Why You Should Give Yourself a Break

Working long hours can be physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing. Taking a break while working, or doing any activity for that matter, is essential to maintaining productivity throughout the day. Continue reading to explore the reasons taking a break can help improve your work week and what type of breaks are beneficial.  

Increase Your Productivity:  

• While many people think that taking a break may hinder their productivity or focus, the opposite can be true if you take the right type of break. According to a study on breaks conducted by UNC, breaks where you move around, socialize, or nourish your body and mind can increase your productivity and focus. Moving the location where you’re working, taking a power nap, grabbing a cup of coffee, or socializing with friends or coworkers can all give you these benefits. Coworking spaces such as Apt CoWork at Cason Estates give you the flexibility to take the perfect break where socialization, coffee, and the ability to move seats are right at your fingertips.  

Reduce Your Stress:  

• Breaks can also work to reduce stress! Focusing on one thing for long periods of time can wear out your mental capacity and cause small issues to feel much bigger. The previously mentioned UNC study found that taking breaks can not only improve focus and productivity, but that they can also reduce stress! Moving around and getting outside is one of the best ways to reduce stress during your break. Apt CoWork at Park Avenue is the perfect place to do both, as there is a large city park and the renowned downtown Sugar House within arm’s reach! Working in spaces with access to walking paths, the outdoors, or even outdoor seating can be essential to a stress-reducing break.  

Improve Your Health:  

• Moving around on your break doesn’t just increase productivity and reduce stress, it can improve your physical health as well! Sitting for long periods of time is known to cause back pain, poor posture, and a plethora of other health problems. Sit/Stand desks are one increasingly popular remedy for this, but walking around on your break is also essential. Decreases in stress from frequent breaks can also have physical health benefits by stopping stress-related behaviors and illnesses such as teeth grinding, tensing muscles, and cardiovascular disease.  

Increase Creativity:  

• In school and in sports, it was drilled into us all not to daydream while working or doodle while taking notes, but studies have shown that daydreaming and doodling during breaks can increase your creativity! These activities can lead to higher levels of dopamine and memory in addition to higher creativity and other right-brain cognitive activities. If taking a walk or socializing sounds like too much work for a break, close your eyes and do a little bit of daydreaming.  

At the end of the day, the common misconception that taking a break will cause you to lose focus is just that, a misconception. Taking the right kind of break, namely one that involves socialization, moving around, creative thinking, or nourishing your body, can lead to a plethora of short and long-term health benefits. Take caution though, as taking the wrong kind of break, such as scrolling through social media, emails, or the internet, can have the opposite effect. For the kind of environment that inspires the right kind of breaks, stop by and tour an Apt CoWork location near you.