Natural alternation of physical and mental labor. Physical and mental labor Combination of mental and physical labor

Many years of experience and special studies have shown that in the USSR, seven-year-old children, as a rule, are not only capable of schooling, but also feel the need for it. A rational school regime becomes for them a factor contributing to their comprehensive development.

The changes that are noted in the central nervous system and in the musculoskeletal system of a 7-year-old child as a result of his previous rational education in the nursery-kindergarten system make him biologically prepared for the environment and the regime established at school.

According to Soviet legislation, children who turn 7 years old by the beginning of the school year are subject to compulsory schooling.

To ensure that seven-year-old children have a normal night's sleep (at least 10-11 hours) and to avoid haste when fulfilling morning routine moments, lessons in the 1st grade of the school should not start earlier than 9 am.

Special studies have shown that limiting the motor activity of students in the 1st grade sharply reduces their excitability of the nervous system. Sitting at a desk for a longer time, which is a kind of static work, can cause the appearance of a constant focus of excitation in the cerebral cortex and tires it relatively more than mental and dynamic physical. For schoolchildren of the 1st grade, the process of writing and reading also presents considerable difficulties. The first requires the tension of the small worm-like muscles of the hand, which by the age of seven are still relatively underdeveloped. The process of reading at close range is associated with the tension of the accommodative muscles of the eyes, and when the eyes move along the line and across the page - the oculomotor muscles. Of no small importance for the mental hygiene of teaching in the 1st grade is the fact that the first signaling system at this age is more developed than the second. The first sign of a child's fatigue (first phase) is motor restlessness, indicating a wide irradiation of excitation, which can pass into the second phase (irradiation of protective inhibition): the child becomes lethargic, drowsy.

All this, as well as the need for a gradual, rather than abrupt transition from the training regime in the preparatory group of preschool age to school education, testifies to the advisability of a reduced lesson duration in the 1st grade (30-35 minutes).

Changing the position of the student's body, changing the types of his activities in the classroom as a means of increasing his performance, dictates the expediency of the so-called combined lesson with a gradual transition to a different structure of it. For the same reasons, as well as in the interests of preventing postural anomalies and protecting vision, it is advisable to conduct a physical education session in the middle of the lesson. Special studies have shown the hygienic effectiveness of establishing three breaks between lessons, of which the first lasts 15 minutes, the second and third - 20 minutes each. The first and third breaks are used outdoors, the second - for a hot breakfast and the third - for organized physical education and outdoor games.

It is extremely expedient to cover all schoolchildren of the 1st grade with an extended day group, in which it is possible to carry out a rational construction of the daily routine, in particular, provide for daytime sleep in the air for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

At the same time, they strive to ensure that homework is done in the classroom. By order of the Ministry of Education, it is forbidden to set lessons at home on Monday and on the post-holiday days.

The optimal number of lessons during the school day and the duration of each of them

During a typical school day, there is a typical dynamics of mental performance of students. At a younger age, a decrease in working capacity begins to be observed after 1 1/2 hours from the start of lessons, at middle and senior school age - after 2 and 3 hours, respectively. In the senior classes, a significant drop in working capacity takes place in the sixth lesson.

Under the influence of a number of specific features - teaching, the nature of the subject and the situation in the lesson, under the influence of the personal qualities of the teacher and the individual characteristics of the students, of course, some deviations from the indicated typical dynamics are possible.

The typical curriculum of a Soviet general education school provides for 24 hours in the first four classes, and starting from the 5th grade, 30-32 (IX, X cells) hours of compulsory classes per week.

As for the optimal duration of each lesson, it has been set at 45 minutes by many years of practice. There are observations on the expediency and effectiveness of introducing 40-minute lessons at primary school age, in sanitary-forest schools, and in schools for psychoneurotic and rheumatic children.

Rational lesson structure, lesson schedule, exams

The rational organization and construction of the lesson, especially in the lower grades, as well as in special schools, is of great importance as a psychohygienic tool that helps to maintain the maximum efficiency of students. The so-called combined lesson, associated with a change in activities, with an alternation of stimuli, addressed mainly to the first, then to the second signal system, fully justifies itself in the 2nd and 3rd grades.

In the upper grades, lessons are structured differently depending on the nature of the subject, the content of the topic, the purpose of the lesson, etc. Recommended by Soviet didactics (the science of the content and teaching methods), a typical, but by no means standard, lesson structure the previous lesson, then the communication of new knowledge and their consolidation in the lesson in the form of training exercises, if necessary, homework with the obligatory indication of the organization of work for their implementation) is physiologically and hygienically quite justified. It takes into account that during the lesson the student's performance usually gradually increases (working in), remaining at the maximum level during the second and third quarters of the lesson. On the same basis, various forms of independent work, a combination of words and visualization are recommended in the lessons. It is necessary to avoid, if possible, the so-called lessons paired together with a parallel class, etc.

A rational weekly schedule of lessons in each class takes into account the age characteristics of students, the characteristics of the subject, in particular the possibility of changing activities in the lesson, the clarity of teaching, the nature and volume of homework, etc. - on Saturday. As for the fluctuations in the working capacity of students during the school day, usually its maximum is observed in the second and third lessons, the minimum - in the fifth and especially the sixth lessons. The first lesson plays the role of a training period.

Studies show that the more hygienically favorable the mode of study and rest, as well as the environmental conditions in the school, in particular microclimatic and lighting in the classroom during the lesson, the less pronounced are the fluctuations in the student's working capacity during the week and day (Fig. 132) .

These features of the dynamics of students' working capacity are taken into account when drawing up a rational daily routine and timetable at school. The school doctor takes part in their development. Conducting, as an exception, the fifth lessons in the 4th grade and the sixth in the seniors are usually provided on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday, Thursday and Saturday, as a rule, a minimum number of lessons should be planned. For the passage of subjects with the least change in activities in the lesson, the greatest stress on mental performance and relatively the least clarity, for example, mathematics, a foreign language, it is preferable to take the second and third lessons.

According to the requirements of hygiene, it is necessary that during the pre-examination and examination period, students observe a rational daily routine and that examinations are conducted in a calm atmosphere. Individual students may be exempt from examinations for medical reasons.

The combination of mental and physical labor in schooling

The Soviet school builds its activities on the basis of the premise that "Harmonic development of man is unthinkable without physical labor, creative and joyful, strengthening the organism, enhancing its vital functions"*.

* (From the law of December 24, 1958 "On strengthening the connection between school and life and on the further development of the system of public education in the USSR." M., 1958, p. 6.)

According to the data of many modern special studies, rationally organized physical labor is a kind of active recreation for schoolchildren. Under their influence, the speed of simple mental and response verbal reactions increases, the quality of responses improves, differentiation becomes stronger, the functions of the neuromuscular apparatus improve: differentiation in the motor analyzer and coordination of hand movements improve, maximum muscle effort increases, endurance to static muscle tension.

As special studies have shown, such classes, as well as physical education lessons, if they are carried out in a favorable hygienic environment, in particular in the open air, help to increase the efficiency of students not only immediately after they finish, but throughout the school day.

Studies of the influence of physical labor on students of vocational schools of the metalworking profile and students of senior classes of general education schools during agricultural work with a pronounced dynamic nature of muscle activity revealed a number of positive functional changes in their body: a relative increase in lung capacity, an increase in muscle strength of the hand and muscle performance, increasing the functional capacity of the circulatory apparatus. Therefore, the introduction of elements of physical labor into the schedule of training sessions in order to maintain the efficiency of students should be recognized as very appropriate.

The most pronounced effect is achieved if such classes are provided in the lesson schedule on Monday, Thursday and Friday in the third (in the lower grades) and in the fourth (in the upper grades) lessons, that is, during the initial phase of the development of fatigue.

In the process of schooling, the alternation of mental and physical labor has a number of physiological advantages. This provides the greatest opportunity to change the forced sitting position of the body, increase the volume and diversify the nature of muscle activity, and reduce the intensity of the work of the visual analyzer. In addition, the introduction of elements of physical labor into the practice of schooling makes it possible to make the most extensive use of students' stay in the open air.

The daily combination of mental and physical labor in school education is physiologically more justified than the alternation of days completely devoted to physical work and days entirely filled with theoretical, classroom studies.

With the optimal combination of mental and physical labor in the learning process, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the production process and the duration of the student's continuous work.

The curriculum and programs of the general education labor polytechnic school include special classes where the physical and mental labor of schoolchildren is organically combined: labor training in manual labor lessons in grades 1-4, labor lessons for students in grades 5-8 in locksmith and carpentry workshops , home economics lessons, agricultural labor lessons at the school site, self-service, socially useful work.

Regarding the structure of labor lessons, it should be borne in mind that the alternation of two or three different labor operations in the lesson, causing a change in working posture and alternately involving various muscle groups in vigorous activity, contributes to an increase in working capacity and increases the effectiveness of the lesson.

If it is necessary to plan in the middle and senior classes, dual labor lessons should be done every 45-50 minutes, an 8-10-minute break, during which students should engage in such a set of physical exercises that compensates for monotonous labor movements during the lesson.

Speaking about other hygienic requirements for labor lessons, it is necessary to point out the education of schoolchildren in an appropriate working posture in order to protect eyesight and prevent posture defects, to maintain a uniform load on the left and right halves of the body, to exclude or sharply reduce the static component of schoolchildren's work, to comply hand tools to age characteristics, to use classes to educate schoolchildren in appropriate personal hygiene skills, work culture and safety precautions, to preliminary and current medical control in order to identify schoolchildren for whom, for health reasons, classes in workshops and agriculture are contraindicated or should be limited . All these requirements are regulated with the relevant sanitary rules and instructive and methodological instructions of the Ministry of Health of the USSR and the Ministry of Education of the USSR. The main hygienic requirements for the organization of the external environment during labor and polytechnic training are set out below in the chapter "Hygienic requirements for furniture and equipment".

The participation of young people in social production after graduating from high school or vocational school puts forward the need for medical professional consultation and vocational guidance for adolescents. The purpose of this career guidance is to help teenagers choose a profession that contributes to the development of the functional capabilities of the body and the strengthening of their health. The definition of the professional suitability of young people is based on taking into account the physiological state and health status of adolescents, sanitary and hygienic characteristics and the profession - the latter includes a detailed hygienic assessment of this profession: working conditions, characteristics of production operations, the load experienced by various organs and body systems of adolescents in the process of work, the pace and the rhythm of work, energy consumption, body position, etc.

Currently, there are developed so-called professiograms for the most common professions. It is necessary to distinguish between medical and professional consultation of healthy adolescents and adolescents with pathology. Medical and professional consultation of healthy people should be carried out on the basis of taking into account the type of higher nervous activity, the functional capabilities of the body and provides for the goal - to help choose a profession that would contribute to the maximum development of the body's potential. For adolescents with a deviation in their state of health, it is necessary to determine the contraindications that may arise in connection with the requirements imposed on the body of adolescents by this profession. Medical and professional consultation should be carried out by a commission of medical specialists, preferably with the participation of a psychologist and a teacher.

Rational alternation of study and rest at school

Changes established between lessons are a necessary and very effective form of active recreation for students.

The hygienic effectiveness of changes is ensured by the rational use of the time allotted for them. In all cases, it is desirable that students be outdoors during the break, as this creates the most favorable conditions for the restoration of working capacity. In addition, it makes it possible to produce sufficient ventilation (through) in the classrooms and corridors of the school building.

During breaks, students should be given the opportunity to actively move (walking, playing, etc.).

Timing and taking into account the effectiveness of students' rest show that the duration of the break should not be less than 10-15 minutes. During the school day, changes are required and longer. Usually in schools after the second (for junior classes) and after the third (for senior classes) lessons, a 30-minute break is established. Experience and research confirm the physiological expediency and pedagogical effectiveness of having two adjacent breaks of 20 minutes each. At these breaks, it seems possible for one half of the classes to have a hot breakfast, and the other to be outdoors.

Sunday, free from studies, should be used for students to be outdoors, mainly on the move (country excursions, sports, free choice, etc.).

It has long been proven that the performance of students is significantly reduced by the end of the academic quarter. In this regard, in order to restore and increase efficiency, vacations are provided at the end of each quarter. For students of general education schools, holidays after the first quarter (autumn) are set for 5 days (from 5/XI to 10/XI), after the second quarter (winter holidays) - for 12 days (from 30/XII to 11/1) and after the third quarter (spring holidays) - 9 days (from 24/111 to 1/IV).

Summer holidays are of great health-improving importance, the correct use of which largely determines the effectiveness of rest and good working capacity. Participation (metered) in agricultural work, hiking, playing sports with the use of hardening factors are an effective means of improving health and increasing efficiency.

The duration of the summer holidays in different classes is not the same. It is determined by the end of the academic year. The duration of summer holidays in senior classes is 66 days, in junior classes - 86 days.

Study sessions at home (self-study)

One of the main hygienic requirements for the organization of training sessions at home is the observance of the norms of their daily duration. Special studies have shown that, depending on age, the following approximate duration of daily lessons at home is optimal: in the 1st grade - 30-45 minutes, in the 2nd - 1 hour, in the 3rd and 4th - 1 1/2 hours, in the 5th and 6th - about 2 hours, in the 7th and 8th - about 2 1 / 2 hours, in the 9-10th - no more than 3 hours. These data served as the basis for the corresponding regulation of the volume of homework by the public education authorities. In practice, these norms are often violated and the volume of work of high school students in preparing lessons at home is growing from quarter to quarter.

The main means of combating the overload of students with homework, leading to a reduction, first of all, in the duration of their stay in the open air, and then in the duration of sleep, are: a rational weekly lesson schedule that takes into account the volume and nature of homework in individual subjects and such an improvement in organization and methods teaching separate topics for each subject, in which the educational material would be learned by students mainly in the classroom.

The class teacher and the school doctor must exercise systematic control over the volume of homework assignments.

Physiological studies of the dynamics of conditioned reactions throughout the day in students who are brought up in a boarding school, in an orphanage, showed that it is most rational to adhere to the regimen presented in Table. 45.

With the indicated alternation of various types of activity, the working capacity of students when doing homework is at a relatively high level.

In the process of preparing homework, 10-minute breaks should be taken every 45-50 minutes, during which active movements should be carried out (physical education minutes in the open air or, in extreme cases, indoors with open windows or transoms).

An increase in the activity of mental work when doing homework, and, consequently, a reduction in their duration, is greatly facilitated by the provision of hygienic conditions for the external environment (open transoms, a workplace corresponding to the student's height, lighting).

The sequence of performing individual homework assignments is established taking into account that the most difficult assignments for the student are completed after the 15-20-minute period of working out, and during these 15-20 minutes assignments of medium difficulty are completed.

In an extended-day school and a boarding school, it seems appropriate to use a fundamentally different scheme for building a school day as a whole, combining lessons and self-training. According to this scheme, in the first part of the day, when the working capacity of students as a whole is relatively higher, types of classes (lesson "and homework) are included in subjects that require independent completion of tasks; in the second part of the day, after 16 o'clock, lessons in other subjects (physical education, reading, drawing, work) At the same time, independent work on homework is not only included in the daily lesson schedule, but also becomes an integral part of the lesson itself.

Preliminary physiological-hygienic and psychological-pedagogical studies, which still require verification, show the advantages of this scheme for building a school day.

The activity of the body depends on the state of the central nervous system, the overwork of which leads to a breakdown of the vital functions of the body - perception, memory, performance.

The functions of the nervous system are carried out by balancing excitatory and inhibitory processes: excitation at some points is accompanied by inhibition at others. At the same time, the efficiency of the nervous tissue is restored in the areas of inhibition.

Fatigue is facilitated by low mobility during mental work and monotony during physical work.

Various, especially non-mechanized, forms of physical labor are characterized by the activation of the neuromuscular system and are accompanied by a high level of energy consumption. Heavy physical labor is inefficient due to the rapid development of fatigue.

An increase in the productivity of physical labor is achieved by mechanizing and automating production and reducing the share of physical work. However, the performance by the worker throughout the entire shift of monotonous, monotonous movements not associated with significant muscle effort, when only one muscle group is working and only one section of the central nervous system is in excitation, is also accompanied by the development of fatigue of the nerve centers.

Work on the conveyor or the work of the operator at the control panel is also characterized by a stationary working posture, which causes prolonged tension of certain muscle groups and also leads to rapid fatigue.

To avoid the rapid onset of fatigue and overwork, it is necessary to take breaks in work, carry out production gymnastics, and also change production operations throughout the work shift. At the same time, new centers will be included in the work, and previously working sections will come to a state of inhibition, which will lead to their rest and recovery.

The best rest for mental fatigue is gymnastics or other physical activity of a person.

It must be remembered that the consequences of fatigue during mental work are eliminated longer than during physical work, and working capacity is restored more slowly.

Overwork of the nervous system weakens its regulatory function and can provoke a number of diseases: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, skin, etc.

To prevent mental and physical fatigue, it is necessary

rational organization of the labor process
increasing the physical fitness of the body
optimization of mental and emotional activity
active recreation and switching to other activities.

It should be remembered that fatigue is a natural reaction of the body to work, manifested in a decrease in working capacity. However, it is not recommended to immediately stop work at the first sign of fatigue, continuing to work increases a person’s endurance, trains his will, perseverance, hard work. A high level of general physical fitness provides an improvement in mental performance.

A rational regime of work and rest implies such an alternation of periods of work and rest, in which high labor productivity is achieved throughout the working day with the least stress on the physiological functions of a person, maintaining his health and long-term working capacity.

Studies of the state of physiological functions and the dynamics of working capacity show that at the beginning of work, a phase of workability is observed, then a phase of stable working capacity, and, finally, a phase of decreasing working capacity, which occurs as a result of developing fatigue. A scientifically based regime of work and rest provides that the process of working out should take place quickly, most of the working time should be a period of stable working capacity, and the decline in working capacity should be pushed back to the end of the shift.

One of the main means of combating fatigue at work is regulated rest breaks. Depending on the nature of the work, they should be different in duration: the harder the work, the longer the rest breaks should be. So, with light work, the duration of breaks can be 5-7 minutes, and with heavy physical work - up to 30 minutes per hour. Rest in terms of content should be opposite to the nature of the work performed, ensuring the switching of the load from tired nerve centers and organs to inactive or less loaded in the labor process. During rest, it is necessary to change the position, providing rest to tired muscles. For people of mental labor, rest should include elements of physical activity.

Sleep provides the most complete rest for the central nervous system. It is an important protective device of the body against overwork and nervous exhaustion. The alternation of sleep and wakefulness is a necessary condition for human existence.

When you don't get enough sleep, you lose your ability to work. In order for the body to get the most complete rest during sleep, it is necessary to go to bed at the same time, eliminate bright lights, noise, ventilate the room, etc.

Sleep is a periodically occurring physiological state of the body, characterized by significant immobility, an almost complete absence of reactions to external stimuli, and at the same time a special organization of the activity of brain neurons. Sleep is based on the emergence and development of inhibition, which by its nature can be unconditional and conditional. Sleep creates optimal conditions for brain activity and prevents its overstrain. Sufficient sleep is vital to maintaining and strengthening health, to restore performance.

During sleep, in the higher parts of the brain, the information received during the wakefulness period is processed, the functions of the body change, there is a decrease in the tone of skeletal muscles, a slowdown in breathing and heart rate, and a decrease in blood pressure.

7-8-hour sleep consists of 4-5 cycles, regularly replacing each other, each of which includes a phase of slow and fast sleep.

During slow sleep, which develops immediately after falling asleep, there is a decrease in heart rate, respiration, muscle relaxation, a decrease in metabolism and body temperature.

During REM sleep, which occurs after 1-1.5 hours of slow sleep and lasts 10-15 minutes, the activity of internal organs is activated, breathing quickens, heart function increases, metabolism increases, against the background of general relaxation, contractions of individual muscle groups occur, under with closed eyelids, rapid eye movements occur, sleepers see vivid dreams. The nature of dreams is determined by the events and experiences of the past day, is associated with traces of past events.

The duration of sleep for a newborn is about 22 hours, for schoolchildren - 9-12 and for an adult - 7-8 hours.

Smoking has a harmful effect on the nervous system, since nicotine, absorbed in small doses, has an exciting effect on the nervous system, and in large doses it causes paralysis. Long-term intake of nicotine in small doses during smoking causes chronic poisoning. In smokers, memory weakens, spasms of cerebral vessels appear.

Alcohol is a highly toxic substance for all body cells, but nerve cells, especially the cerebral cortex, are most sensitive to it. It has been established that in a healthy person, traces of a single dose of an average dose of alcohol are found in the body within two weeks, although alcohol disappears from the blood after 5-6 hours. caution, modesty, modesty, tact; cheekiness, intemperance, arrogance, rudeness, etc. appear.

Alcohol reduces mental and physical performance, impairs speech and thinking, weakens memory, visual acuity, impairs coordination of movements and the accuracy of performing various actions, which often leads to accidents and serious injuries. By expanding the vessels, alcohol can lead to their rupture and cause hemorrhage in the brain. Chronic alcohol consumption leads to personality degradation.

The use of drugs has the most destructive effect on the nervous system, in connection with which drug addicts very quickly develop disorders of nervous and mental activity. In some cases, the use of drugs leads a person to premature death.

Hygiene of mental and physical labor

The activity of the body depends on the state of the central nervous system, the overwork of which leads to a breakdown of the vital functions of the body - perception, memory, performance.

Fatigue is facilitated by low mobility during mental work and monotony during physical work.

Mental work is not associated with a significant load on the motor apparatus and is characterized by a low level of energy consumption. But as a result of prolonged and intense mental work, fatigue sets in, which reduces the productivity of mental labor, attention, weakens memory and the ability to concentrate.

The best rest for mental fatigue is gymnastics or other physical activity of a person.

It must be remembered that the consequences of fatigue during mental work are eliminated longer than during physical work, and working capacity is restored more slowly.

Overwork of the nervous system weakens its regulatory function and can provoke a number of diseases: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, skin, etc.

To prevent mental and physical fatigue, it is necessary:

- rational organization of the labor process;
- increasing the physical fitness of the body;
- optimization of mental and emotional activity;
- active rest and switching to other activities.

Sleep gives the most complete rest to the central nervous system. It is an important protective device of the body against overwork and nervous exhaustion. The alternation of sleep and wakefulness is a necessary condition for human existence.

7-8-hour sleep consists of 4-5 cycles, regularly replacing each other, each of which includes a phase of slow and fast sleep.

During slow sleep, which develops immediately after falling asleep, there is an increase in heart rate, respiration, muscle relaxation, a decrease in metabolism and body temperature.

The duration of sleep for a newborn is about 22 hours, for schoolchildren - 9-12 and for an adult - 7-8 hours.

No one will argue with the fact that the correct alternation of physical and mental work, rest and stress is the most important means of maintaining health. It seems that everything in this area has been studied and understood for a long time. Not at all. Natural medicine once again forced me to consider this aspect of recovery much more widely.

Based on his own experience, Yuri Vilunas noticed that during nocturnal awakenings, especially when they are accompanied by sobbing breathing and impulse self-massage, a person is capable of very active, one might even say irresistible brain activity. The need to engage in intellectual work arises from within, the most daring decisions and most original ideas come to mind. Based on these observations, Vilunas concludes that such intellectual tension is an integral part of the recovery process that occurs in the body during the night's rest. This intellectual "explosion" contributes to the supply of the brain with the energy necessary for recovery, and as soon as the recovery is completed, intense intellectual activity ceases.

Such a feature, says Vilunas, should definitely be used for the benefit of health. It has been noticed that when a person, feeling physical fatigue (for example, while walking), immediately switches to mental work, the recovery processes in his body are much more efficient, and the productivity of direct brain activity is much higher. So, the mechanism of the brain's work can be quite compared with the mechanisms of movement: intense activity, dictated by an internal need, is replaced by a kind of "intellectual fatigue". From a physiological point of view, the onset of such fatigue does not mean that you have a crisis or you are overworked. It's just that your brain has received all the nutrients it needs and has "switched off". Attempts to continue mental activity further are fraught with the appearance of various unpleasant sensations, but you still won’t get any remarkable results.

Thus, Vilunas refutes the assertion that the work of the brain leads to the waste of energy substances, and rest - to their restoration. In fact, the opposite is true: it is during work that the brain accumulates various substances, and during rest it spends on maintaining its own state and the activity of the body as a whole. This means that in order for the brain to feel good, it is necessary to listen to the signals that it gives us. At the first signs of fatigue from intellectual activity, it is necessary to stop it and change activity to physical activity (if there is a need for this). When the brain is ready to start working again, you will easily feel it. The "ideal" work of the brain, as a result of the ongoing recovery process, is possible only after certain physical exertion.

Considering that “nature does not tolerate emptiness”, we conclude that both physical and mental labor are vital for a person, and in their certain combination and alternation. Since these processes are closely interrelated and largely dependent on each other, a healthy and proper functioning of the body cannot be expected without any of them.

In practice, we can observe such an alternation of physical and mental activity every day. Indeed, after some physical work, our most natural desire is to sit down, relax and read a book in peace. That's brain activity for you! After reading for a while, we want to get up, stretch, stretch, or even go for a walk - it's time for physical activity.

How do we put this principle into practice? Ridiculously simple. When you are doing some kind of intellectual work and your thoughts “turn off”, do not try to “squeeze” anything out of yourself, but just get up and go to stretch. The result of such work will be much better.

So we can easily carry out the natural alternation of physical and mental labor at the level of instincts if we allow ourselves to listen to them. But it will be especially effective if we do not forget about all the other mechanisms of self-regulation. Listen to your needs and follow them. The path of nature is the only direct path to health and longevity.

There was an opinion that mental labor is easier and more prestigious than physical labor. We think that many have heard in their address: “If you don’t take up your studies, you will work hard all your life” or “ ". For some, these are serious arguments to sit down for books and, ultimately, get a guarantor of profitable and dust-free work - a diploma. Someone, on the contrary, believes that strong hands will always find a job for themselves, and poring over a textbook is the lot of white-handed people and weaklings. will dot all the “i” so that you do not choose your future profession in captivity of stereotypes.

What is the difference between mental and physical labor?

Brainwork is a mental activity consisting of a review and generalization of information that must be changed in a certain way. For example, we are faced with a task, and in order to perform it correctly, we should analyze the condition, build a solution algorithm, having previously selected and synthesized the necessary knowledge.

basis physical labor constitute the muscular efforts of a person aimed at transforming the surrounding world.

In fact, such a strict distinction is conditional. In fact, these are two sides of the same coin. In primitive times, such a division simply did not exist: in order to catch a mammoth, you had to spread your brains, think over a plan of action, organize a trap and, of course, give it your all.

Over time, society was divided into poor and rich, and hard physical labor became the lot of the former, and mental labor became the privilege of the latter. This situation continued for centuries.

In the 21st century, the share of mental work has increased significantly and continues to increase due to the constant growth of information. The development of technology has allowed people to significantly facilitate their work.

But this does not mean that mental work is completely devoid of physical activity and vice versa. It is more about the dominance of one type of activity over another.

Cons of mental work

During mental work, our brain is not only a regulating (as in physical), but also the main working organ, therefore, intellectual loads affect the state of the central nervous system and overall well-being in general.

Mental work always causes neuro-emotional stress. And if you organize the workflow incorrectly, you can bring yourself to exhaustion and neuroses. The sedentary lifestyle inherent in this type of activity is also capable of playing a cruel joke: weight gain, disorders of the musculoskeletal system, etc. Be sure to arrange breaks for yourself, physical education minutes. In a healthy body, not only a healthy mind, but also a brain. So, if you have health problems, mental work will not save the situation.

The benefits of physical labor

Physical activity improves brain function, the state of our body as a whole. It is much more pleasant to solve any problem, feeling cheerful and full of energy, rather than terribly tired and with a sore head, you must agree.

Physical labor has the same beneficial effect on the body as sports. Moderate loads strengthen the body, but here you should be careful: any forces have a limit and you should not test them.

The work may be associated with the performance of the same type of operations, which over time are reproduced on the machine. In this case, the problem arises, what to do with the head. The answer is simple: it needs to be loaded with useful information, entertaining puzzles. In your free time, read books, solve crossword puzzles, collect Rubik's cube - in general, do whatever your heart desires. Otherwise, the work may get bored soon.

In both cases, you need to properly organize the daily routine, load and nutrition. During mental work, you should eat fatty fish (trout, salmon, sardines), cereals (oatmeal and rice), tomatoes and all kinds of cabbage, walnuts, eggs. Sweets in moderation won't hurt either. And during physical exertion - bakery products, potatoes, pasta, meat, eggs, fish. Alternate mental and physical work, then work will be joyful and beneficial.

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