Psychology of Health in the Workplace

Melissa Gregg

HCA/250 August 10, 2014

Psychology of Health in the Workplace

Health and psychology, what links the two? Before anyone can answer that question, you should understand there meanings individually. Let’s start off with the meaning of health. Without an excessive amount of thought or research one would in all probability define health as how an individual feels or not being physically injured. Somewhat true, however there is so much more than the physical. Within our text reading, health is defined as a ‘positive state of physical, mental, and social well-being.’ Some can appear to be healthy as a result of their physical presences, yet suffer from a mental illness. They could also be also physically and mentally healthy however but they suffer socially. Psychology defined in the encyclopedia as, the study of the mind based primarily on how one acts or behaves. The mind is what connects the health and psychology. Patients who are suffering from this conversion disorder can have symptoms such as| blindness or paralysis, however, they do not have any neurological causes of from this, having concerns which is psychological can have a huge negative effects to a person’s health. If an individual fears going to the doctor they are less likely to go and get regular check-ups. Failing to go to check-ups can leave numbers of unknown conditions from getting treated causing serious bodily damage later down the road. Disappointments and Heartbreaks, which is emotions of the mind and will cause an individual to not feel hungry or to grave food at all. When women have issues with the guys in their life, we often turn to eating a pint of ice cream. After we consume the ice cream, we ask ourselves “why did I just do that? Have no idea why. I just know in the past I’ve done this a few times. It feels good at that time. Placebos are another way to prove that psychology and health are connected together. A placebo is a medication given to a patient without letting the patient knowing it’s a fake. Scientist will provide these patients’ with placebos in an attempt to trick the mind into thinking it is being treated. My Daughter which has too much time on her hands actually did his own study using placebos. Of course she didn’t use this medication, but instead she used non-alcoholic beer. She want to test and to see if people thought they were actually drinking beer, would they get drunk. According to my daughter they all still act like fools, with that typical sign of drunkenness. With having a pep-talk could be a way to link health and psychology together. Anyone who has ever played sports or in large groups can back me that pep talks really does work. Sometimes words of encouragement can really give a person physical strength or energy that they did not have before, encouragement is the final result from a pep-talk. Life decisions does not only have effect on people, with also those around them as well. Let’s make example: People who choose to smoke can make their co-workers feel a little uncomfortable. With non-smokers does not like the smell of cigarettes or cigars. Therefore this will cause other co workers who don’t smoke to avoid contact with the smokers. It’s a known fact that cigarettes are addictive and harm your physical health and put you at risk such as cancer. Mentally Smokers will smoke on a regular basis and tend to get cranky if they can’t smoke at the time they need their cigarette, I know I used to smoke.
Being a Smoker will affect your work performance if you can’t control your urge and you are constantly run out to have a smoke break. Eating habits will also put a damper on your health and psychology. Having a unhealthy diet will make anyone at a un healthy weight gain and will have lack of nutrition. Becoming overweight can person a person at a health risk and will make that person have low self-esteem making it hard to have a social life and perform certain job tasks.

References

• (2011, 2008, 2006, 2002). An Overview of Psychology. In Health Psychology (p.89). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons