In this article on how to allow yourself to take breaks at work, I share with you some tips that will help you overcome your resistance to taking some time for your well-being during your workday.
If you find it challenging to take breaks, reading this article will help you overcome this obstacle and improve the quality of your professional and personal life.
Now, I invite you to move on to practical tips based on scientific research on break management at work.
1 – Schedule Your Breaks
The first piece of advice in this article is to schedule your breaks.
Yes, you heard it right, you must schedule your breaks to take them.
If you don’t do this, you won’t change your negative habit of working without interruptions, and you’ll have to rely solely on your willpower.
A study conducted by Bosch & Sonnentag (2019) showed that people don’t take their work breaks when they need them. Instead, they tend to do so, especially when they want to reward themselves.
So, it’s reasonable to schedule these breaks and see them as a reward.
On the other hand, by creating the habit of taking regular breaks, you will reduce your mental load while increasing your chances of actually taking your breaks.
To automate this process, use your smartphone to schedule at least 5 minutes of break every hour.
If you want to dive deeper into this topic, I invite you to read my article on how to change your habits or create a routine.
Next, I invite you to discover a brief excerpt from my radio talk on the topic of breaks.
2 – Take Breaks Even If You Don’t Feel Like It
If scheduling your breaks is not enough to change your behavior, I suggest focusing on the benefits of taking breaks.
These benefits are numerous, both for your well-being and your productivity.
In the recent article by Lyubykh & al. (2022), summarizing years of research on breaks, the following information can be found:
Micro-breaks are an important strategy for restoring energy levels (Kim et al., 2022) and improving psychological and physical well-being (McLean et al., 2001).
The use of green spaces is positively related to feelings of restoration (Colley et al., 2017), and studies comparing different relaxation break modes show that those taken outdoors generally have positive effects, while indoor breaks do not have positive effects (e.g., Cordoza et al., 2017).
These results are in line with the study by Walker & al. (2023), which shows that the number of outdoor breaks was associated with positive well-being improvements for telecommuting individuals, and with the study by Largo-Wight & al. (2017), which shows that outdoor breaks significantly reduce stress compared to indoor breaks.
These are just some of the many benefits of taking a few breaks during your workday.
Think about your health and well-being; it’s the best choice for both you and your professional activity because by neglecting yourself, you risk increasing the risks of burnout. So, don’t hesitate and take your break!
3 – Consider Your Health
You probably know that sitting in front of your computer for several hours is very bad for your physical and mental health.
Taking breaks in which you reactivate your body is essential for your well-being and also for better stress management at work.
As shown in the study by Taylor & al. (2013), taking what these researchers call “booster breaks” allows:
- Reduction of stress and promotion of enjoyment
- Increase in health awareness and facilitation of behavior change
- Improvement of social interaction in the workplace
However, these scientists have highlighted two aspects that can hinder implementation:
- The need for greater variety in Booster Break routines
- The need for increased managerial support
In summary, taking active breaks improves workplace productivity and safeguards your health.
You have every interest in planning active breaks during your workday.
It is also true that business leaders and managers have a responsibility to facilitate and oversee these good professional practices.
This is very important for all employees and even more so for those who are more sensitive to the judgment of others.
Furthermore, the study by Liu & al. (2021) shows that watching short videos significantly improves participants’ mood and their willingness to engage in the task, reduces physiological stress, and maintains task performance.
Here’s another example of a break you can plan to improve your well-being and feel like you’re not wasting your time watching short videos on YouTube.
4 – Adjust the Length of Your Breaks to Your Tasks
By now, you have probably understood the importance of taking breaks.
However, I suggest planning the duration of your breaks based on the difficulty of your tasks.
As shown in the study by Steinborn & Huestegge (2016), the benefits of breaks increase with the time spent working and are more significant for high-demand tasks.
Furthermore, the meta-analysis by Albulescu & al. (2022) shows that data support the role of micro-breaks for well-being. However, for performance, recovery after highly demanding tasks may require breaks longer than 10 minutes.
This means you should take longer breaks after tasks that require a lot of energy. In contrast, you can plan shorter breaks for simpler activities.
If you don’t follow this advice, you won’t be able to maintain good productivity throughout the day.
If you have the flexibility to organize your schedule as you wish, you can also plan the duration of your breaks based on your chronotype.
5 – Mentally Detach from Your Work
Taking breaks is beneficial for your well-being and effectiveness.
But if you want these breaks to be even more beneficial, it’s essential to learn how to completely disconnect from your work.
This result can be achieved in many ways.
For example, Chong & al. (2020) show that practicing mindfulness allows employees to mentally detach from their work by improving their mood, and strengthening intrinsic motivation, and work engagement. This, in turn, enhances their work effectiveness.
Practicing mindfulness, therefore, helps reduce rumination tendencies by enhancing your focus on the present moment.
Another way to distance yourself from your work is to read books that interest you.
Reading allows you to take an effective break and relax more.
If you’re unsure which books to choose, I recommend focusing on personal development books.
What are the best time management apps?
There are numerous time management apps available, as each app caters to different needs. That’s why I’ve written a comprehensive article on this topic. Now, discover the best time management apps.
Listen to an excerpt from my radio participation on the topic of time management
Conclusion
In this article, I have provided you with advice derived from scientific research that will help you take more breaks during your working hours. However, some of you may not be able to allow yourselves these moments of rest.
Customized coaching can help you overcome these barriers by enhancing your well-being, self-confidence at work, and professional efficiency.
If you are interested in the topic of productivity, I invite you to discover all my articles on productivity.
If you are looking for tools to improve your time management skills, I recommend you read my article on the best time management apps.
If you want to take advantage of the expertise of a time management coach, write to us now using our contact form or call us by phone or on WhatsApp at +33 6 69 46 03 79.
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Read this article in other languages
Français : Comment s’autoriser à prendre des pauses au travail : 5 conseils pour y arriver
Italiano: Come autorizzarsi a fare delle pause al lavoro: 5 consigli per riuscirci