For a couple years now I've been working on and off at a Deli and I've reached a point where I just need to talk about one thing: why are my co-workers allowed to take a 15 to 20 minute smoke break every hour when I'm not allowed to take a break at all?

Now, you might be wondering, why doesn't she just take this up with her boss? Well, let me just tell you, I've tried that and this is what he told me: "I need to do it to relieve stress."

Okay, sure, but maybe I need to relieve some stress too, and my way of doing that is going outside in the back where you occupy the space every hour slowly killing yourself, and instead of breathing in smoke, I just need to take a minute in the fresh air.

According to an article posted on Live Strong's website, getting fresh air is the ultimate stress reliever, "According to the research, participants showed more physical signs — including lower blood pressure and lower amounts of the stress hormone cortisol — when they spent time in the forest rather than in the city. Sunlight is also thought to help ward off depression and stress because the 'happy' chemical serotonin is higher in the brain during the time of year when days are longer".

So, the next time your co-worker heads outside for a smoke break that your boss has approved, go with them, because if they can use the excuse that the chemicals that they're breathing in are reducing their work stress, you can tell your boss you need some of that good OXYGEN to relieve the stress of your workday.