The start of 2019 is a great time to look back at 2018 and consider how you can improve your work and your business in the next year. And, if the end of your year was anything like ours, you were probably busy during the holiday season. If the holiday rush left you feeling harried, you might want to consider this idea for a New Year’s resolution: taking more breaks.
Why Take More Breaks?
It can be hard to justify taking a break, especially when you’re feeling overloaded, but breaks really do help you work better! In a 2013 article, the New York Times wrote that a strategic break in your day “boosts productivity, job performance and, of course, health.” If you spend too long on one task without giving yourself time to refresh, on the other hand, you might find your energy and your focus flagging.
When Should You Be Taking Breaks? Consider Scheduling them Ahead of Time
If you’re having trouble taking breaks, you probably want to get the most out of the breaks you take. A number of different sources have weighed in on how often you should take a break and how long in order to get the most out of it:
- One University of Illinois study suggests taking a break once every hour.
- Magazine suggests taking a break every hour to hour-and-a-half.
- Desktime, a time-tracking app, says that it’s most effective to take a 17-minute break every 52 minutes.
- Robert Pozen of the MIT Sloan School of Management suggests taking a break every 75 to 90 minutes
- The popular Pomodoro Technique is based on taking a short break every 25 minutes and a longer break every 90 minutes or so.
So which of these recommendations should you use? That depends on you and what works best for your business. You could try out each option for a day or two to see which one makes you most productive, you could pick the one that works best with your work load for the day, or create a system of breaks that is entirely your own.
And, once you’ve got a system in place, be sure to follow it. Make those breaks a part of your schedule so that you have time set aside every day to recharge. Put them on your calendar, and, if you have to, set a timer.
Can’t Take A Break from Work? Take A Break From Your Current Task
If you feel guilty about taking a break, you’re not alone. According to one study, most people just “power through” their work day. And sometimes you genuinely can’t get away from your work on a busy day. So what should you do then? Consider taking a break from your current task by changing your focus to another one. You might not be taking off for a walk or a run to a local café, but the change in topic will still give your brain a chance to recharge before you get back to it.
Is taking more breaks on your New Year’s resolution list? We’d love to see your resolutions in the comments below! And be sure to check back next week for another of our New Year’s resolutions that you might want to consider adding to your list.
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