Four Reasons to Take More Work Breaks

1. It’s good for your health. A 2021 study published in Environment International Journal found that worldwide, long working hours were linked to over 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease (1). Based on research, it’s safe to assume that a quick break can sometimes spell the difference between life and death.
2. Breaks boost productivity. As per Quinn Philipp’s 2023 article in Everyday Health, most individuals can't concentrate on a task for 90 minutes without their thoughts drifting. (2). Breaks — whether long or short — can help us recalibrate and make us more efficient.
3. Holidays keep you from burning out. In a 2023 feature for Harvard Business Review, Rebecca Zucker noted that employees often sacrifice paid time off for extra cash. This practice, however, is counterintuitive and can lead to increased stress. (3). Zucker adds that a quick break can reset your mind and stave off burnout. “Taking a vacation provides greater opportunity for rest and better sleep (both quantity and quality), which can help unclutter your mind.”
4. Taking time off can address chronic stress. According to a survey by Adobe that studied 1000 employees, 25% of Millennials and Gen Zs regularly check in with work on vacation (4). This is problematic because not shutting down at the end of the day means bringing stress home when you should be relaxing, writes Allaya Cooks-Campbell in her 2023 feature for Better Up (5).” In short, you can manage stress better with quick breaks and vacations.

Why Is It So Important to Laugh at Work?

What if we told you that the workplace thrives on laughter? Joint research from such organizations as Wharton, MIT, and London Business School confirmed that every chuckle brings numerous benefits to the company (6). 

 “Laughter relieves stress and boredom, boosts engagement and well-being, and spurs creativity and collaboration, analytic precision and productivity,” further explains Alison Beard in a 2014 feature for the Harvard Business Review.

So, don't forget to share a hilarious vacation meme with a friend who needs a break or slip in a worktime joke to lighten the mood — the benefits are too powerful to ignore. 

References

1. Frank Pega et al. “Global, regional, and national burdens of ischemic heart disease and stroke attributable to exposure to long working hours for 194 countries, 2000–2016: A systematic analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury.” Environment International Journal, September, 2021. | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021002208
2. Quinn Philipps. “Why Time Off Is So Good for Your Health.” Everyday Health, October 4, 2023. | https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/why-taking-time-off-is-so-good-for-your-health/
3. Rebecca Zucker. “How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being.” Harvard Business Review, July 19, 2023. | https://hbr.org/2023/07/how-taking-a-vacation-improves-your-well-being
4. Abigail Johnson Hess. “American workers spend on email each day.” CNBC, September 22, 2019. | https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/22/heres-how-many-hours-american-workers-spend-on-email-each-day.html
5. Allaya Cooks-Campbell. “Feeling tired? 7 reasons to take a vacation.” Better Up, January 7, 2023. | https://www.betterup.com/blog/reasons-to-take-a-vacation
6. Alison Beard. “Leading with Humor.” Harvard Business Review, May 2014. | https://hbr.org/2014/05/leading-with-humor