That carrying heavy loads endangers back health is known. More surprising: that the mental state can also suffer. It is therefore all the more important to find an ergonomically sound solution. For example, a backpack from SICOBA.
Something “weighs heavily on the shoulders” – an expression that describes mental ballast. And it does not come from nowhere. Apparently, carrying heavy backpacks can trigger feelings of guilt. This connection, which one would probably not expect at first glance, has been proven by US researchers in a study.
Heavy backpacks can trigger feelings of guilt
Researchers at Harvard Business School found “that the physical experience of weight is associated with the emotional experience of guilt.” And, “that this weight reinforces the experience of guilt”, as explained by behavioral scientist Francesca Gino, who led the study, in the abstract on her department’s website.
Examination procedure
The study began with the task of visualizing a situation in which the subjects had felt guilty. Then they were asked to put on backpacks – some of them a light one, others a heavy one. During the subsequent interviews, Gino and her team found that the subjects who carried a heavier load on their shoulders described more pronounced feelings of guilt.
Furthermore, the subjects with heavy backpacks apparently showed behavioral abnormalities. For example, all participants were allowed to choose from various tasks, some of which were intentionally designed to be “boring” by the study management. And according to the abstract, it was precisely these tasks that those test subjects had chosen. As if the weight on their shoulders had also taken away their mental lightheartedness.
As surprising as the connection with mental health may be, it is certainly a reason to reduce the load on shoulders and back. Especially since heavy carrying can also cause lasting damage to the musculoskeletal system.
With SICOBA weight on the back is no problem
SICOBA, the innovative brand for ergonomic business backpacks, takes the topic of back health very seriously. That’s why their high-quality backpacks are equipped with extra-wide shoulder straps that allow for an even distribution of the weight. The wearer feels this directly: through a very comfortable carrying sensation. In the long term, this helps prevent back pain and even slipped discs, as an orthopedist has already confirmed to us. In addition, the backpack sits tight at the back – this prevents the spine from experiencing an unhealthy pull backwards.
Copied from the backpack professionals
SICOBA has copied the system from the parent company. SEIBAN, from which SICOBA has freshly emerged, looks back on over 100 years of experience in the production of exceptionally back-friendly children’s backpacks.
The unique “Tenshi no Hane” technology that distinguishes SEIBAN has made theirs the most worn satchel in all of Japan. Translated, the term stands for “angel wings” that lift the backpack virtually by themselves, so that the load for the wearer is reduced. In reality, of course, this is not done by angels, but by the sophisticated reinforcements of the shoulder straps, which have used successfully since 1919.
SICOBA puts an end to feelings of guilt
SICOBA lives on SEIBAN’s tradition and transfers it to the needs of working adults. The development of a “Backpack for Business” is already a back-friendly innovation, for example, because it has several ergonomic advantages over the classic briefcase. Backpacks from SICOBA are devotedly handcrafted from vegan Clarino™ leather, which is significantly lighter than animal leather, with low emissions and water conservation under the fairest working conditions.
Feelings of guilt are therefore completely unfounded with SICOBA – both towards your back and the environment.
