There scientific reasons to prioritize breaks at work

A. When you’re really in the groove of a task or project, the ideas are flowing and you feel great. But it doesn’t last forever – stretch yourself just a bitbeyond that productivity zone and you might feel unfocused, zoned out or even irritable. What changes? The good news is that the fix for this unfocused condition is simple – all we need is a brief interruption to get back on track. University of Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lieras explains: “From a practical standpoint, our research suggests that, when faced with long tasks (such as studying before a final exam or writing your thesis, it is best to impose brief breaks on yourself. Brief mental breaks will actually help you stay focused on your task!”

B.Our brains have two modes: the “focused mode,” which is our more relaxed, daydreamy mode when we’re not thinking so hard. You might think that focused mode is the one to optimize for more productivity, but diffuse mode plays a big role, too. In fact, although our brains were once thought to go dormant when we daydreamed, studies have that activity in many brain regions increases when our minds wander. Some studies have shown that the mind solves its stickiest problems while daydreaming – something you may have experience while driving or taking a shower. Breakthroughs that seem to come out of nowhere are often the product of diffuse mode thinking. That’s because the relaxation associated with daydream mode “can allow the brain to hook up and return valuable insights.

“When you’re focusing, you’re actually blocking your access to the diffuse mode. And the diffuse mode, it turns out, is what you often need to be able to solve a very difficult, new problem.”

C.Another prime benefit of breaks is that they allow us to take a step back and make sure we’re accomplishing the right things in the right way. When you work on a task continuously, it’s easy to lose focus and get lost in the weeds. In contrast, following a brief intermission, picking up where you left off forces let you take a few seconds to think globally about what you’re ultimately trying to achieve. It’s practice that encourages us to stay mindful of our objectives …

So we know taking breaks is a scientifically proven method for regaining our focus, sharpness and motivation. But taking a walk or a reading break in the middle of a workday? Can we really get over how guilty that’ll make us feel?

A study of office workers and managers by Staples discovered that even though 66 percent of employees spend more than eight hours a day at work, more than a quarter of them don’t take a break other than lunch. One in five employee respondents said guilt was the reason they don’t step away from their workspaces.

And that’s with 90 percent of the bosses surveyed saying that they encouraged breaks and 86 percent of employees agreeing that taking breaks makes them less stressed and more productive! It’s become normal to think that if you never take a break from work, you’ll get more done, get promoted and be more successful.

“When demand in our lives intensifies, we tend to hunker down and push harder,” says Tony Schwartz, head of New York City-based productivity consulting firm The Energy Project. “The trouble is that, without any downtime to refresh and recharge, we’re less efficient, make more mistakes, and get less engaged with what we’re doing.”

Here’s how Tim Kreider describes breaks in The New York Times: “Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction. It is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done.”

Ex. 4. Read the text carefully. Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?

a) Daydreamy mode is less productive than the focused one.

b) Major advances in research can be achieved only when you are focused.

c) In a diffuse mode it is easier to think globally.

d) Working continuously helps to retain motivation.

e) Most employees would feel guilty taking breaks other than lunch break.

f) Bosses tend to discourage breaks as the productivity suffers.

g) You will never be promoted if you often take breaks.

h) An employee feels exhausted when he is pressed for time.

Ex. 5. The passage below is taken from the text. Where should it be – 1, 2 or 3?

Basically, the human brain just wasn’t built for the extended focus. Our brains are vigilant all the time because they evolved to detect tons of different changes to ensure our very survival. So focusing so hard on one thing for a long time isn’t something we’re ever going to be great at (at least for a few centuries).