What Workplace Benefits Do Smokers And Dog-Walkers Enjoy That The Rest Of Us Don’t?

Think about what’s happened to the workday:

1. You don’t have to actually BE any particular place to do your work. That means even if you do have an actual workplace to go to, leaving to go home doesn’t mean the end of the workday.
2. Most people don’t take coffee or even lunch “breaks” any more. We bring our coffee and food back to our desks, and push on with the work while we eat and drink.

The consequences are pretty dire:

1. You don’t get away from work challenges or problems.
2. Your scenery never changes. You stare hypnotically at your computer screen — no matter where you happen to be sitting, whether it’s your cube, your breakfast nook at home or at Starbucks.
3. You never get outside — hence the negative effects of the Vitamin D deficiency we’ve been told we all have.
4. You miss the benefits and pleasures of personal interaction and time for quiet reflection.

Now go back and look at the subject line of this article. Most everyone will be happy to list all the negative effects of smoking. But what’s that have to do with dog walking?

It turns out there’s one benefit dog walkers and smokers enjoy that other members of the work force don’t: Some much-needed relief from the endless, non-stop workday.

You don’t have to smoke or have a dog. But you do have to be mindful of your need to take a break. At least three times during the day, get up from your chair and go somewhere different for 10 minutes:

• Take your mind off work problems, or at least get a new perspective on them.
• Get a change of scenery.
• Experience the outdoors.
• Choose to interact with others or go off by yourself and enter a meditative state.

You’ll find you can approach your work with more clarity and you’ll see increases in your productivity.