It’s well known that taking breaks increases concentration, but what about the health benefits of regular work breaks?
Your brain gets tired easier than your body does so it needs more breaks. Exercise too much and you’ll get an injury, use your brain too much and you’ll start feeling unwell at work.
Luckily there’s a simple way to avoid this – take a break.
Improve your memory
A tired, overworked brain that hasn’t taken a break will find it harder to retain facts. Taking a short 5 minute break after a meeting or period when you’ve absorbed lots of information is particularly beneficial for your memory. Basically, after learning something new, take a break and let it settle and your brain will digest the information better.
Decrease your risk of diabetes & cancer
A recent study by Dr. James Levine suggests that sitting for extended periods is as dangerous as smoking. Sitting all day every day increases the risk of developing diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes. Make it a priority to make your breaks active. Take up ‘sweatworking‘ for example.
Improve eye problems you didn’t know you had
Ever find yourself squinting, or seeing little dots? If you work in an office and stare at a computer all day it’s likely you will suffer from eye strain, dry eyes, or blurred vision at some point. You mightn’t even notice the strain but the American Academy of Optometry has found that just two hours on a laptop causes a significant increase in eye pain and vision problems.
A 20-20 break is helpful to avoid such eye problems. Every 20 minutes simply take a break, focus on what’s at least 20 feet away from you – or go for a little stroll.
Avoid back pain
No matter what age you are, if your job involves a lot of sitting you may suffer back pain. Decrease your chances of this nuisance ailment by taking regular short breaks.
Short breaks, that don’t involve sitting, are better than less frequent long breaks and give your back muscles an opportunity to relax.
Less mental health issues
Poor time keeping and increased work hours leads to burnout, stress and many potential mental health issues.
Pay attention to managing your work load and slot in regular work breaks to give your brain a breather and avoid such issues. If you’re already suffering from stress take it seriously and notify your manager or HR.