October is National Ergonomics Month – Stanford Environmental Health & Safety

Release Date: 10/13/2022
Type: Announcement

In celebration of National Ergonomics Month, EH&S is spotlighting the importance of taking breaks for your musculoskeletal health.

Break It to Make It
It’s important to remember to take breaks. Especially with sedentary work, such as sitting at a computer for multiple hours, breaks should be a priority. By taking breaks, you can increase blood flow throughout your body, improve your mood and decrease stress, all the while improving your range of motion and boosting performance. But, of course, the hard part seems to be forming the habit.

Some ways you may consider taking breaks include walking around the office or outdoors, or by just standing from your desk and stretching. Simply resting your eyes away from a screen or monitor can also help to reduce musculoskeletal stress.

Your body sends you signals, such as by feeling fatigued or stiff, to tell you you may need a break. Throughout the day, pay attention to those signs while working. Fatigue is inevitable but this can help indicate that your body needs a change in position or movement. Instead of working through fatigue, take a break instead!

Try Something New this October!

Eye Breaks
Looking at a screen for extended periods of time is hard on your eyes. Take eye breaks, and remember 20-20-20! Every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Movement & Stretch Breaks
Humans, we are designed to move! Walk over to a drinking fountain to fill your water bottle, or try some standing stretches. Take a walking meeting instead of having it at your desk.

Lunch Breaks
The National Bureau of Economic Research reported that over 60% of Americans eat lunch at their desk (source). Lunch breaks are important for reducing strain on your body because they give you a break, away from your desk, where you are not concentrating on a work task. You may find that after taking your lunch away from your desk, you are able to return to work with more energy and better concentration.

Hedges 3S's ideal work pattern — Use Hedge’s 3S’s Ideal Work Pattern as a starting point. Hedge’s 3S’s Ideal Work Pattern says for every 30 minutes, for every 30 minutes, spend 20 minutes seated, 8 minutes standing, and 2 minutes taking a break to move and gently stretch.

Additional Resources
Stanford EH&S Ergonomics
Microbreaks
Postural Awareness
Stretching
Stretches for Industrial Workers
Stretches for Office Workers