Prepare for a worldwide public service announcement (PSA) that sheds light on the peril our desks pose to our mental well-being, coinciding with this year’s World Mental Health Day on October 10th.
ASICS, in partnership with Dr. Brendon Stubbs, a leading researcher in exercise and mental health, brings a new study that delves into the fascinating connection between our desks and our mental health.
Did you know that spending long periods at your desk can be detrimental to your mental well-being? It’s true.
ASICS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT WARNS THE WORLD ABOUT WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH THREAT
Global study shows that our mental state starts to decline after only two hours of
continuous desk-based working, but just 15 minutes of exercise can help to reverse
the effects
• ASICS enlists Brian Cox to take on the role of the world’s scariest boss to
highlight the real threat to our mental health – the desk we work at every
day.
• A global study, involving Australian participants, shows our mental state
starts to decline after only two hours of continuous desk-based working
with stress levels rising significantly after four hours.
• However, just 15 minutes of exercise can help to reverse the effects.
• The Public Service Announcement urges office workers to reject wellness
“perks†and instead take a Desk Break to move their minds.
ASICS’ global State of Mind study, involving 26,000 participants, including a
nationally representative sample size from Australia revealed a strong connection
between sedentary behaviour and mental well-being with State of Mind scores
declining the longer individuals remain inactive (Australians who are sedentary
for 10 to 12 hours a day reported a significantly lower State of Mind score of
45/100 versus those who were sedentary for only 4 to 6 hours a day 63/100).
Further research into desk-based working found that after just two hours of
continuous desk work State of Mind scores begin to drop and stress levels rise.
After four hours of uninterrupted desk time, workers’ stress levels increased
significantly by 18%. However, a new Desk Break experiment3 shows that just 15
minutes of movement can help to reverse the effects.
The Desk Break experiment, overseen by Dr Brendon Stubbs from King’s College
London, found that when office workers added just 15 minutes of movement into
their working day, their mental state improved by 22.5% with participants’ overall
State of Mind scores increasing from 62/100 to 76/100. The experiment showed
that taking a daily Desk Break for just one week lowered stress levels by 14.7%,
boosted productivity by 33.2% and improved focus by 28.6%. Participants
reported feeling 33.3% more relaxed and 28.6% more calm and resilient. 79.2% of
participants said they would be more loyal to their employers if offered regular
movement breaks.
For more information, visit https://www.asics.com.
consciouslivingmagazine.com.au/category/healthandwellbeing/mental-health
