Most of you job-dwelling young professionals probably consider periodic coffee breaks the pinnacle of respite from labour. Trust us, we’ve seen the Instagram quotes you post.
Maybe you combine your caffeine fix with a short walk, or draw out your lunch hour to halve your day into two short shifts. Sounds great…But there’s more you can do to get the most out of your time away from the desk.
New research by Baylor University associate professors Emily Hunter, Ph.D., and Cindy Wu, Ph.D., has determined the most optimal time, duration, and activities to pursue the next time you take a breather from work.
Apparently the most beneficial time to take a break is mid-morning, which is what around 100 per cent of people aren’t doing. Dipping out earlier in the day does a better job of restoring energy, concentration, and motivation, so while an afternoon coffee run may feel nice, it’s actually less effective in offering any benefit to your well-being.
The study’s second major finding relates to how you spend your time away from work. Hunter found that activities you enjoy – not necessarily activities that are the complete opposite of your job, which is a common belief – are most “restful, provide better recovery, and help you come back to work stronger.” So if you’re an accountant, it may actually be more beneficial to do math on your break than doodle away on a napkin to give the other side of your brain some exercise just for the sake of it.
Finally, frequent short breaks are much more effective in combating burnout and somatic symptoms – including headache, eyestrain, and lower back pain – than taking off for an extended period.
“Unlike your cellphone, which popular wisdom tells us should be depleted to zero percent before you charge it fully to 100 percent, people instead need to charge more frequently throughout the day,” Hunter said.
And that, dear young professionals, is the take-away: Your body is not a cellphone, so make the right break-time call.
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