Here's Why You Should Take Breaks
Take A Break And Improve Your Performance
Did you know that taking breaks is good for productivity? The science of rest and recovery gives a clear message: When you take a break, you return to your work with more energy and focus.
We discuss the neuroscience behind taking breaks and why it is essential for productivity.
The Power Of Breaks
From a neuroscience perspective, taking breaks benefits your physical and mental health. Physically, taking regular breaks allows you to reset your body’s systems and recharge. This helps reduce fatigue and stress levels, making it easier to focus on tasks.
Mentally, stepping away from your work can help stimulate creative thinking and allow your brain to process information more effectively. Regular breaks can help ensure that you can stay productive and creative throughout the day.
Another important benefit of taking a break is that it allows you to reconnect with your environment. It allows you to step away from your work and appreciate the world around you. This can provide a much-needed refresher, allowing you to come back refreshed and in an improved frame of mind.
Finally, taking breaks can help boost productivity in the long run by helping us avoid burnout. Burnout occurs when we push ourselves too hard without giving our minds or bodies a chance to rest and recover. Taking regular breaks helps prevent this from happening, ensuring you can stay productive and energised throughout the day.
Fatigue
Fatigue is a common issue that can significantly impact cognitive functioning. Fatigue often results in decreased attention span, difficulty focusing, and slower reaction times. As fatigue sets in, our ability to think clearly and react quickly diminishes. Additionally, fatigue can lead to impaired decision-making and decreased motivation and productivity.
When we become fatigued, the brain does not receive enough oxygenated blood to keep it functioning optimally. This reduces the activity of neurotransmitters responsible for memory and learning functions. In short, fatigue can impair many critical cognitive functions, which can cause problems with focus, concentration, performance, and decision-making abilities throughout the day.
Taking regular breaks helps combat these effects of fatigue by allowing your mind and body to rest and recharge. This helps ensure that you can stay focused and productive throughout the day while also helping to prevent burnout.
Psychological Hurdles
Taking regular breaks is essential for physical and mental health, yet many people find it hard to take them. This can be due to various psychological barriers that make it challenging to step away from work.
For instance, some may fear that taking a break will make them appear lazy or unproductive in front of their colleagues or superiors. Fear of missing out on key information can also prevent people from stepping away from their desks during the day. Many also struggle with guilt when taking time off – feeling like they’re not doing enough for their job when they should be working instead of taking a break.
Others may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do and fear taking a break will make it harder to pick up where they left off. This fear of failure can be a significant barrier to taking breaks, as people may feel like they’re not getting enough done when they take time away from work.
Strategies
By understanding the science behind taking a break, you can use this knowledge to help boost your productivity levels and maintain optimal cognitive functioning.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your break time:
Take a walk or do some light exercise – This will help reset your body and provide a mental boost.
Listen to music or watch something enjoyable – A little entertainment can help reduce stress and give you an emotional lift.
Get away from your workspace – Try to find somewhere new to go during your break so that it feels like a real escape.
Talk to someone – Chatting with someone can be a great way to take your mind off work.
Challenge thoughts that pull you away from taking breaks. We often engage in catastrophising when considering a break. Read more about cognitive distortions and CBT techniques to develop strategies for unhelpful thinking patterns.
Summary
Regular breaks throughout the day can help you stay productive and creative while reducing the risk of longer-term problems (e.g., burnout). The benefits of taking breaks accumulate over time. So, be mindful of unhelpful thinking patterns and other barriers.
We are Coaching & Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. We can also help you overcome barriers to taking breaks. Read more about our work, watch practical skills videos or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.