4 Reasons You Should Schedule Workday Breaks

These days, it’s easy for healthcare workers (or any office workers) to get so busy and bogged down with their daily responsibilities that they neglect to take a break. No coffee break, no lingering at the watercooler, no lunch away from their desk.

One reason for this is that taking frequent breaks is often—wrongly—associated with a lack of productivity. However, that generally is not the case. More and more studies show that taking regular breaks aids productivity rather than detracts from it.

So, why else should you make time for regular breaks throughout the day? Here are a few other reasons:

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Just because you’re putting in long hours with your nose to the grindstone doesn’t mean you’re actually making a bigger impact. Being efficient and productive at work—even if it’s for shorter periods of time—is far more effective than putting in 10 to 12 hours struggling at your workstation.

Brain Food is Necessary

Breakfast and lunch should be non-negotiables in your day.

Feeding your body also means you’re feeding your brain. Anyone who has skipped one too many meals will confess that it’s almost impossible to concentrate when your stomach is rumbling.

Short Breaks Sustain Concentration

Studies have repeatedly shown that taking short breaks (think 15 minutes or so) rejuvenates brain function and helps you maintain concentration for longer. Likewise, an associate professor of industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology at Portland State University in Oregon says breaks refresh us for times of stress. 

“Taking regular breaks helps us to be more resilient when stressors arise, and they function as an intervention to help us deal with the daily grind,” said Charlotte Fritz, PhD, in an article by the American Psychological Association.

So don’t be shy about taking that stretch break or grabbing a quick coffee to get your juices flowing again.