There's no hiding the fact that our working lives are manic. We have bosses to please, deadlines to meet, goals to achieve and a whole medley of other duties to juggle. So with all this in mind, if I preach the importance of taking a break at work, I can hear you say, when do I possibly have time?
The answer is simple - find time. Taking a break at work can do wonders, not only for our overall productivity but for our stress levels too. Relationship Services conducted a survey of 1,593 couples and found that 31% cited stress at work as a common reason for arguments at home - proof that equilibrium at work has an important effect on other areas of your life.
In an attempt to combat work-related stress, head honchos at Cambridge University's counselling services recommend taking regular breaks to recharge our mental batteries, thus improving concentration and overall mood. According to Cambridge University's research, the average adult has a concentration span of between 5-45 minutes - not as long as we might think.
Simply taking a walk to the office vending machines every so often can do us the world of good - not only improving our work productivity, but our home lives too. This ensures you have a mouth watering array of snacks on hand. Put simply, it is the perfect all-in-one snack and drink solution.
Despite this, some of us more contentious types often feel guilty about taking a break at work - especially if we have a deadline looming ahead of us. The fact of the matter is, those of us who recognise the importance of taking a break are more likely to be alert and productive than those of us who don't. That colleague of yours who's frowned upon for making too many trips to the vending machines may actually be on to something after all.
So next time your mind wanders or you feel red in the face, just remind yourself of the importance of taking a break at work ( with a delicious coffee, tea or soft drink in hand, of course ).