Giving yourself regular micro-breaks in a working day can increase the level of well-being and reduce the risk of burnout, according to a study by West Timisoara University in Romania taken up by Avantages.
The experts looked at more than twenty studies conducted on micro-breaks to draw conclusions. Participants in the various researches had to complete a series of tasks (cognitive, emotional and/or administrative) before taking a break during which they could socialize, walk, watch videos, help a colleague or set work goals.
The results showed that when they had to perform work-related activities during these breaks, participants developed negative emotions that reduced the quality of their sleep and well-being.
Those who took advantage of these breaks to do activities that stimulated them have on the contrary seen their level of fatigue decrease and develop positive emotions.
The length of these micro-breaks is difficult to establish, because depending on the work of the employee he will need more or less short breaks. Thus, the more demanding the person occupies a position, the longer his breaks should be.
However, the results show that the longer the break, the greater the effect on work performance.
“While the study doesn’t show a statistically significant increase in productivity, we do know that employee retention is better if they don’t experience constant exhaustion,” clinical psychologist Katie Moore told Medical News Today.
To avoid losing employees, it might be wise for employers to encourage their workforce to take regular breaks of a length appropriate to the heaviness of their tasks.
