Learn to step away from your computer every once in a while!

How many times have you muttered to yourself, “I’ll just finish this one last thing” or perhaps even ignored the need to ‘relieve yourself’ because you just don’t want to get up from your desk until you finish what you are doing! Sounds extreme maybe, but these are common traits of workers in this day and age of hectic schedules, deadlines and daily commitments.

Your employer may appreciate your hard work and long hours, however don’t ignore your own needs and become work-obsessed. You should be sure to take regular breaks throughout the day in order to stay healthy and maintain productivity. Generally office employees get hour-long lunch breaks and labor laws do include a few minutes break after a certain amount of hours worked. A break also depends of course on the type of job you have. If you are one of the many on an eight-hour or more work schedule mostly sitting at a computer, whether in the office or at home, then this information is mainly for you.

Taking breaks during work is extremely important to an employee’s physical and mental health. A constant focus on the same activity or staring at a computer screen for lengths at a time will eventually exhaust your brain. When the brain tires like this, it begins working less, which can lead to mistakes and a lower quality of work. A tired brain can also give signals to the body to go to sleep, which is why people can sometimes be found falling asleep at the computer. To add to this, people who spend long intervals in front of a computer screen can develop vision problems. Blurred vision is a common effect in a large percentage of people who spend too much time in front of a computer without giving their eyes and brains a rest from the strain.

Another problem that occurs with being stationary at a computer is that this lack of activity tends to make blood sugar levels rise. According to this NPR segment from May 2012, “You stop breaking up fat in your bloodstream and you start getting accumulations of fat, in your liver heart and your brain. You get sleepy. You gain weight.” Therefore, inactive workers stand an increased chance of developing diabetes than workers who take regular breaks to move around. Studies have shown that a simple few minute break every 20 minutes can prevent abnormal blood sugar spikes in the body. It was also noted that prolonged sitting affects the body’s response to food. Therefore, engaging in some type of activity during one’s workday may help to prevent diabetes, weight gain and heart disease.

Finally, just the act of sitting for long periods can also affect a person physically putting unhealthy stress on the spine, which can cause problems with the back, neck, shoulders and buttocks and also can result in muscle atrophy and possible vertebral disc problems, from time to time can strengthen these areas and make the necessary seated hours easier on the body.

Not all of us have an ideal job where our employer is willing to issue frequent breaks however, an employee should be able to find the time to take a short break at least every two hours. The most optimal would be to get at least 15-20 minutes every two hours. During that time, the minimum amount you should do is at least rest and take the strain off your eyes and focus on something else. You should also try to blink as often as possible because it helps to avoid dry eye. Shutting the eyes for a few minutes is also a good idea. Even better, if you can, stand up and move your body away from your desk, perhaps walk to the kitchen, get a coffee or go walk around the parking lot and do some stretches. If your office has stairs, head up and down them a few times to boost cardiovascular activity or stop by a co-worker’s office or desk to get some answers rather than calling them on the phone.

The point is, there’s a lot of productivity to gain by taking these little breaks at work as long as they don’t end up as distractions of course. Which then does more harm than good. And there are a lot of health benefits, both physical and mental that come along with these “timeouts.” If you’re one of those extremely focused people that have a hard time even remembering to take breaks, then you should scheduled them into your Outlook or smartphone calendar so an alarm sounds as a reminder. It’s that important. Taking a PROPER break, remembering to breathe, get some movement throughout your workday and refresh yourself so you can return more productive and find yourself healthier as you get through your daily routines. Bob Marley may have said it best with his famous song lyrics, “Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights!” In this case stand up for your right to be happier, healthier, pain-free and more productive!

Dena DaSilva (Las Vegas, NV/Riviera Maya, Mexico) is a health and wellness, eco-living and travel writer, active in sharing her research, experiences and knowledge on a variety of these topics. Born into a very health-conscious and fitness-crazed family, this fun-loving energetic beach lover and avid traveler has a natural passion for all things promoting health, spa, wellness, holistic lifestyle and travel. She earned two BA degrees at West Virginia University and an MBA with an emphasis in Marketing and International Business from Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management.