Health News: Recent Research shows that taking microbreaks when tired is an effective energy management strategy while at work. It helps overcome fatigue and engage with work better over the course of the day.
Microbreaks means short breaks which include activities such as having coffee, stretching, walking, chatting with a colleague, and so on. Researchers at North Carolina State University considered two studies exploring issues related to microbreaks at work, what do people do in these breaks, how these breaks help in engaging with work and boost energy levels when people are already exhausted.
The first study involved 98 workers in the United States and each one completed two surveys (one in the morning and one at the end of the workday) per day for 10 consecutive workdays. The second study involved 222 workers in South Korea and each one filled three surveys (in the morning, after lunch and at the end of the workday) per day for five workdays.
The researchers obtained data related to participant’s levels of fatigue, changes in sleep quality, engagement with their work, experiences at the workplace, and engagement in varying types of microbreaks.
On those days, when people arrived at work already exhausted, they were found to take short breaks frequently. These breaks helped people refresh their mind and energise themselves. It helped them focus on work better and meet the work demands. In short, taking microbreaks is good for both employees and the employer.
To Know More, You May Refer To
Kim, S., Cho, S., & Park, Y. (2021). Daily microbreaks in a self-regulatory resources lens: Perceived health climate as a contextual moderator via microbreak autonomy. Journal of Applied Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000891
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