Home
>
Time Management
>
7 Reasons to Take Breaks at Work

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 15-minute breaks and a half hour for lunch, but I wasn't having any of it. I researched, wrote and edited at full throttle, without interruption, eager to prove my capacity to produce.

After six weeks, my supervisor said my probation period was done, in half the normal time. I was in!

But my body wasn't happy. I had developed severe eyestrain. I had constant headaches, and the muscles in my neck and upper back were perpetually clenched. My stomach hurt from all the stress.

My heart wasn't happy either, since I had never really spoken to any of my colleagues for any length of time. The whole social dimension of the job was missing.

But I had been too afraid take care of myself until I felt that my job was secure.

Sound familiar? Fear is just one of the factors chain us to our desks. Some of us have absorbed an ethic of overwork. Or, we feel pressure to work efficiently so we can get home to our families.

But experts say taking breaks can improve health and AND make us more effective on the job. Here are seven reasons to get up, stretch and walk during working hours:

1. YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU.

The human body wasn't designed for sitting at a desk for hours on end. Eyes, backs, necks, shoulders and wrists benefit when we get up and move.

2. YOU'LL OPEN THE WAY FOR CREATIVITY.

Very, very few good ideas have ever come to me while I'm at my desk, pushing myself to finish a project. Many ideas have come during walks with my dogs, or while doing light housework. Other people get flashes of inspiration while showering.

Something about physical activity seems to free the mind to create.

3. YOU'LL FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND YOU.

It's amazing what you can learn about your workplace while chatting with colleagues over coffee.

4. YOU'LL WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY.

"Work to Live" author Joe Robinson cites several studies showing that breaks improve productivity. Short intervals for relaxation allow us to sustain high levels of effort more of the time.

5. YOU'LL LIKE YOUR JOB MORE.

If we never pause to take stock, savor accomplishments, and maintain a sense of fun, it's hard to experience job satisfaction. Intense, prolonged time on task can squeeze the joy out work.

"One of the downsides of being eternal action figures is that we never arrive anywhere," Robinson writes.

6. YOU'LL REAP THE BENEFITS OF BUILDING COMMUNITY.

Many of us were raised to think the workplace would reward hard work. Then we were surprised to find that the workplace rewards people who are well liked -- regardless of whether they work the hardest.

When we take breaks for small talk, we give others a chance to know and like us -- and we can get to know and like them, too.

7. YOU'LL FEEL BETTER AT THE END OF THE DAY.

It's a lot easier to enjoy family time when we come home with a reserve of energy and without headaches or pent-up stress.

Sound too radical? It's okay to start small. You might add a five- minute break to your workday for a week or two and see what happens.

You may be surprised at the power of stopping to get you where you want to go.

Norma Schmidt, Coach, LLC, specializes in helping working mothers create balance. She offers workships, teleclasses and individual and group coaching. She also edits the free e-mail newsletter "The Balance Point." Visit http://www.normaschmidt.com.

efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..

In The News:

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

7 Reasons to Take Breaks at Work

Time Management