MANY of us devote our work time sitting at a desk, staring at the computer screen, straining our eyes trying to finish tasks given. A workday without any breaks drains our mental capacity and lowers productivity and that is what happens to many. When work is stressful on a daily basis, this can lead to burnout and stress, causing even the most productive employees to fall flat on their faces. Employees are the backbone of your business and there is no doubt why you should think about them always. Taking breaks throughout the day is extremely beneficial, both physically and mentally; breaks refresh the mind, replenish your mental resources, and help you become more creative.
Guest column: Emmanuel Zvada
A “break” is a brief cessation of work, physical exertion, or activity. In other words, it means giving employees enough time to rest so that they are refreshed and allow them to get back to work within a reasonable amount of time. Often employees feel stressed out at work, especially when they spend the whole day working without any rest This will result in a decrease in their productivity. In actual fact and stressed workers are associated with a plethora of complications such as a headache, high blood pressure and cheerlessness, which ultimately result in decreased productivity.
There are many advantages that follow taking enough breaks at workplaces:
Reduces eye strain
It is a known fact that staring at a computer all day long is not the exactly the healthiest thing in the world. Long back, when most organisations were using old desktops which were then phased out, they used to place a screen-guard so that employees would not develop eye sight problems. One thing that can truly take its toll on your health is eye strain, which occurs rather frequently for those constantly fixed on computer screens. Now, taking a break away from a computer screen is typically all you and your employees need to remain healthy. The other way is of eye exercising and this is done by maybe glazing at flowers or looking at the objects that are six metres ahead of you, this will help to renew and regain the stretched eyesight.
Employees need time to recharge and renew
When most people think about taking breaks at work, they think of rushing off into a corner and quickly eating lunch. Sad to say, but this does provide what a break is capable of providing to employees. Breaks need to induce a refreshing change of pace that allow your staff to escape their work, even for just a short amount of time so that it will be an effective break.
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You do not take you breaks, while you are seated at your work zone. There are countless benefits associated with taking breaks at work, especially out of your work station. This will help you feel refreshed and recharged.
Improves blood circulation
It is important to note that our health is our greatest wealth and improving it should always be our top priority. When employees spend the whole day seated at work places, they are doing a disservice to their health. Sitting all day long can have a negative impact on blood circulation, which is why it is essential to get up and move at least once every hour or moving around taking a walk during lunch hours. By so doing, this will relax our muscles and increase our blood flow, which improves the functionality of your muscles and genuinely keeps you from feeling inactive. Employees should be encouraged to take a break, stand up, and move around a bit so that they renew and regain new strength.
Employees need a chance to refuel
A lot of employees think it is okay to go through the workday with no fuel other than a tea break they take in the morning; that’s a misconception. Food is essential to keeping you and your employees’ energy despite your nature of work. If you and your staff are not taking a break to eat, creativity and productivity levels will suffer. In other words, this is just another reason why taking breaks at work is essential to achieving success and motivating staff members. Increasing and enhancing productivity and staff motivation is something that every professional should focus on.
A productive worker is not someone who works a lot of hours than others but rather utilises the time he has to produce more quality work. In essence, productivity is measured by the quality of the work. When your staff is taking breaks at work, they will return with a fresh head.
Lowers stress levels
Stress is one of the main things that causes burnout and employee turnover and normally one of the causes is when there is continuous work without any rest. In actual fact, this means that when an employee takes a rest, it will reduce stress levels and boredom caused by continuously working. Avoiding stress is extremely difficult when your organisation is overwhelmed with work, but getting that work done will be impossible if your staff is feeling an excessive amount of pressure, hence taking enough breaks remain a necessity. Taking breaks, allow employees to clear their heads and get through the workday refreshed.
Spinoffs of well-spent breaks at work
Talking to friends or co-workers can be the other way to spend your break. Hanging out with co-workers will make breaks more relaxing. Eating with your co-workers may help build companionship, foster deeper work relationships and boost productivity. If an environment where people are establishing friendships with the people around them, employees eat lunch together and people will be happier at their job, regardless of the work they are doing. In other words, it is critical to make the most of lunch and remind yourself that by taking a proper break, you will accomplish more in the long run and that productivity and creativity will increase, while your levels of stress and fatigue will diminish.
One of the most powerful ways to relax your brain in a short amount of time is a session of meditation. Meditation lowers stress levels and improves overall health as well as creativity, hence it’s also good to mediate during lunch hours.
Many employers discourage their employees from taking breaks, because they feel that going for breaks reduces productivity. However, one important point they wholly forget is that if their employees do not take breaks, they get bored sitting at the desk and get tired of staring at the computer screen. The human mind starts to wander if there is no break to the monotonous work, thus affecting the employee, the quality of work done and the organisation.
Emmanuel Zvada is a human capital consultant/international recruitment expert and author. He can be contacted on [email protected] or call +263771467441.
