I am currently employed as an emergency physician at a renowned institution in Chennai. The institution has one of the highest foot traffic of emergency cases in Chennai, Tamil Nadu also high profile cases.
In general, the medical community views and prioritizes the diseases of the old, the middle-aged, and the disease of young ones. Over a period of time, we have been challenged by what we believe are facts. Most of the time early and late twenties patients do not come in with chest pain, or headaches, and even if they did they could be a low-priority case. Until recent years where we see a rise in patients belonging to the age group 20s having heart attacks, needing immediate intervention, or needing an angiogram scan which shows a critical three-vessel blockage ultimately needing open heart surgery. Further to show the dire situation, there has been a patient who had a stroke and had lost the ability to use his upper and lower limb, during the diagnosis the doctors assumed the patient to be drunk and didn’t seek treatment until the stroke was set in. With the rise of such cases, with the so-called medical advancement that humanity has achieved, why we are yet not able to prevent this? Personal observations that I would like to drop here are that the medical field and community are using most of its resources and focusing on increasing life expectancy rather than using its resources for early diagnosis or understanding the lifestyle changes which could prevent it all. Secondly, question our current workplace model which is all about the work it does and not about its employees.
Japanese work-life model
The Japanese have the highest life expectancy in the world of 85 years[1] – due to the low rate of obesity, low consumption of red meat, and high consumption of plant-based products. A study showed that Japanese living in japan had shown the lowest incidence of heart-related disorder but Japanese who `migrated to Canada had shown 2 more incidences and those who migrated to California had shown 4 more incidences of heart-related disorder– just because of not living the traditional Japanese way – simply adopting a lifestyle is enough to increase cardiovascular risk.[2]
Japanese work lifestyle includes Rajio Taiso – Radio Taiso is an exercise routine practiced for nearly 100 years in Japan. Old and young, physically fit and those with mobility issues can all experience the benefits of Radio Taiso. Radio Taiso encourages using only the momentum and weight of your own body without the need for any equipment.
The three-minute exercise mostly requires planting your feet in one spot, shoulder-width apart. This makes it ideal for office workers, school children, the young, and the elderly to do from behind desks, in groups, at the park, at home – anywhere. A review of studies on exercise plans for the aged found that walking speed and time taken to stand up out of a chair can be positively improved in even the frailest individuals with light stretching. This is done by all offices and the public at the same time so it promotes a sense of unity and general well-being
Workplace respect, routine, and rules culminate in society that this is what is best and to care for each other making a healthy environment
Post Pandemic world a shift in work culture
So let’s take a moment and think about what kind of lifestyles we have been living. Indians are known to be workaholics and committed but that comes with its downfall[3]. An increase in work tension, unhealthy lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, and the toxic nature at work with increasing competition is killing us all slowly – life expectancy is now at 70 years
However it has been noted that Post-Pandemic Indian professionals are prioritizing their work-life balance over their workload. Job seekers in post-pandemic India are seeking opportunities with companies that offer flexible work schedules, learning, and upskilling opportunities, job security, work-life balance, and career growth with the salary they deserve.[4]
Some of the major reasons for the shift have been noted as the following – work-related stress like job burnout, the desire for a more stable income source, lack of learning and development opportunities, increase in demand for flexible, freelance, and work-from-home jobs, work-life balance over competitive salary, toxic work culture, need to control work dynamics (Employees want more control over their work dynamics)
Stress is leaving footprints in our lives
Making an observation, the number of fertility center has increased exponentially in our societies. One hidden factor is women are not having a friendly work environment that is tailored to their needs, rather the workplace acts as a space that further builds up their tension and anxiety. Science has shown that women secrete a hormone that plays a significant role in making them pregnant and those hormones are influenced to a great level by emotions it is called ‘Stress Amenorrhea’. A woman cannot get her period because she is stressed. One cannot get pregnant unless one is relieved.
Similarly, for the male population, according to researchers, stress may cause the release of steroid hormones such as glucocorticoids, which can decrease testosterone levels as well as sperm production. Oxidative stress is another possibility and has been found to adversely impact semen and sperm quality and fertility. Results showed that stressful work periods negatively affect semen volume and the percentage of progressive spermatozoa. These had an adverse impact on semen quality and fertility.
The Japanese have a disease named Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (broken-heart syndrome) mimics all findings of an active heart attack or heart failure and it is induced by stress, so medically the doctors can only treat the symptoms and in order to treat the disease the only long term solution is to reduce stress.
Every situation needs a root cause analysis of it. For instance, if someone has broken a red signal because he was late for work which was because he woke up late which was because his alarm didn’t ring because his phone was switched off as he couldn’t plug it into the charger. Which was because he had come home late from work and the list simply goes on.
So basically what we are seeing here is a butterfly effect. That is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions with a small change in the state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. The idea that something small, like getting coffee, can have much larger effects, such as altering your career is called the butterfly effect. The butterfly effect rests on the notion that the world is deeply interconnected, such that one small occurrence can influence a much larger complex system, instead of the world just think your life. We need to take conscious decisions in our lives that would be advantageous for us in a long term; the decisions could be related to stress management, healthy lifestyle, time management, etc.
This is what is being not talked about mental health, adequate sleep, talking about your day, sharing your fears and insecurities, telling no (sometimes it’s important to say no), not being the never-ending robot at work, and general self-introspection. These need to culminate in the curriculum of our life.
What we need to understand is we are allowed to take a break if needed, especially if its to talk to people we miss, cut back from the usage of technology, have a healthy sleep cycle, check on your parents, and grandparents (spend quality family time), take initiative in meeting with new people, be empathetic to the world around you and give charity (it’s nice to help people in need). We need to have a healthy check over our life choices and consciously not be part of the rat race for success, remember there is a life you have outside of work. The right approach is to maintain a balance and to keep checks everywhere.
One practice that is suggested is to talk about your day to your family and friends, showing a certain engagement and personal connection keeps one sane and healthy and allows for building a healthy family atmosphere. It may sound generic and so redundant to even boomers but this is reality, to be mindful of your impact on the people around you.
Surah baqrah verse 286 – Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear – is a reminder to never give up and to motivate others of the same.
The best of us fall in the end we are humans – “the more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you”
To sum it up, just go back to your basics, and don’t be shy before asking for help. Be practical and be emotionally sound.
The Author is a trained Medical professional, specializing in Emergency Medicine
[1] https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/JPN/japan/life-expectancy#:~:text=The%20life%20expectancy%20for%20Japan,a%200.14%25%20increase%20from%202019.
[2] Epidemiologic studies of coronary heart disease and stroke in Japanese men living in Japan, Hawaii and California: prevalence of coronary and hypertensive heart disease and associated risk factors
[3] https://www.moneylife.in/article/workaholic-indians-dont-believe-in-vacations/22044.html
[4] https://www.news-medical.net/health/Do-Stress-and-Anxiety-Affect-Sperm-Quality.aspx#:~:text=According%20to%20researchers%2C%20stress%20may,and%20sperm%20quality%20and%20fertility.
[5] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/wfh-to-stay-relevant-indian-professionals-seek-work-life-balance-over-attractive-salary/articleshow/84010833.cms?from=mdr?utmcontent=naukriblog/
