How to take a break from your desk on World Mental Health Day

Our desks are often viewed as symbols of success, but they can also be silent saboteurs of our mental health.

The recent ASICS global ‘State of Mind’ study – which involved 26,000 participants – indicates that our mental state begins to decline after just two hours of continuous desk work.

As CEOs, executives and team leaders, it’s our collective responsibility to champion this cause, especially with today marking World Mental Health Day.

The numbers are striking. For example, Australians who were sedentary for 10–12 hours a day had significantly lower State of Mind scores compared to those who were active for even a few hours.

It’s frightening to think how quickly our mental wellbeing can deteriorate. After four hours of uninterrupted work, stress levels can increase by 18 percent. Yet, ASICS’ The Desk Break Experiment found the solution is surprisingly simple: just 15 minutes of movement can reverse these effects.

Sound mind, sound body

In our office at ASICS Oceania, we champion the power of movement, not just for the body, but also for the mind. It’s why we’re called ASICS – an acronym for the Latin ‘Anima Sana in Corpore Sano’ or ‘Sound Mind in a Sound Body’.

This isn’t just a motto, it’s a philosophy that drives us to prioritize both physical and mental health. We’ve implemented our ‘Moments That Matter’ policy, allowing team members to manage their time and responsibilities in a way that accommodates their individual needs.

Some of my colleagues take longer lunch breaks for personal training sessions, while others start their days a bit earlier or later. We have a company soccer team that competes at lunchtime, all in an effort to fit movement into their busy schedules.

Incorporating movement into our team celebrations is also a way we encourage this outside of break times as well, such as yoga for R U OK? Day instead of the stock standard cupcakes for morning tea that many companies offer.

The Desk Break Experiment, led by Brendon Stubbs from King’s College London, provided us with compelling evidence to back our beliefs. Participants who incorporated just 15 minutes of movement into their workday reported a 22.5 percent improvement in their mental state, highlighting how just a quarter of an hour could significantly enhance how we feel at work.

And with 79.2 percent of participants indicating they’d be more loyal to employers who offered movement breaks, it is clear: our mental health must take precedence over vanity productivity metrics.

The power of movement

How every company responds to this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach though, and what works for one company may not work for the next.

The important part is ensuring the team has the opportunity to move throughout the day in a way that feels good for them, whether that’s a lunchtime run, a walk-and-talk meeting or group fitness classes to mark the end of the work day.

To celebrate World Mental Health Day, we’re rallying business leaders to encourage their teams to take a break from their desks to improve their mental health, and office workers to join the movement by leaving their workspace for 15 minutes a day.

It’s a small act, but it can have a profound impact. Together, we can transform our workplaces into spaces where a sound mind truly thrives.