Take Breaks at

Work
Taking a break at work is not only beneficial for your physical health, but also for your mental health.
Knowingly or unknowingly, many people who have desk jobs end up skipping their breaks or take very few of them. This habit of not taking
breaks, actually affects their physical and mental health in many ways. Many orthopaedics and chiropractors encourage those who spend long
hours sitting in an office chair to take short and frequent breaks so as to mainly readjust their posture.

On mental side of the body, the human mind starts to wander if there is no break to the monotonous work. That is why people who sit at their
desk for long hours are more often than not daydreaming or looking up things on the web that are not really work-related, thus hampering the
productivity.
HEALTH MIRACLES A BREAK OFERSo

when you sit like a couch potato in front of your desk, blood circulation gets obstructed. . Taking a break for 15 minutes every 2
hours helps in increasing blood circulation.

Your office chair is definitely not the most comfortable seat in the room, but you have to endure it for the sake of your
work. Stress is put on the muscles of the back, shoulder, neck, legs, and arms, causing aches and pains. So get up,
stretch your muscles, and for some time, allow your mind to wander and calm down.

Having blurred vision, headaches, and watery eyes are signs that you are putting too much strain on your eyes. You
should blink often, close your eyes for a minute every half an hour, and also keep shifting your visual focus from your
screen every 5-10 minutes. Taking a bathroom break to splash water on your eyes is a very good idea.

Sitting in the same place for long hours at a stretch will make anyone bored, mentally tired, confused, and frustrated.
Taking breaks for the sake of your mental health helps in Stress and Fatigue, energizes the mind, gives a fresh outlook
towards a task.

Creativity gets hampered when the mind is focused on the same topic for a long time. You end up having just one
perspective on the task at hand, and thinking out of the box becomes difficult. For a fresh approach to your work, taking
a short break is the best solution. It helps you refresh your mind. Discussing ideas with your peers helps you get a

better perspective on your task.

Break Time Activities

Breaks taken should be short - ranging from 10 to 15 minutes, every 2 hours.

Activities that should be indulged in during your break are -

Listening to some music

Stretching taut muscles and loosening stiff joints
Breathing and eye exercises
Retrospection of the task from different angles
Having coffee, tea, or eating a fruit
Taking a short walk to breathe in fresh air

Activities that should not be indulged in during the break are -

Idle gossip

 Disturbing other employees

Talking on the phone on unnecessary issues
Forcing others to take a break with you

Taking a break is important if you are in a job that requires you to sit at a desk for long hours, but taking one to avoid work is looked
down upon. Genuine reasons, like health and fresh air are acceptable every two hours, but taking one every hour for longer than 10
or 15 minutes is abusing the right to take your break.