This is how many of us are not taking a break when we WFH

Is your busy work schedule affecting your health?

If you barely see the light of day when you're working from home, glued to your desk from 9 - 5, then you're not alone.

A new study has revealed that, when we're working from home, nearly a ninth of us (86%) are too busy to take a break away from our desks. The survey, which the wellbeing app Magic Mountain conducted, also found that over half of us spend eight hours in front of our computers.

This shocking research is not only bad for our physical health but our mental health too. Burnout is common for those who take on too much at work or find themselves working solidly for the whole work day - especially when you're working from home.

The survey also found that nearly two-thirds of us (63%) are also only taking a 10-minute break, or less, during the working day. Government rules stipulate that we should all have a 20-minute break for every 6 hours we work. While getting outside and into nature helps to promote physical and mental well-being - lowering blood pressure and our heart rate, and also easing away the production of cortisol - the hormone responsible for stress.

"Wellbeing is no longer a 'nice to have'. It has to become an integral part of your business strategy," says Katy Brown, CEO at Magic Mountain, "almost everyone we spoke to (98%) said employers have an important role to play in supporting their wellbeing, while 64% would find another job if they didn’t feel their wellbeing was supported at work. Despite this, only 44% of companies have a wellbeing strategy in place."

Katy goes on to say that businesses need to put their employee wellbeing first: "Simply put, our research has shown that thousands of workers across various sectors and industries are surviving, not thriving.

"I’ve experienced first-hand what happens when our work conflicts with our wellbeing, and it’s my mission to help turn the tide on the workplace wellbeing epidemic we’re currently facing. Nobody should have to choose between meaningful work and their health, and yet that is all too often the case."

With more of us turning to hybrid working, and working from home, after the pandemic, its integral to take your lunch hour, like you would in the office - or even step away for a lunchtime workout - turning your phone off and stepping away from your day to day responsibilities for at least half an hour every day.