Taking a Break Improves Productivity

We’ve all been there. You are working hard, focused at work and feeling on top of the world. Ah, you are just being so productive! Then, it hits you unexpectedly like a speeding car coming out of nowhere from the dark of the night. Your head starts to turn rapidly and all of sudden you can’t focus. You feel the urge to get up to move around, work on something else or daydream. What happened? You were on such a role, but unfortunately, it was inevitable because research shows that that the majority of healthy teenagers and adults are unable to sustain attention on one thing for more than about 20 minutes at a time. So here’s a question for you: What should you do? Take a break.That’s right!

I know what you are thinking. “I’m too busy to take a break” or “If I take a break now, I won’t be able to finish everything.” Truth is, this is simply not correct. Now, it’s time to discover the sheer power of taking break from your work.

1. Breaks keep us focused

Studies show we have a limited capacity for concentrating over extended time periods. For example, studies show that performance starts to deteriorate after 50-60 minutes of continuous work. Taking rest breaks every 40-60 minutes can reverse this trend. The human brain was not built for the extended focus that we ask out of it. As humans, our brains evolved to be very aware of our surrounding environment. Hence, focusing on one thing for a long time is simply just not we are manufactured to do. By taking a break, you are actually setting yourself up to be more productive in the upcoming hours of the day.

2.  A break leads to mindfulness

When you take a break, you are taking a moment in your day to become mindful of the environment surrounding you. Often times, when we completely emerge ourselves in one specific task, we loose sense of what is happening around us. For example, I am sure that you’ve been in a situation where you are promptly typing away, and don’t even hear your eager co-worker repeatedly saying your name above that welcoming cubicle. Over the past few years, a number of studies have confirmed that the practice of mindfulness leads to enhanced performance, improved sense of well-being, reduced stressed and burnout and increased ability to remain calm in difficult work situations. Thus, when you are more mindful, you are more productive. This all starts by simply taking a break.

3. Taking a break is physically good for you

Numerous controlled studies demonstrate that musculoskeletal discomfort, eyestrain and physical tension are reduced immediately after taking rest breaks. Such breaks provide relief from the pain and discomfort due to sustained computer use, which affect up to 60% of people using computers. This being said, research supports the notion that not only is taking a break good for you mentally, but it is also physically good for you. Take that break- your body will thank you later.

4. Breaks increase brain activity

As you can see from the above brain scan, taking a twenty-minute walk increases brain activity. With the increased blood flow to the brain, you are able to make stronger connections, and ultimately retain more information. If you are prospecting through door knocking, you are killing two birds with one stone! I realize you might not be able to take a 20-minute walk in the middle of the workday every day, but the good news is that a recent study found that the use of "micro-breaks" (ie. lasting 20-30 seconds)  increased speed, accuracy and performance. So, ahead and get on Facebook every now and then or take 30 seconds to close your eyes and breath!

5. Taking a break allows you to re-evaluate your goals

This is something that is known as goal reactivation. When you are working on something continuously and then take a break, you come back to the task with a “new set of eyes.” You come back feeling refreshed, and this really shines a new spotlight on your work. Taking that time away forces you to take a few seconds to think about what you’re ultimately trying to achieve.  If you are struggling with something, don’t get frustrated.  Rather, take a break. When you come back to it, it is likely you will make forward progress. Even if you are not at a stand still, taking a break may help you find holes or inconsistencies in your work.

            When it comes down to it, make time to take breaks throughout the day. It will help you with focus, mindfulness, physical health, brain actively, and re-evaluation of goals. Each day, remind yourself to take set breaks. In the end, the time away, even if it’s just a micro break, will pay off.