Making Labor Day weekend plans? Expert tips based on what you do for a living

Labor Day is most workers’ official permission to rest and relax. But not all chill is created equal.

If you’ve been working hard all year, your body and brain may have some opinions about how you should spend your day off.

So we asked the experts at the Texas A&M University Center for Worker Health: What’s the best way to spend Labor Day based on what you do for a living?

If You Sit All Day (Office, Tech, Admin)

Center Director Dr. Mark Benden
Sitting reduces blood flow to our legs (yes, this can lead to varicose veins) and even causes weight gain and muscle loss. Sit less and move more. “Solvitur Ambulando” or “It can be solved with a walk.” This is especially beneficial to those stuck at a desk all day, so when you’re not at work, get outside and move. When you must be at a desk, change positions often and try breaking up the sitting with a standing desk.

If You Lift, Bend Or Build (Construction, Warehouse, Trades)

Associate Professor Dr. Jay Kim
Heavy lifting, bending and repetitive physical labor can take a toll on your back, shoulders and joints. These jobs often put workers at risk of musculoskeletal strain and fatigue that can build up over time. Labor Day is the perfect chance to give your body real recovery. Take the time to stretch, walk and rest your back and shoulders. Even one day of recovery can help reset the wear and tear from months of heavy work and lower your risk of injury when you return.

If You Care For Others (Health Care, Essential Workers, Educators)

Associate Professor Dr. Aurora Le
If one of your major work roles is to care, support or provide for your community, it can be extremely rewarding but simultaneously physically and mentally draining. We must care for our carers. And to continue to do your important work, you have to make sure you’re not burning the candle at both ends and pushing your body to the brink of exhaustion. Educate yourself on your rights as a worker, look into all your employee benefits to maximize them, learn how to set healthy workplace boundaries, ask for help when you need it, practice self-compassion and don’t be afraid to put your health first.

If You Work Odd Hours (Shift Work, Hospitality, First Responders)

Instructional Associate Professor Dr. Adam Pickens
Shift work is an important part of many occupations. However, these nontraditional work schedules disrupt natural sleep-wake cycles of the body. Not only can this lead to fatigue and increased risk of incidents, but there can be other more serious outcomes depending on how those work cycles are managed. These serious outcomes include cancer, with the International Agency for Research on Cancer categorizing shift work as a carcinogen. Whatever your schedule is, find it and stick to it. Studies have shown that frequently rotating shifts is the most harmful to your body’s clock and most frequently leads to harmful negative outcomes.

If You’re In A Creative Field (Design, Writing, Marketing)

Associate Professor Dr. David Douphrate
Creative professionals often draw on fresh perspectives to fuel innovation, but long hours indoors and on screens can stifle that inspiration. Nature is one of the best teachers. Biomimicry — studying how plants, animals and ecosystems solve problems — has inspired everything from architecture to product design. On Labor Day, step outside, observe the shapes, patterns and rhythms around you, and let those insights recharge your creativity. Even something as simple as watching how woodworkers honor natural grain can remind us that the best designs often come from working with nature, not against it.

Labor Day isn’t just a break, it’s a chance to reset and prepare for the remainder of the year at work in whatever way is best for you.

However you decide to spend your time off, the experts urge you to keep safety in mind: stay hydrated, protect yourself and family from the sun, and don’t drink and drive.

Read more about what the Center for Worker Health does to ensure a safe and healthy workforce for everyone.

By Lesley Henton, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications

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