How often should you take breaks?

Taking breaks is a widespread topic. It is even required by law to ensure that employees actually take a break after they have worked a certain amount of time. However, laws should not be the only reason why we take breaks at work. It has been proven, that breaks have a positive impact on our productivity and creativity.

Nevertheless, which one of us actually takes a 15-minute break after working for 90 minutes? Probably very few people. Many even skip their lunch break and work eight hours straight because they “have so much to do”.

What we often forget is that we become less productive if we work too long at a stretch. This is often because we get tired. We often focus to much on the deadline that is approaching, that we forget to take care of ourselves. We could avoid working a lot of overtime, if we just take more breaks as soon as we feel like our concentration gets worse. Because, once we are well rested we can work more effectively and finish our job faster.

Therefore, you should always find the time for a short break. Of course, there are weeks when you have to do so many things that every minute of work counts for you. This mostly happens when the deadline of a project approaches.

Now, keep in mind that if you don’t take any breaks at all and work 8,9 or even 10 hours at a stretch, you’ll usually achieve less than if you allow yourself a short break in between those hours. You don’t have to take a 15-minute break every hour and a half. Shorter breaks are also completely fine. Since everyone has their own working rhythm, you must develop your own working strategy. Take breaks whenever you feel like your concentration is going down. The important thing is that you take them at some point of the day.

You should find a short moment where you don’t have to think about your work. Take the opportunity to get a coffee or stretch your legs. A short conversation with your colleagues can also distract you from your work. You will see that after this short break you will work much more efficiently. With a clear head you are much more receptive, so that you reach your goals at work faster.

As you can see, breaks are anything but a waste of time. In the end, you will do your job even faster if you take a short break every now and then, than if you work through the whole day. When employees are well rested, they achieve more and work better. Breaks should therefore become an important part of your daily routine at work.

Now, it is our job help you take regular breaks. TimeTrack is an effective time tracking software for companies and freelancers. With our easy-to-use time tracking software you don’t have to worry about your time management anymore. We will not only track your daily working hours, but also the breaks you take. If we work together, we can make you more productive in the workplace and achieve your goals without working overtime together.

Set up a robust time recording system in minutes and save your time for the things that really matter: Learn more about TimeTrack