The Art of Taking Breaks at Work (And Why You Need To)

Our worth seems increasingly measured by how busy we are at work. The more we work, it seems, the more we are valued by our employers and co-workers.

It’s bizarrely admirable to be more stressed and overworked than our peers. We wear our coffee-stained teeth, aching backs, and weary minds like a badge. A working culture like this leaves no time for breaks.

The problem?

Evidence is showing that breaks are incredibly important for our wellbeing and, ironically, overall productivity.

So, how do we take back much deserved breaks and increase our happiness and job satisfaction? Let’s take a look.

Why Taking Breaks At Work Is Important

work

Many of us put our hands up for additional projects. Rarely, though, do we find the chance to step away from our desks, or much less, actually celebrate taking breaks.

Employees who take this approach into the workplace have been misguided. While working around the clock to achieve praise and approval is encouraged by employers, it is proving to be detrimental to our mental health.

Overworked employees are stressed, physically overexerted, mentally drained, and downright burnt out. 

And when that happens, it goes against everything the employer was hoping for in the first place. Burnout decreases employee productivity and work performance, ultimately negatively impacting the employer’s bottom line. ¹

A lose-lose.

This is why it is integral that employers encourage their employees to take breaks throughout the workday. A recent survey conducted on millennial workers, the largest generation in the workplace, revealed some interesting findings. ² The study also highlights how rare breaks are becoming for many employees and demonstrates how important regular breaks are for workers' wellbeing.

The study found the following:

❌ About 1 in 5 North American millennial workers are worried that their bosses will think they aren’t pulling their weight if they take regular lunch breaks,

❌ 13% fear that their co-workers will judge them for taking some much-needed downtime

❌ 37% of millennials state that they don’t feel encouraged to take lunch breaks

❌ While 31% of North American bosses told researchers that employees who take regular breaks are not as hardworking

That’s not exactly great, is it? 

Workers are feeling they are unable to take breaks because of judgments by their co-workers and bosses. While it’s easy to think that maybe workers simply don’t want breaks, that’s not true either. The problem is systemic.

The same study found that:

• Nearly half of millennials strongly agree that they look forward to taking a lunch break

• 62% would take longer lunch breaks if possible

• 81% of employees who take daily lunch breaks have a strong desire to be active within their employer's companies

• And close to 90% state that taking a lunch break helps them feel refreshed and ready for work

Besides the fact that workers desperately want breaks, it’s also just really good for them! There are a lot of science-based benefits to taking regular breaks. ³ Taking breaks:

• Increases mental wellbeing

• Boosts productivity

• Increases creativity

• And leads to more time to spend on self-care

Okay, so now we know why this is important. Now let’s get to work on scheduling them into our days.

How to Take Breaks At Work Right Now

take a break

Contrary to common belief, employers actually benefit from giving their staff regular breaks. Increases in productivity, worker effectiveness, and quality of work ultimately mean more profit….and not many bosses can argue with that.

So how can you make sure that you’re getting your breaks each day? Here are some tips to help you reclaim your midday respite.  

1. Break Your Day Into Short Bursts 💪

Recent research analyzing computer use of 5.5 million office workers found that the top 10% of most productive workers all worked an average 52 minutes before taking a 17-minute break. ⁴

How does this increase productivity?

It’s simple, really: workers look forward to a well-earned break, which boosts motivation and focus. It was found that working any longer than this causes boredom. Our bodies weren’t made to sit in the one spot for eight hours. A short walk to the toilet or for another coffee allows for regular activity, further boosting mental focus.

2. Distract Yourself, It Can Actually Help You Focus 💭

Distraction is one of the many reasons workers don’t take breaks. Engaging in distractions when you planned to work makes you feel as if you don’t deserve a real break when the opportunity arises.

There is evidence to show, however, that distraction can actually be very helpful in finding and maintaining focus. ⁵

Wait, what? How can distractions actually boost productivity? For starters, the most helpful distractions are integrated into your breaks. This is how it works:

Set your mind to multitasking activities while away from your desk, shifting focus off the task at hand, and allowing your mind to recharge. Your brain will be ready to come back and crush a nagging problem you couldn’t get past a few minutes earlier.

3. Venture Outdoors 🌳

benefits of breaks

Being confined to a stuffy, artificially-lit office can leave you feeling like a vampire. Studies show that venturing outdoors on your work break can help reduce mental fatigue by relaxing the mind. ⁶ Also, exposing yourself to the sun helps increase productivity and often improves sleep.

And if you aren’t fortunate enough to make it outside during your break, why not try bringing nature to you. Get yourself a little leafy friend and sit them in your workspace. Plants help increase morale, work satisfaction, and patience.

4. Allow Your Mind To Stray 🧠

Science Magazine recently reported that allowing your mind to stray by daydreaming or ‘zoning out’ has very similar effects to meditation. ⁷

Allowing your mind a break in concentration lets the brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN), aka the very imaginative and distracting Monkey Mind, the ability to take over the frontal cortex.

While this isn’t always helpful while you’re trying to concentrate, it can make concentrating a whole lot easier when you give it some space to run free every once in a while. It gives a much-needed rest for the area of your brain that is responsible for memory, reason, problem-solving, and logic. 

5. Fuel Your Brain 🍌

Breaks are a great opportunity to grab a snack.

Make sure that you are reaching for the right fuel, though. Junk food high in salts and sugars will cloud the mind. It’s not to say that sugars aren’t good for us, it’s more about hitting a balance - finding that sweet spot to optimize your brainpower. 

Your brain requires a consistent level of glucose in the blood to operate optimally. When blood glucose levels drop it affects our memory, emotions, and energy levels. 

Sugars in health bars, bananas, or carbs from bread, rice, or pasta are all good sources of energy to ensure your levels don’t drop too low. Proteins have also been found to be greatly beneficial to cognitive abilities. Just a small handful of nuts or seeds or a quick sip from a protein shake can notably assist in upping brain performance.

How easy is that?

Don’t let your breaks be a sad timeout in the corner, where you guiltily hold off on work for a dutiful 15 minutes. Instead, make your breaks matter. Let them do something good for you (and your boss).

So, the next time you consider skipping out on a lunch break, remind yourself that it’s far more beneficial to your work performance to squeeze in a few minutes for a bite to eat or a short stroll to catch some fresh air. Your brain, overall health (and hopefully your boss too) will thank you.

• Sources

  1. Smith, Claire E. “Breaks That Break the Burnout Spiral,” 2019. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_olink/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=bgsu1546092217477005.

  2. “Tork,” n.d. https://www.torkusa.com/about/pressroom/take_back_lunch.aspx.

  3. Kuehnel, Jana, Hannes Zacher, Jessica De Bloom, and Ronald Bledow. “Take a Break! Benefits of Sleep and Short Breaks for Daily Work Engagement.” European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 26, no. 4 (December 26, 2016): 481–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2016.1269750.

  4. Gifford, Julia, and Julia Gifford. “Secret of the Most Productive People - Breaking | DeskTime Blog.” DeskTime Insights, May 3, 2023. https://desktime.com/blog/17-52-ratio-most-productive-people.

  5. ScienceDaily. “Brief Diversions Vastly Improve Focus, Researchers Find,” February 11, 2011. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208131529.htm.