How Do Short Breaks Keep You Focused on Tough Work Days?

Research shows that people take shorter breaks from work more on days when they are tired, but that's not a bad thing. Researchers have found that short breaks help tired employees recover from their morning stress and focus better on their work throughout the day.

Short breaks are defined as short, voluntary breaks during the work day. A break includes easy activities, such as eating a snack, chatting with a colleague, stretching, or doing crossword puzzles.

Sophia Cho, a job research co-author and assistant professor of psychology at North Carolina State University says: “A short break, by definition, is short! But a five-minute break can be very beneficial if you take it at the right time.

Studies show that it is in the company’s best interest to give employees the autonomy to take short breaks when needed, as it helps employees manage their energy effectively and engage in their work throughout the day.” 

The new research is based on two studies that explored issues related to short breaks in the workday. Specifically, the two studies aim to improve our understanding of how employees can enhance or maintain their energy levels throughout the day; This is in order to focus on work even when they start the day already exhausted.

The studies also outlined factors that may play a role in determining whether people took short breaks, or what they did during them.

The first study involved 98 employees in the United States. Study participants were asked to fill out two questionnaires daily for 10 consecutive work days, in the morning and at the end of the work day. The second study involved 222 South Korean employees. This study had participants fill out three questionnaires per day for five working days, in the morning, after lunch, and at the end of the workday.

The survey questions in both studies aimed to collect data on each study participant's sleep quality, fatigue levels, as well as their interaction with their work and workplace experiences that day. In both studies, researchers analyzed the data using statistical tools to examine daily fluctuations in sleep quality and fatigue, conduct work, and take part in various types of small breaks.

The results were straightforward. On days when employees were already exhausted when they got to work, they tended to take short breaks more frequently, and the short breaks helped them maintain their energy level, which in turn helped them meet work demands and interact better at work.

“Essentially, short breaks help you manage your energy resources throughout the day, which is especially useful on days when you are tired,” Cho says.

In addition, the researchers found that people were more likely to take short breaks if they felt the employer cares about workers' health and safety.

“When employees believe their employer cares about their health, they feel more empowered to make decisions freely about when and what kind of breaks to take, which is ultimately a good thing for both employer and employee,” Cho says.