Find out if your work life is considered healthy

Masterfile

For many of us, it's back to work this week after a happily extended period of sloth and gluttony. But when you're sitting in your cubicle today, trying to actually focus on your workload while experiencing the acute signs of sugar deprivation, think about this: Does your workplace make you healthier or less healthy?

If you're reading this from a home office, curled up on a couch with the CBC gently whispering in the background, chances are that your work life actually supports your health more than an office environment -- at least, that's the story according a recent study reported by Hans Villarica over at The Atlantic: "Employees With Flexible Work Hours Are Healthier."

The University of Minnesota study indicates that employees who are able to customize when and where they work -- as long as they fulfill the requirements of their job -- report that they get almost an hour more sleep each night during the workweek, have more energy, and were able to better manage emotional exhaustion, psychological distress, and work-family conflict.

In other word, writes, Villarica, "Arrangements that give workers more freedom with their time and location also enable them to take better care of themselves." For those who work at home, cutting out a long commute time means more time to dedicate to healthy meal preparation, hitting the gym or even just getting out for a walk and some fresh air. Plus, if you're not shackled to a desk for standard work hours, you don't have the agony of the useless boredom that sets in when you have nothing to do.