Effects of an occupation; Sleep, on health
Occupation is commonly defined as a personal activity or an engagement that pertains to payment. However, in a broader sense, occupational therapists define occupation as the goal-oriented relationship between humans and what they do. Wilcock (1991) defines occupation as the composition of playful, serious, restful and productive activities conducted in a day to day basis. These activities are uniquely carried out by individuals depending on their experiences, their environments and individual behaviours acquired over time. Occupation science provides an in-depth notch of studying individuals as occupational beings.
Occupation by itself is valued differently. Because individuals have different ways of attaining their goals, for instance, I would choose an activity like sleeping. Occupational therapists view the occupation as one of the major contributors to human health. Furthermore, Wilcock (1991) advocates for the right balance between work, sleep, rest and play. Most often, sleep affects the overall wellbeing of an individual. Too much sleep or lack of it depicts negative impacts on a person. Having a quality sleep and the right sleeping patterns promotes relaxation of the body and mind. Furthermore, it helps in sound reasoning and participation at work and the community at large. Additionally, quality sleep eliminates the possibility of health malfunctions such as unhealthy weight gain or obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and general tiredness. Sometimes omitting to sleep to watch a movie, have fun, or simply because of stress and depression can lead to massive health effects.
The impact of occupation on an individual is determined by their overall performance and expectations (Wilcock 1991). The positive or negative impact of an occupation can be evaluated based on how a person thrives in what they do and how they do it. An occupational scientist may try to find the impact of sleep on an individual by asking a question like; How has the deprivation of sleep or contributed to the term health effects?