and meditation are excellent to improve

• Common techniques for working with the brain are visualization, or imagery.

• Construct a calm ,safe space for you

• The great technique is the benefits to focus on relaxation by improving the sense of well-being

Relaxation

• The relaxation comes in two parts: muscle or mind
• Muscle is to create a resting zone for the body and assist in recovery
• Mental is to calm and create security in a tranquil atmosphere. This aids in the ability to mentally relax

Mindfulness

• Is a way to meditate by focusing on well-being
• A meditative way to focus on current conditions
• Reviews have shown positive effects on sleep patterns which also effects the immunity
• Helps relax the body after massage

Massage

• Massage is an extremely physically rewarding experience
• It is possible that as hormones are altered
• Oxygen is the opposite and lowers the feelings of being stressed
• Helps relieve fatigue and tension

Motion

• As you come back to exercise
• Exercise works across an array of elements
• You will feel excellent, and reduce all the stress levels
• It shows that natural environments and good relaxation helps relieve stressful effect