Micro-breaks at work improve well-being and may prevent burnout, says a new study in PlosOne.
More and more we hear that people drop out at work due to a burnout, the result of a prolonged period of stress and overload where you often feel tired and can no longer do your work the way you would like.
Workplace burnout has been a major concern for the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2019, which describes the occupational phenomenon as “a syndrome that develops after chronic stress in the workplace that has not been successfully managed.”
With this in mind, researchers at the West University of Timișoara in Romania have gone through 30 years of research into 10-minute ‘micro-breaks’ to find out what its benefits might be.
The meta-analysis reviewed a total of 22 studies on the benefits of microbreaks; the results were published in the journal PlosOne.
Nature of the break determines its usefulness
During the ten-minute breaks studied, employees did things like: watch a video, go for a walk, help a colleague, set work-related goals or to-do lists, chat with other colleagues during a break.
The activity undertaken during the microbreak appeared to be an important factor in how useful the break was. Helping a co-worker or doing anything else related to the job led to negative emotions associated with the break.
According to the authors, “work-related micro-breaks led to decreased well-being, decreased sleep quality and increased negative mood.”
Physical breaks, on the other hand, were identified as particularly helpful. “Physical activities such as stretching and exercise were associated with increased positive emotions and reduced fatigue,” the authors write.
They also point out that micro breaks are not one-size-fits-all. The duration and nature of a ‘restorative break’ appeared to differ depending on the profession and the demandingness of the position.
Break culture
Katie Moore, a clinical psychologist at Affirming Psychological Services, co-evaluated the results of the study and advises employers to establish a culture that allows adequate short breaks for their staff. “The work environment should be such that employees don’t feel watched, judged or feel guilty about taking short breaks,” she says.
Burnout can occur when people feel overworked because they have too many expectations during a typical working day, because they no longer see the meaning of their work, have too little free time or are expected to work longer than is contractually agreed . Untreated burnout can lead to serious psychological complaints such as insomnia or depression.
According to the WHO, three symptoms point to (imminent) burnout: fatigue, negative feelings about work or distancing oneself from it, and finally a sharp reduction in the efficiency with which a person performs his or her tasks.