

In one study, students who took a break while studying a task performed better on a test the next day than students who studied nonstop without a break. It also facilitates learning and may boost performance. Unfocused time allows indiviudals to come up with creative solutions for problems and understand other people’s thinking. While in this default state, the brain activates old memories, processes emotions, recombines ideas, and seeks out big-picture strategies for the future. It switches to a brain circuit called the Default Mode Network, which uses even more energy than when focused on a task. It may feel like you’re resting when you daydream or take a break from a task, but your brain is busy. The human brain is designed to move through periods of focus and unfocus. When workers stay at a task for a long time, their performance suffers. It may be tempting to power through a big project or compress work hours in order to leave early.
REMINDER TO TAKE A BREAK HOW TO
Keep reading to learn why breaks are good for employees and companies, and learn how to encourage your employees to take them. Unfortunately, many employees don’t take breaks during the workday, and some even skip lunch. Breaks are essential for staying healthy, happy, creative, and focused at work.

Want to boost your employees’ productivity and job performance? Improve their downtime.
