Why Employers Should Care If Workers Take Breaks
For many years, I taught at fancy tech companies throughout NYC. Often, employers would offer post-work or lunch-hour movement classes. The reality though? People need to have lunch, too. And post-work? I wanna get out of here as soon as possible.
Study after study shows the importance of taking breaks—especially movement breaks— and yet individuals are trapped in a corporate culture that encourages them to do the very opposite: work ‘til you drop.
How silly! Cause you see, they will drop. And then who will get the work done?
One company I worked for finally agreed to start offering 25-minute meditation sessions 2 times per week in the middle of the afternoon (the peak of I’m-braindead-hour). At a specified place and time, every employee had the okay to walk away from their desk and come meditate with me. The result? Well, they decided to add more weekly sessions.
Read on to understand why employers should care about providing yoga breaks.
Yoga Breaks Refresh and Restore
Even brief 5 minute breaks to stretch and breathe consciously can profoundly refresh workers. Breaks are needed throughout an 8 hour work day whether or not you have one or not, there are numerous benefits from them. During breaks, you can do yoga which helps pump fresh blood and oxygen to the brain, relieving mental fatigue. Ever noticed how your thinking feels crisper and your focus deepens after moving? Yoga breaks offer the same renewal so employees avoid that afternoon slump. If you have more than a couple minutes, following a youtube video can help guide you especially after sitting in a chair all day.
They De-Stress Your Team
Heavy workloads and looming deadlines inevitably ramp up anxiety. Yoga melts that stress away. The mind-body connection helps employees tap into the body’s built-in relaxation response through deep breathing and loosening tight spots. We know that everyone is going through the same stress, so group yoga is a great way to combat that collectively, and to hold each other accountable for actually taking breaks.
They Boost CreativitY
Ever gotten your best ideas in the shower or on a walk? Yoga movements similarly stimulate creative thinking. Shaking up mental patterns allows room for new solutions to bubble up effortlessly. Workers return from savasana with fresh inspiration!
Convinced on the whole yoga break thing yet? Start small by opening up space for short daily pauses to stand and stretch. Consider hiring a teacher for a weekly afternoon class right in your office, or just put on a video from my Meditation or Work Well section of my On Demand. Know that supporting your team’s overall wellbeing through yoga pays dividends for your whole organization!
Have other ideas or questions? Let's connect more at amy@wellbywolfe.com!