Why Taking Regular Breaks Is One Of The Most Important Habits Of Successful People

Taking breaks at work is so important but a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that more breaks mean less productivity. It’s a common misconception that hours worked equals output and if you take fewer breaks, you’ll get more done.

Some people also consider it to be lazy if you take regular breaks, which leads to people overworking themselves and eating lunch at their desk instead of taking some time away. But learning how to take regular breaks will actually benefit your work in a lot of ways. These are some of the reasons that it’s important to take breaks at work.

It Improves Concentration

Our brains can only focus for a certain amount of time before performance starts to dip. Even if you think that working for hours on end is making you more productive, it isn’t because you are only working at half capacity. When you take a short break, you give your brain a chance to catch up and process all of the information, so when you return to your desk, you will find it a lot easier to concentrate and work productively. The Pomodoro technique is built around this concept and involves 25 minute bursts of work separated by 5 minute breaks.

It’s Good For Your Health

There are a lot of health issues associated with working at a desk. Eye strain, for example, is very common when you’re looking at a computer screen all day. If you are concerned about your eye health, you should get your eyes tested and get some glasses (you can find some great ones here), but taking regular breaks helps to prevent eye damage. Getting away from your desk and walking around will also help to loosen up your muscles and prevent back and neck pain. Short breaks from time to time will help to prevent a lot of the health problems associated with sitting down in front of a computer all day long.

It Helps To Organize Your Time

The biggest mistake that people make when trying to be more productive is attempting to take on multiple tasks at once. However, this approach rarely works and it’s far more effective to finish tasks one at a time.

Taking regular breaks helps to divide the work day so you can focus on a single task during each section. If you are most productive in the morning, for example, focus on a longer task and complete it before taking a break. If you know that you are less productive in the afternoon, complete a series of simpler tasks with a short break in-between.

Adding that structure and taking breaks between each task helps you to switch your focus from one thing to another, giving all of your attention to the task at hand, and you’ll find that you are far more productive that way.

It Encourages Collaboration

Collaboration is so important in business but when you are working in your own space and never getting up from your desk, you don’t interact with other members of staff that often. You should use your breaks as an opportunity to connect with other people that are not part of your immediate team and encourage collaboration across departments. This will have a positive impact on productivity across the business.

Even though you might think that working yourself harder means that you’ll be more productive, that isn’t the case. That’s why taking regular breaks is one of the most important habits if you want to be successful.