It doesn’t take much to feel stressed at work, we face potential ‘triggers’ on a regular basis from deadlines, meetings, endless paperwork or the arrival of that upcoming event you’ve been planning for weeks. However, for the sake of our wellbeing, it’s important that we find healthy ways to relax and refresh. Whether it’s having a short break to talk to a colleague or a quick snack, we all need our own ways to cope with pressure.
A break is as good as a rest
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best, one of the easiest ways to reduce stress, increase wellbeing and improve productivity is to encourage short breaks, or microbreaks. Microbreaks can be anything from 30 seconds to 5 minutes and just one break can help improve mental accuracy by up to 13%. Furthermore, if you spend a lot of time working on a computer, just a 15 second break from the screen can reduce fatigue by up to 50%.
As a nation, we are not even taking advantage of the opportunities we are already given for breaks, let alone taking additional breaks. On average, UK workers only take 27 minutes of their allotted 40-minute lunch break.
Impacting everyone
Wellbeing issues aren’t just affecting one or two of us in the workplace, it’s a prevalent issue that’s having a significant effect within companies up and down the UK.
Recent research has found that almost three-quarters of workers (70%) believe that their mental health in the workplace is their sole responsibility, as opposed to 21% who believe their manager has some responsibility. Only 35% of employees surveyed were aware of their organisation having a mental health/wellness policy.
Strong evidence has shown that good management and good wellbeing go hand in hand, as workplaces that encourage wellbeing practices have a happier and more productive workforce. Studies have also found that addressing wellbeing in the workplace can increase productivity by up to 12%, so take a break and refocus for the rest of the day.
In February, KitKat® launched its desk to deck chair campaign to promote the importance of wellbeing in the workplace and how a short break can make a big difference. As part of this, the KitKat® team is visiting organisations up and down the country to improve workplace wellbeing by literally getting people up from their desk to a deck chair where they can immerse themselves in soothing sounds of the sea. These little breaks will transport employees out of their work for a few minutes and allow them to recharge and relax. And give them a chance to have a KitKat®!
KitKat® is also offering consumers the chance to win one of 100 travel related ‘sun-believable’ prizes. And ten lucky consumers who find a winning holiday bar can win a break to one of ten amazing Virgin Holiday destinations worldwide (up to the value of £8,000).
To learn more about the KitKat® campaign visit: https://www.kitkat.co.uk/content/.