Active breaks in the work environment.

As in any other industry, work stress is becoming more frequent in construction, which, if left unattended, can cause serious and chronic effects on the physical and mental health of workers.

For this reason it is always good to take a break when we are already at the top of our work, stopping will help us to better process our missing activities and reorganize them, at the same time that we give our mind and body a rest.

Active breaks at work are short breaks during a working day, they are used to recover energy, improve performance and the efficiency with which employees carry out their activities.

In the planning and execution of construction projects, different situations can arise that cause stress for both construction managers and officials, for example, obtaining licenses, budgets, personnel management, delivery times, possible drawbacks, lack of skills to perform any task, among others.

When a worker is stressed by these types of situations, his body is alert and releases a large amount of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that cause the heart to activate, muscles to tense, blood pressure to increase and breathing to accelerate. Therefore, according to a study by University College London, chronic stress increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease and suffering a myocardial infarction.

 Why are active breaks important?

Active breaks help restore our focus, increase creativity, and make us more productive. Likewise, activating our body every certain time, whether your work is standing or sitting, is important so as not to generate any chronic discomfort in the body and reduce stress. We list some benefits of active breaks:

• They reduce muscle tension.
• Prevents musculoskeletal injuries.
• Reduces stress and the feeling of fatigue.
• They improve attention and concentration.
• They improve posture.

Despite its good effectiveness, there are people who should not take these active breaks, for example, workers who have the following diseases should consult their doctor before taking them in their workplace:

• Unhealed fractures.
• Hypoglycemia.
• Hypertensive people.
• People who need or require rest.

What should you keep in mind when taking active breaks?

• Breathing should be as deep, slow and rhythmic as possible.
• Perform mobilization exercises in the joint before stretching.
• Concentrate on feeling the work of the muscles and the joint that is going to be stretched.
• At the time of stretching you should not feel pain, if it occurs it is because the stretch is not being performed properly.
• First choose exercises to relax the area where you feel fatigue accumulates the most.

In addition to active breaks, there are other activities that would help construction workers reduce their stress levels. By secreting a greater amount of the well-known hormones of happiness, serotonin, endorphin and dopamine, when you practice any of the following activities you can free your body and mind from stress.

1. Exercise.

2. Learn to meditate (5 or 10 minutes during the workday).

3. Connect with others outside of work with friends or family.

4. Art therapy, perform artistic activities to reduce stress and increase concentration.

“In addition to these, listening to music, learning something new, reading, traveling, sleeping well, eating healthy and laughing more are other ways to alleviate the stress generated by the tasks of a work”

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Always put your health first, since without it you would not be able to adequately perform your tasks in the workplace or in your personal life, do not wait until you have a chronic problem and join prevention.