Why you should take breaks at work

Do you end up working for hours at a stretch at office without even getting up to take a break? Well, you are not alone. There are a lot of people, who share your plight and most of them, don’t even realise. If you have been told that the more you are at your desk, the more you are contributing to productivity, it is time to knock these words out.

Image source: Getty

[Read: How to Work 9 to 5 and Enjoy it]

According to scientific studies, taking breaks between long working hours is crucial to one’s health. While taking breaks is as important as life to you, it is important to know when the right time is to take a break. For instance, if you wait too long to take a break, you end up munching on frustration of being inactive and if you take too early a break, you cut short productive time. Here are a few reasons as to why taking breaks at work is important.

Poor blood circulation

When you sit at a particular place in a static position, the blood circulation is obstructed and when the blood circulation is impeded, the oxygen supply to active muscles diminishes, leading to impairment of muscle function.

[Read: Two-Minute Desk Workout]

Physical exhaustion

How productive is an employee who is physically exhausted? Sitting at one place for long hours burns an employee’s physical strength out completely causing fatigue, chronic headaches, trouble sleeping at night and inability to concentrate. Taking even a 15 minutes break during the day can make you feel fresh and energised to work efficiently throughout the day.

Stress

Attempting to focus on a particular task may lead to mental and physical stress, which further raises health concerns in the form of high blood sugar, high blood pressure, low resistance to viruses and poor fitness. If working on a task becomes stressful, you must take adequate amount of breaks to refresh your senses.

[Read: Ways to De-Stress at Work]

Stress injuries

Stress injuries in the form of eye strain are most common in people, who sit at a desk for 8 hours or more. One may even contract Carpel Tunnel Syndrome if he/she spends a lot of time typing or not typing in an improper posture. Taking frequent, but short breaks in such a case should help ease the likelihood of falling sick.

If reading this has raised concerns about your health, start taking short breaks that last 5 minutes and work your way up in a week or two. Remember that by taking breaks you are not losing opportunities that may pop up any moment, but pulling your best with fresh eyes at them.

Top image source : Getty

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