1.
Research has found that taking short breaks between work tasks can improve energy levels and decrease tiredness — and could also improve workplace well-being.
2.
This is according to researchers at a University in Romania, who looked at 22 studies published within the last 30 years. The studies included around 2,300 participants. Around half of the studies involved students, while the other half involved workers. The results of the analysis were published in PLOS One.
(1)Do you often take micro-breaks at work? How do you usually spend them?
(2)What do you do to boost your energy levels when you feel tired at work?
3. All of the studies looked at how breaks of 10 minutes or less — which the research calls “micro-breaks” — affected the participants. In the studies, participants were given different types of work- and non-work-related tasks to do. The studies used different types of breaks too. For example, some had participants take physical breaks, while others had them do things like watch videos.
4.
The participants were asked questions about their energy levels and their level of productivity. The analysis found that any type of micro-break resulted in higher energy levels and feeling less tired.
(1)When do you usually feel most productive at work?
(2)Is it better to be a boss or an employee? Why?
5.
The researchers also said that micro-breaks could help people do better with certain tasks, such as creative ones or simple office ones. However, breaks did not improve the results of more difficult tasks. Based on these results, the researchers said that taking micro-breaks could be a good way of improving well-being in the workplace.
6.
A 2021 survey from the American Psychological Association found that 79% of US workers said they have high levels of work stress in the month before the survey. Nearly 3 in 5 participants also said they were negatively affected by this stress in different ways, such as having low energy.
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