New research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology shows potential benefits from taking “micro breaks” during your workday.
Traditionally, bosses view employees taking too many breaks as a bad thing. However, now we’re seeing value in what are being called “micro-breaks” – defined as five-minute breaks where employees can snack, chat, stretch, or do whatever else helps them to unwind.
This info comes from the results of two studies, one from the U.S. and the other from South Korea, and both looking at exhausted workers and what benefits might come from “micro-breaks.”
· The U.S. study had just shy of 98 workers fill out two different surveys each workday for two weeks.
· The South Korean study looked at 222 workers and had them fill out three surveys daily over a five-day workweek.
· Both studies asked about sleep quality, fatigue levels, and how they felt they were engaging with their jobs throughout the day.
The patterns they found were clear. Workers took more “micro-breaks” on the days they felt “most fatigued.” On the plus side, though, those breaks helped those same workers “better maintain” their energy levels through their shift. That, in turn, helped them stay more “engaged and alert.” They also found employees felt free to take more “micro-breaks” when they believed their employer “cared about their workforce” - meaning they felt “empowered to freely make decisions” about when to take those breaks and how often was appropriate.
HT: Study Finds