By Jessie Wood
We all know it’s important to take breaks at work, but do you let yourself truly idle? Here’s how (and why) to take better breaks throughout your day.
We’ve all heard how important it is to take breaks at work. We can only sit in front of a computer for so long before our attention wanes and even the simplest tasks start to take, seemingly, forever. There’s a ton of research out there about the optimal amount of time we should work between taking breaks. We talk about it constantly. And yet, aside from lunch, how often do you actually take a real break during your workday?
I constantly take breaks throughout the day, but I have to admit, they usually involve staring at my Twitter feed for a while, and when I go back to work, I don’t feel like I truly took a break or refreshed my brain. It’s not a break so much as a prolonged distraction. And so, it feels like a waste of time, and I feel guilty for taking time away from my work. Because when you’re not taking a true break, it is a waste of time.
When you don’t let yourself take a true break from work, it becomes a waste of time.
Read more: How to take better breaks at work