In Northeast Ohio, most of the pharmacy entrances are advertising the flu shot.

The other day when I was picking up some essentials at a local pharmacy, I had seen the sign for the high dose flu shot and asked the cashier, “How old is the senior for the senior flu shot dose?”

I figured it was an easy question, but with three cashiers at the front of the store, each one was guessing a different age: “Well, 55 is the age to live in a senior housing complex.” “But AARP starts at 50.” “I think 62 is the age you can get social security retirement.” “In Ohio, 60 is the age for a Golden Buckeye card.”

Funny, they had no idea. They finally agreed I should ask the pharmacist. That was actually my first thought, but I found it interesting to have this discussion with them, because they all appeared to be older than 60 years old and obviously, they come in contact with a lot of the public.

When I did go back to talk to the pharmacist, before I could finish with my question, they told me they are out of shots. Ha ha. Then why the sign out front?

“No, no,” I explained. “I just want to know how old is a senior?”

The pharmacist said a senior is 65 and older. That made me laugh, because I think they picked that number because it used to be the age you had to be to get full retirement from social security. Later I realized that the CDC picked that number. But maybe they started there because of the old social security law.

If you ask a young person how old a senior is, they will tell you 17 or 18 because they assume you mean a senior in high school. People don’t usually talk about seniors in college anymore because so many folks don’t finish in 4 years.

But enough about seniors. I should be glad they aren’t calling them elderly! Back to my original question.

Do you get a flu shot each year?

The purpose of getting a flu shot is to not get the flu… or to just get a milder version of the flu… and especially to not spread the flu.

My local grocery store pharmacy is willing to give me a $5 coupon for free groceries if I get one. When I took my parents to get the high dose senior flu shot, it cost $76 if you didn’t have your insurance card with you.

The other day I watched a Netflix show about pandemics on the “Explained” show. It outlined the black plague, the 1918 flu, the swine flu, the bird flu and I have to tell you, it was very convincing to get a flu shot. Even though the flu shot usually only covers four different flu strains, the Center for Disease Control predicts the most likely strains.

While the flu season is just starting in the USA for the 2019-2020 season, it is slowing down in Australia. News reports claim that Australia’s flu season was the worst in their history: more than 270,000 [cases], compared to almost 60,000 in 2018.

As a strong fit woman over 50, do you regularly get an annual flu shot? What about the other immunizations, like shingles vaccine?

Here you go: ten tips for being healthy at a desk job. I’ve been working in a cubicle for the past few months and I’m finding it to be hard on my body. Plus, my commute right now is about an hour each way. You figure, eight hours at work and a two hour round trip commute and I’m sitting at least ten hours a day.

It’s amazing how tiring it is to sit all day. It’s draining.

Besides fatigue, sitting at a desk is hard on the body. My neck and shoulders are sore, my arms need a good stretch, and my hips ache. I try to move around but it’s not enough. I struggle with not getting in enough movement each day.

My Fitbit tells me that my total steps each day have dropped. That adds to my stress. Not that I have to have the actual steps but I really feel better when I’m moving.

What to do? I’m working on this so I can’t say I have the problem solved but here’s some ideas on what to do if you’re sitting at a desk all day.

Ten Tips for Being Healthy at a Desk Job

1. Fit in some activity at the beginning or end of your day. With such a long time devoted to working, this isn’t always possible but I find that if I can get to the gym early in the morning or in the evening, I feel better. A short run helps too. A walk around the block is better than nothing. Moving definitely helps with recovering from sitting all day.
2. Get up and move at work. This can be as easy as taking the long way around to the restroom. If you have a staircase, try walking up and down the stairs periodically. Right now, I’m in a place without stairs and the restroom and lunchroom are about 200 steps from my desk. I struggle with getting in much movement during the day. I do, however, park as far from the building as I can. Surprisingly, I always thought everyone does this but I see that I’m wrong. Only one or two other people park by me. Everyone else parks as close to the building as possible.
3. Take a walk at lunchtime. As long as the weather holds, I love to go outside to walk. Right now, I walk up and down the street where I’m working. It’s funny to see people from other buildings also out walking. If necessary, keep a pair of walking shoes in your car or at your desk.
4. When you go outside or move around, try to shift your focus. We spend so much time looking at things up close, that our eyes become fatigued. When I walk outside, I try to focus on things far off in the distance. I don’t really know if this helps my eyes but I definitely notice a difference when I manage to have a longer gaze.
5. Pack your lunch and snacks. It’s a lot easier to control what you eat if you bring your own food. You can pack leftovers from your dinner for your lunch or just make a large salad that includes some protein. I try to avoid my sardines at work because I know they have a strong fishy smell.
   
6.  Pack extra snacks. Sometimes I’m just hungrier during the day and want a snack. I tend to bring more food than I might need so that if I’m starving on that long drive home, I can eat. I try to avoid walking in the house at the end of the day starving. That leads to nothing good happening.
7. Avoid the snacks in the office. Don’t start the vending machine habit. I find it’s easier just to not use it than to start the habit and then have to fight with myself every day over buying a snack. It’s been a while since I’ve worked in an office every day and I’d forgotten how every social activity involves food. People don’t bring in healthy choices, either. It’s things like cupcakes and cookies. Avoid them. I noticed at the last event that several people passed on the cake and nobody questioned it. I think office workers are used to there being people who are dieting or following a different way of eating. Don’t let yourself feel peer-pressured into eating things you don’t want to eat.
8. Drink lots of water. It’s easy to forget to drink water because you’re not working up a sweat while working at a desk. I bring my water bottle and try to refill it a couple of times during the day. For one thing, drinking more water and having to refill the bottle means I have to make an extra trip to the restroom and the lunchroom. That gets me moving just a bit more. (see step 2 above.)
9. STRETCH! Try stretching your hands, wrists, and elbows. Stretch your legs and hips. I think I’ll have to write another post about desk yoga or desk stretches. Do what feels good.
10. Maintain good posture. This means feet on the floor. Don’t cross your legs. Don’t sit on your foot. Try not to slouch. Try to keep your head upright. Make sure your monitor is high enough that you’re not bending your head forward.
11. Here’s a bonus tip. Practice smiling at people.Work is stressful. People are under pressure. The more you smile, the better you’ll feel. and the better those around you will feel.

So, there’s my ten tips for being healthy at a desk job. OK, actually eleven.

What tips can you add? I really need all the help I can get so please share your ideas with me at jill@becomingelli.com. Or leave a voice mail message at the Becoming Elli phone number, 330-970-6662 or just leave a message below.

Did you ever get what you thought were condescending compliments? It sure seems to happen to me.

Boot Camp

Recently, I’m at boot camp and the very fit looking 30-something-year-old woman who is paired up with me looks less than pleased. But we proceed to work through the different stations and we speak pleasantly to each other. She asks me if I want her to put a lighter weight on a bar for me. I say no thank you. She asks me if I need help putting a harness on for pulling the prowler sled. I say no thank you. 

She periodically says, “oh, you’re doing so well.”

At the end of the class, she said she couldn’t believe how well I did with the prowler pull. I said thank you and did not roll my eyes even though I wanted to.

There was another woman at boot camp who used to do this to me all the time.  She would seek me out after class to say, “You did such a great job.” She didn’t go up to others to say that so I think it was a comment on my age. It really irritated me.  I finally changed my response from just “thank you” to “thanks, you did really well too.” That made me feel better because it felt as snarky coming from me as it did from her.

Condescending Compliments

Of course, I know it’s nice to be told you’re doing a good job and that it’s good to be encouraging to your fellow class members. I have no problems with the high fives and fist bumps I get from people in the class. And I have no problem when someone yells out, “you go, Jill!”

But why do I object to being told, usually by a young woman, that I’m doing such a good job? I feel like the subtext is “I can’t believe a crone like you can do this class.” 

I think what I find objectionable about it is that these feel like condescending compliments. Is it possible to be condescending at the same time as you’re giving a compliment?  The compliments would probably mean more if they weren’t paired with her trying to help me.  

Why would I be in a boot camp class if I need help changing a plate? That’s what I want to ask.

Am I the Problem?

But perhaps my discomfort says more about me than her. Do I dislike the compliments because I feel like I don’t really belong? I am struggling with this. 

There are a couple other women around my age who also attend boot camp. One of them out performs me on just about everything (that, of course, is Diane who we interviewed on our podcast) and the other is behind me in performance but is gaining strength quickly. It’s not like I’m the only woman there my age. The majority of people, though, are younger than I am, that’s for sure.

I have gotten compliments from people at the gym that felt genuine and those comments didn’t offend me at all. In fact, they made me feel great. 

What’s the solution? What’s the best response? 

Do you get condescending compliments? Do you think I’m being too sensitive? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just leave a comment below or call our voice mail at 330-970-6662.