Empowering Office with Break Strategy for Productivity & Well Being

Empowering your employees with office breaks allows you to not only increase productivity but also let your employees have a positive attitude toward you. However, breaks should be strategized in such a way that they make your employees re-energize instead of getting too lazy.

Before we jump on to the best strategy to implement breaks, let's discuss some of the benefits of taking a break at work.

Importance of Taking a Break at Work

Sitting at a desk all the time makes the person lazy and exhausted, affecting both the productivity and the physical health of the employees. Allowing your employees to have breaks during work hours makes them active and healthy. The physical movement of the body keeps them fresh throughout the day.

A recent survey from AFLAC shows that 59 percent of people feel burned out only after working for half a day. That is mainly because their manager thinks that working more would be the most productive. However, studies from various pieces of research show that a mix of breaks and work is the best way to get the best performance out of your employees.

It is also proved by the research that the more time you spend on your chair without changing position, the more dangerous it is for your physical and mental health. People with physical work are reporting less discomfort and exhaustion than the ones with sitting jobs. For that reason, it is important for managers and CEOs to change their behavior towards office breaks and start incorporating some of the strategies mentioned below to maximize the potential of their employees while keeping them satisfied with their workload.

Break Strategy That Any Office Can Incorporate

Now, let's start to learn how to take breaks at work!

Use Sitting and Standing Desks in Your Office Space

For that reason, many furniture companies have introduced standing desks. These desks allow your employees to work while standing and also set a timer whenever they want to change their positions. In this way, they will be able to work for longer hours as the frequent movements will keep the blood flowing well throughout the body.

Some of the best standing desks you can use for this purpose is the SmartDesk series from Autonomous. The desk comes with all the smart features, such as adjustable height and one-touch controls. Moreover, the desk can also lift up to 265 lbs. of weight, making it super durable for heavy equipment.

Break Activities

Many organizations allow their employees to do some activities during office break time. Engaging in any physical activity during your free time would activate your mental and physical muscles for producing high-quality work again. Research shows that 97 percent of people spend their break time scrolling on their phones, which makes them mentally exhausted. For that reason, we would recommend you prepare an office break room where your employees can find indoor games such as table tennis and fitness corners for exercising.

Set a Routine

Once you have got a smart desk in your office, the next step is to set a routine for sitting and standing for your employees. The golden rule for the employees sitting standing ratio is 3:1. Every hour, they should stand for at least 15 minutes. Another smart way to set a routine is to set an office break reminder that can help you move from your sitting to standing or vice versa. The routine would be a bit difficult to follow at first, but once the habit has been formed, the practice will do wonders in terms of overall productivity.

Implement Short and Frequent Breaks

Only sitting and standing while working won't fix the problem, as breaks should be completely separate from work. Providing long office breaks can be a bit difficult during high workloads, so it is better to provide your employees with short, frequent breaks to prepare them for the next task. This kind of break strategy can be incorporated by allowing your workers to take a break for 5 minutes every hour.

Another strategy is to allot them a time for which they can be completely free of work. For example, allowing your employees to take an hour-long office break throughout the day would leave them with a choice to take a break whenever they want. Every employee has different working stamina, so taking a break when the saturation point is near would be the best way to incorporate the break strategy.

Location for Breaks

The location for office breaks should not be the desks and office cubicles. Sitting in the same place without working won't do any good to the employees. Moreover, it would take the benefits of breaks out of the equation. So, it is better to move and leave the desk to feel re-energized to continue the work again. As an employee, one can move outside for a short walk or move from one place to another to refresh himself.

Take a Break Yourself

Waking up at 4 am and working consistently without breaks might sound like an ideal routine to get successful in life, but it would make you tired sooner than expected. You can only make others work when you are mentally and physically active, so make sure you take frequent breaks to let your mind relax before planning for the next big project.

Moreover, your employees are looking to you for motivation and inspiration, so show them how you manage your work and office breaks and make them work as if your clones are working as your team.