Swedish workers increasingly confined to chairs, raising stress and sleep concerns

Falck’s latest workplace health survey of Swedish firms reveals that many employees remain seated for over seven hours each workday, a pattern that has worsened in recent years. The analysis attributes the shift to increased digitalisation and the pandemic’s push toward home-based work, which can further reduce movement. Participants who sit for extended periods report elevated stress, with a third indicating levels that may endanger wellbeing, and about thirty percent cite trouble sleeping. Åsa Miemois, Falck’s health developer, explains that passive coping—like scrolling on phones during breaks—exacerbates mental fatigue. She recommends short active breaks, such as brief walks or leg stretches, and urges employers to embed movement into the work environment rather than offering one-off fitness perks.