In Queensland, a state in northwestern Australia, the authorities are concerned about the well-being of their workers. In the broadest and most straightforward sense of the term. So instead of focusing on preventing stress, neck and vision problems or driving accidents, all of which can arise during a work day, his latest campaign focuses on a much less talked about but equally relevant issue: defecating without complexes in the office. Their motto is resounding: “It’s okay to shit at work.”
It is still too early to know whether the initiative will help relax the sphincters of workers in the state of Queensland, but for now it can already boast of having achieved an unexpected visibilityinside and outside Australia.
“Do you poop at work?” I know, it’s not very conventional, but that’s it. the question who launched a few days ago the Department of Health from Queensland, Australia, to the approximately 146,000 followers he has on Instagram. Something similar he did it from his Facebook account, where he has more than 940,000 followers.
As if the question was not curious enough in itself, the question was accompanied by a video with psychedelic overtones with dolphins, unicorns, rainbows and a resounding motto: “It´s okay to poo at work” (“It’s okay to poop at work”), a message posted with a smiling poop emoji.
Click on the image to go to the tweet.
And that question? Simple. To break down taboos. And to help the many people who find it difficult to relieve themselves in public toilets or in the office, shop or warehouse where they spend most of their day. “Many people find it difficult to poop in public bathrooms, but we’re here to tell you that it’s definitely okay to poop at work!” They insist from the office Queensland State Health Department. The subject may be somewhat uncomfortable, but it is no small matter.
The department warns that “constantly ignoring” your body and holding back the urge to defecate can lead to serious health consequences, including stool retentionwhich end up becoming hard and dry, or hemorrhoids, among other “serious problems.” “It is better to let them out without holding them in,” he advises.
Watch out for parcopresis. With their campaign, the authorities in Queensland, a state of more than five million people, do not only want to raise awareness and break down taboos. They also want to raise awareness about a little-known condition: parcopresis“shy bowel syndrome,” which basically consists of difficulty defecating in an environment other than the usual one, including offices or restaurants.
In an article published in 2019 in the magazine Australian Jorunal of General Practice It was suggested that the problem could be more common than is believed. Its authors acknowledged not having any census on parcopresis, but they recalled that it is usually associated with paruresis“shy bladder syndrome”, a condition with a prevalence of between 2.8% and 16.4%.
There are studies that also show that around two out of five people suffer from gut-brain disruption disorder, which includes conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or functional constipation.
Objective: to make it easier for you. With her blunt question and her video of dolphins and unicorns, Queensland hopes to raise awareness of parcopresis and share the ordeal that a visit to a public toilet represents for people who suffer from it. “They suffer from an overwhelming fear of being judged by others because of the sounds or smells of faeces. As a result, they may experience symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating or nausea,” clarifies.
If we’re talking about work, Simon Robert Knowles, clinical psychologist, explains the The Guardian that the anxiety is aggravated by the fear of a co-worker being nearby. “Some people go to extremes such as not going to the toilet at all in the workplace or leaving their posts to go somewhere else, for example a shopping centre or a place where they have access to a toilet,” duckThere are extreme cases in which the affected person takes medication to avoid visits to the bathroom.
And how to avoid it? Talking about the problem is good. Giving advice on how to deal with it is even better. And that is what Queensland health authorities have done with a series of recommendations that have generated a flood of comments as intense as, or even more intense than, the music video with dolphins, rainbows and unicorns.
The reason? In addition to advising the use of scented sprays, avoiding foods and drinks that may cause discomfort, or using meditation exercises to relax in the toilet, the health department leaves a peculiar pattern: “Remember that everyone poops. Visualize someone famous on the toilet, like Taylor Swift.”
Of course, it didn’t take long to receive comments in an ironic tone:”Did the government just sneak a picture of Taylor Swift pooping into my brain?” If none of those guidelines work, the agency advises going to the doctor.
Images Jas Min (Unsplash) y Queensland Health (Instagram)
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