Why Taking Breaks Actually Helps You Work Better | Office Evolution
If you work in a high-stress role where you have a laundry list of tasks to get done every day, you may be used to sitting at your desk for hours on end. Plus, depending on your company culture, you may not even be interested in taking a break—nearly half of employees do not feel comfortable doing so according to a recent Forbes poll.
However, what if we told you that taking time away from your desk can improve the time you spend at it? While it may seem counterintuitive, taking a break once every hour or so can actually help you get your best work done—and below we will take a look at how this happens.
How Taking Breaks Helps Your Work
Breaks provide a sense of perspective. If you are zoned in on a complex task, it can be all too easy to “lose sight of the forest for the trees” as they say. If you are too focused on minute elements of a task, it can be easy to lose perspective on the bigger picture—but by stepping away and taking a break, you can better equip your brain to zoom out and consider all angles.
Breaks allow you to solve problems. If you have ever heard people say that their best thinking happens in the shower, while they are driving or while they do something completely unrelated, that should not come as a surprise—that is truly how our brains process information and problem solve. Our brains have a unique capability to free-associate facts and information, which means that letting them wander can be a smart strategy for arriving on a solution.
Breaks make room for healthier habits. Sitting for long periods of time is hard on our bodies, so taking regular breaks to stand up and move around can counteract the strain of being at a desk all day. Using your break to stand up and move around is a great way to give your brain and your body the boost it needs to keep working throughout the rest of the day.
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