The circumstances caused by the Coronavirus have not only changed the perception of work but also introduced us to some new trends like remote work, the Great Resignation, and employee well-being. And all of these are here to stay.
Many business leaders tend to adjust quickly to these changes, devising elaborate employee wellness programs to prevent potential burnout and boost their motivation engagement and productivity. And when they think about steps towards enhancing employees’ wellness, they often opt for offering meditation and yoga classes, and mental health support, rather than allowing frequent work breaks.
Why is That?
The answer may be entrenched in a culture that promotes constant hard work as the only way to success. For this reason, almost 22% of American business owners believe that workers who don’t take breaks are more productive than those who do, while 38% of employees say that they aren’t encouraged to take breaks at work.
However, the reality is completely different. It’s a well-known fact that constant overworking may lead to disengagement, lower productivity, burnout, or even depression in the long run.
This can seriously affect your business’s success and brand image.
So if you want your employees to feel motivated, productive, and satisfied with their work, keep reading. Here, you’ll see what the benefits of frequent breaks are and find out how to recognize when some of your workers need them.
Breaks Prevent Employees from Losing Focus
Most employees perform well when they’re in the zone and their thoughts are flowing uninterruptedly. But these periods don’t last long. As soon as their focus shifts, they may feel detached from their work or even irritated. This can lead to a sudden productivity drop.
How employee productivity levels can change so abruptly?
Well, the human brain isn’t wired for a long-term deep focus that is so desired at a workplace nowadays. It’s constantly vigilant, detecting various changes to ensure self-preservation.
So it’s not in human nature to stay focused on a single demanding task for a long time.
This said taking a short break may be a quick fix that’ll help your workers regain much-needed focus to finish complex tasks. According to one psychologist, it is beneficial to take short breaks when faced with time-consuming tasks because they may help employees stay focused on the things they need to do.
Breaks May Help in Finding Solutions for Challenging Issues
Human brains operate in two modes – deep focus and daydreaming mode. The first is in charge of learning, working, or writing while the second is “on” when we are relaxing or doing something undemanding.
The entrenched idea in the business world is that only a deeply-focused employee produces high-quality outcomes and contributes to overall productivity. But the daydreaming mode can have a significant impact on employee productivity also.
Some studies say that we can come up with a solution to a complicated situation while our brain is in relaxing mode. This may be because this state of detachment allows us to look back on valuable insights and information that we may overlook when focused on specific issues.
This is why you should allow employees struggling with a problem to take a short break, have a coffee, or even a short walk so that they can shift focus and let fresh ideas flow.
Breaks Help Employees Reconsider Their Goals
The Harvard Business Review emphasizes another benefit of short breaks at work. According to this research, they allow employees to take a step back and reevaluate their goals and processes, making sure they’re taking all the right steps.
When working for hours, employees get easily overwhelmed by their tasks. Contrary to them, those who practice taking short breaks can often gain a clearer picture of what needs to be done to achieve set goals.
How Can You Recognize When Your Employees Need a Break
Now that you know how your teams can benefit from frequent breaks at work, you need to know when it’s the right time for them to relax. This is a difficult task for all managers, especially for those running remote teams.
The good news is that you can always rely on digital solutions like employee tracking software to provide you with the information you need.
This effective solution identifies the apps that your employees use daily, separating them into productive, unproductive, and neutral. You can use this data to see whether they tend to spend their time productively or not. This monitoring software can also offer you productivity and biorhythm reports showing you how their productivity fluctuates during the day.
This will make it easier for you to determine when the time is perfect for employees to take a break.
By allowing your employees to clear their minds from time to time, you can help them regain focus, stay productive, socialize with coworkers and avoid harmful burnout. #KhabarLive #hydnews
