

You can spend your break doing work assignments, as long as you enjoy them.Īnother curious finding is the idea that you don’t necessarily have to engage in non-work-related activities to get the most out of a break. So it’s easier to restore your resources when you take a break closer to the start of the workday. That’s likely because, at least among those who sit in front of a computer all day, those resources are at their highest soon after you wake up, and gradually diminish throughout the day. Breaks taken earlier in the day were more likely to replenish resources, including energy, concentration, and motivation.

Results showed that the more time that had passed since the beginning of the workday, the less useful a break was. Breaks were defined as any period of time during the workday in which work tasks were not required or expected - so lunch, coffee, and socializing with coworkers were all included. The study, led by Emily Hunter, Ph.D., and Cindy Wu, Ph.D., at Baylor University, was based on surveys of 95 employees, who were asked to record their daily well-being and break activities throughout a five-day workweek. That’s according to new research, which found that mid-morning breaks are significantly more restorative than mid-afternoon ones. You might feel like a slacker if you duck out for a cup of coffee just two hours after arriving at the office.īut should your boss question your work ethic, tell her you’re acting in the interest of your own productivity. It often indicates a user profile.īreaks taken earlier in the day are more restorative, a study suggests. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
