7 reasons to take breaks at work
My job in Chicago began with three months of probation.
I was petrified to leave my desk.
The company provided us with two breaks of 15 minutes and a half hour
for lunch, but I wasn’t having any of it. I researched, wrote and edited in
At full throttle, without interruption, with a great desire to demonstrate my productive capacity.
After six weeks, my supervisor said that my probationary period was over, in
half the normal time. I was in!
But my body was not happy. He had developed severe eyestrain. I had
constant headaches, and the muscles in my neck and upper back were
perpetually triggered. My stomach hurts from all the stress.
My heart wasn’t happy either, since I had never really talked to anyone.
of my colleagues for any length of time. The entire social dimension of
work was missing.
But I had been too afraid to take care of myself until I felt my job was
sure.
Sounds familiar? Fear is just one of the factors that chain us to our desks.
Some of us have absorbed an ethic of overwork. However, we feel the pressure to
work efficiently so that we can get home to our families.
But experts say that taking breaks can improve health and make us
more effective at work. Here are seven reasons to get up, stretch, and
walking during working hours:
1. YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU.
The human body was not designed to sit at a desk for hours on end.
The eyes, back, neck, shoulders, and wrists all benefit when we get up and
move.
2. YOU WILL OPEN THE PATH TO CREATIVITY.
Very, very few good ideas have occurred to me while I’m at my desk,
pushing me to finish a project. Many ideas have come during the walks.
with my dogs, or while doing light housework. Other people get flashes
for inspiration while you shower.
Something about physical activity seems to free the mind to create.
3. YOU WILL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AROUND YOU.
It’s amazing what you can learn about your workplace while chatting
with colleagues having a coffee.
4. YOU WILL WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY.
“Working for a Living” author Joe Robinson cites several studies that show
that breaks improve productivity. Brief relaxation intervals allow us to
Maintain high effort levels most of the time.
5. YOU WILL LIKE YOUR JOB MORE.
If we never stop to take stock, savor achievements and maintain a
sense of fun, it is difficult to experience job satisfaction. Intense,
prolonged time on task can squeeze the joy out of work.
“One of the disadvantages of being eternal action figures is that you never
happens anywhere,” writes Robinson.
6. YOU WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BENEFITS OF BUILDING COMMUNITY.
Many of us grew up thinking that the workplace would reward hard work.
Then we were surprised to discover that the workplace rewards people who
they are well liked, regardless of whether they work harder.
When we take breaks to talk, we give others the opportunity to know
and like us, and we can get to know and like them too.
7. YOU WILL FEEL BETTER AT THE END OF THE DAY.
It’s so much easier to enjoy family time when we come home with a reservation
of energy and without headaches or accumulated stress.
Sounds too radical? It’s okay to start small. could you add five
Add a minute break to your workday for a week or two and see what happens.
You may be surprised by the power of stopping to get you where you want to go.
I wanna go.
(c) Norma Schmidt, LLC