Taking a quick break at work is good for you

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Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

Meta-analysis: This type of study involves using statistics to combine the data from multiple previous studies to give an overall result. The reliability of a meta-analysis depends on both the quality and similarity of the individual studies being grouped together.

People: This is a study based on research using people.

Taking short micro-breaks at work, breaks less than 10 minutes long, can help boost your well-being and stop you from feeling tired, according to an analysis of previous studies. The analysis by Romanian scientists found that micro-breaks had a significant but small effect in boosting vigour and reducing fatigue. But when it comes to your overall work performance, microbreaks seem to be only helpful for tasks that required less brain power, with the authors suggesting more taxing tasks might require longer breaks. The good news is, the longer the break, the greater the boost on performance - so go grab that coffee guilt-free.

Journal/conference: PLOS ONE

Link to research (DOI): 10.1371/journal.pone.0272460

Organisation/s: West University of Timioara, Romania

Funder: The work of A. R. was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS - UEFISCDI, project number PNIII- P1-1.1-TE-2019-2032, within PNCDI III.

Media release

From: PLOS

“Micro-breaks” from tasks show promise in boosting wellbeing

Multi-study review also suggests short breaks may improve performance in certain settings

A review of 22 previously published studies suggests that taking micro-breaks—discontinuing a task for periods of 10 minutes or less—is generally associated with reduced fatigue and increased vigor. Patricia Albulescu of the West University of Timioara, Romania, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on August 31, 2022.

Concerns are rising over the heavy workloads and long shifts faced by many employees currently in the work force. An increasing number of studies explore various aspects of employee energy management and recovery, often focused on recovery after the workday is over. However, the potential effects of recovery processes during the workday remain unclear.

To improve understanding, Albulescu and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 22 studies from 19 manuscripts published within the last 30 years, all of which examined the potential benefits of taking micro-breaks from assigned tasks. Tasks varied between experiments and included work simulations, real work-related tasks, and non-work-related cognitive tests. Types of breaks varied as well, including physical breaks, relaxing activities, and more engaging activities, such as watching videos.

Statistical analysis of the combined study results revealed an overall association between micro-breaks, higher levels of vigor, and lower fatigue in participants, suggesting that micro-breaks may contribute to wellbeing.

No overall association was found between micro-breaks and better performance on tasks. However, when taking a closer look at the data, the researchers did find that longer breaks tended to be linked to better performance, especially for creative or clerical tasks, but less so for more cognitively demanding tasks.

These findings support micro-breaks as a potential strategy for boosting wellbeing in the workplace. However, when it comes to job performance, longer breaks may be needed for recovery from more cognitively demanding tasks. Future research could investigate longer breaks as well as address other remaining questions, such as optimal activities to engage in during a micro-break.

The authors add: "Our results revealed that micro-breaks are efficient in preserving high levels of vigor and alleviating fatigue."

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