Why we should normalize breaks
And the science behind NOT taking a break from work!
“Tea’s ready”
“Coming in five!”
Those five minutes turned into multiples of five when I urged my husband to leave his work desk on an amber autumn afternoon. Work, I agree, is worship; however not to the extent that taking a tea break from work becomes difficult.
I said the same to him. He left his desk after another fifteen minutes when the warm tea had turned into a cold beverage. Yesterday, something similar happened to me. I was so engrossed with my work that even a restroom break seemed a task.
Such incidents make me question our work ethics. Are we being ethical in depriving ourselves of small breaks during work or at the workplace? Short and meaningful breaks in between work do wonder on our mind and health and on that I will stress later in this article.
But first, let me explain to you the science behind ‘not taking’ breaks.
Why do people shy away from taking breaks?
I have never worked in the corporate sector, hence my examples will be from my workplace. During my eight years of teaching, I hardly remember taking either long or short breaks. I used to avoid taking leaves for vacations or family get-togethers. Short leaves or absences would make me feel guilty and anxious to be away from work.
“The school and students will suffer. Besides, you get your summer, winter, and other festive vacations”, the school head would say.
And I would feel grateful towards the school and cancel all my plans. This is where the unrest and anxiety crept in. When my mind and the outside didn’t sync.
I understand that being an educator places immense responsibilities on an educator and every job requires dedication and loyalty towards work, but is a worker, not a human? And every human needs a break!
This scenario always reminded me of a quote by the candid and upfront Bukowski-
“How in the hell could a man enjoy being awakened at 6:30 a.m. by an alarm clock, leap out of bed, dress, force-feed, shit, piss, brush teeth and hair, and fight traffic to get to a place where essentially you made lots of money for somebody else and were asked to be grateful for the opportunity to do so? ”
Firstly, BEWARE of the heads/managers/employers who fill your head with words of regret and thoughts of remorse for a mere simple act of taking a break! By breaks, I mean, short vacations or a tea, coffee, walking, or recreational break. Do not misunderstand these breaks with unreasonable frequent absenteeism from work or unnecessary loitering around in the office.
In recent research, Mike Oliver and his colleagues from Staffordshire University held five focus groups with 27 employees of a local authority in the UK. The employees worked at varied seniority positions, ranging from junior staff to middle and senior managers. The interviews drafted out interesting results. The majority of the employees preferred lunch break-cum-meetings, which served both purposes. Many did not want to ruin their relationship with their managers. Some felt under pressure to take breaks during work hours. It was also observed that the participants deliberately forced themselves to complete work tasks, even though knowing well enough how beneficial breaks are for their well-being and productivity. Lack of space for a break was also one factor that resulted in fewer employees taking a break as they could be seen available for small tasks.
While researching on this issue, I was surprised to find out about legal rest breaks in Finland. The country allows a legal 30-minutes uninterrupted rest break after 6 hours of work, which may be extended up to an hour. There are also daily and weekly rest breaks. No wonder Finland is the happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report 2021.
That takes us to the next big question.
Why are breaks important?
According to Charlotte Fritz, Ph.D., an associate professor in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology at Portland State University in Oregon, breaks can enhance our moods, overall well-being, and efficiency.
Take a selfish ten minutes ‘me-time’ break off from your work desk. Return and get back to work. You will feel light, relaxed, and focused. Breaks improve our focus, performance, and attention. Oh, let me back up my claims with some facts!
A study shows that university students, who underwent break activities, performed better on certain tasks, as compared to those who did not participate in the activities. So, breaks improve performance for sure.
What else do work breaks help with?
Breaks improve our moods. A study suggests that taking microbreaks, like chatting with a colleague, watching funny videos, a healthy snack break, or relaxation and distraction techniques elevate mood. Thus, when a person comes back to work, he/she feels energized to be back at the task, and hence, the performance also boosts.
Breaks also improve concentration.
Ever returned to work after a physical workout? Physical activities and breaks increase the flow of blood, oxygen, and happy hormones in our bodies. This results in improved brain functions, retention as well as attention.
The monsters, or culprits on a lighter note, are among us. Those coworkers who glorify the workaholic hustle-culture. Such people consider work important over everything else- health, relationships, and self. I try to stay away from such happiness suckers, and you should do it too. How can work be more important than the self? This puts a question mark on our very existence and upbringing! Have we really been brought up and lived with such meager thoughts?
My respect and admiration for a friend were raised to zenith when she told me that she had quit her stressful job for HERSELF! She had been complaining of not being able to give time to herself and others around. In these times when people advocate multiple jobs, she quit one to work on herself.
It is not easy for everyone to take such a drastic step because it directly affects our income and livelihood. But mini relaxing breaks like the following are very much possible, rewarding, and affordable( you don’t have to spend huge bucks on fancy vacations)-
Eyes open mindfulness
Find a peaceful corner in the office, a vacant conference room for example, and sit there for 10 minutes with your eyes open. Breathe deep and concentrate on your breathing. Try not to think about work during these 10 minutes.
This can also be done in an open space. Suppose you have a terrace or garden at your workplace. Just sit or stand there and observe the trees, birds, and nature around you. Meditation need not only be practiced in comfortable clothes, closed eyes, and hands-on your knees. Mindfulness is all about being present in the present moment.
Here are a few links to learn more about this:
Talk to any ‘fun person’ around you
Who is a fun person? That could be anyone whom you enjoy talking to or who makes you laugh. One who fills your head with positive thoughts and emotions. I had a cleaner at my workplace who chanted verses from the Bhagavad Gita. I used to speak to him for a few minutes every day, where he would explain those verses to me. Yes, you read it right! There is something to learn from everyone.
Take a quick exercise break
Every corporate office these days has a recreational or fitness center. Try an indoor sport for 30 minutes or play a board game with your group. I bet you will leave the room smiling and galvanized. These microbreaks have a macro effect on you.
Form your own club
Our workplace is a cohesive group of people with varied interests and hobbies. Hobbies help us connect with others as well as ourselves. Did you know that you can perform 15 to 30 percent better at work if you engage in creative pastimes like dancing, writing, reading, singing, art etc.? Doodling, for instance, can improve your memory by 29 percent! So, what can you do to make your breaks more enjoyable? Find like-minded people at your workplace, form hobby groups/clubs and organize regular meetings. And please DO NOT DISCUSS WORK during those heavenly minutes. My friend formed a dance choreography group like that.
These are just a few ideas that came to my mind. Let your creative mind do the talking and find one that suits you.
Overworking and working without breaks can lead to burnouts and stress. The picture seems more horrifying when I see people stressing over taking a break. Let’s normalize taking breaks. It is time for me to put my laptop on sleep mode and relish the fall season from my balcony. Oh, there is a woman walking her dog while the crispy hazel leaves crunch under its paws. I do not want to miss this.
Over and out!
