Work Breaks – Increase Productivity by taking a Break!
Why is it so hard to take a break from work? We know the benefits of taking time away, but many of us still find it hard to take breaks during our workday. We sit at our desks for prolonged periods of time during the day, we work through lunch or eat at our desk, we stay late and bring work home with us in the evening. The result is often mental and physical fatigue which results in reduced productivity. In the absence of breaks, we get sleepy, our reaction time slows, our critical thinking and problem solving is negatively impacted, and overall our productivity diminishes.
Our bodies need breaks for multiple reasons:
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mental break – time away from a problem or task can actually speed up time to solve an issue or complete work
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physical break – your body needs to change position, stretch and move
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nutrition break – water, healthy snacks and meal breaks are essential
How can we encourage our staff to take breaks? Here are some ideas to share and try at your workplace. Make sure your managers lead by example and take appropriate breaks too.
Mini break
If you work sitting at a desk in front a computer screen, as many people do today, try these tips:
- glance away from your screen every 15 minutes to give your eyes a rest and refocus on a point in the distance;
- stand up and stretch at least 1 time per hour;
- take short mini breaks of 1 1/2 to 2 minutes – fill up your water glass; get up and walk around the office; use the washroom on another floor in your building and take the stairs;
Coffee break
In some jobs it is not possible to take 1 to 2 minute mini breaks. If you work in customer service or in a job where you cannot take mini breaks, take a 15 minute break to enjoy a coffee, cold drink or snack, check your social media, take time to stretch and take a short walk.
Lunch break
Eating lunch at your desk is not the best option for taking a break, especially if you continue to work between bites. If you can, leave the office or eat your lunch away from your workstation. Try these other tips:
- If the weather is nice, eat outside or have lunch on a patio;
- Go for a walk, to the driving range or to the gym;
- Try learning something new at lunch – schedule a webinar or listen to a podcast;
- Schedule a few errands that require you to walk and will take your mind off work in a pleasant way – for example, pick up a new golf club or browse for birthday cards, don’t schedule a phone call to your cellular company to dispute a bill;
- read the news, a magazine or a novel;
- Take time to call a friend or check your social media.
Downtime after hours
Many people work long hours at the office and bring work home with them in the evening. With todays communication technology it can be hard for some people to stop working in the evening. Every workplace has different norms and expectations, but more and more workplaces are finding it necessary to put limitations on their employees’ work activities afterhours. Concerns for employees mental health, stress management, work and family balance, as well as responsibility for overtime pay are just some of the reasons employers are “putting the breaks” on after hours work.
