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Infographic: How to Use Your Breaks to Be More Productive

Regular breaks make you happier, more focused and more productive – even a 30-second break can improve your performance. Here’s how to make the most of your break – whether you have 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes to spare.

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Zahra Campbell Avenell

Feb 27,2017

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Taking regular breaks can do wonders for your productivity.

Countless studies have demonstrated that even short diversions from a task can dramatically improve your performance.

If you think about it, Newton discovered gravity while relaxing under a tree, Archimedes was chilling out in the bathtub when he had his ‘Eureka!’ moment, and Einstein came up with the theory of relativity while riding his bicycle.

So what you do while you’re not working is just as important – if not more – as what you do while you’re working.

It might sound crazy, but science has shown that looking at adorable kitten and puppy pictures, listening to music while you work and exercising – even just at your desk – can increase your productivity. 

Here are 16 other ways to use your breaks to get a productivity boost

Source: Quid Corner

Sources

Harness, J. (2016). The Importance of Breaks At Work. lifehack.org
Johansson, A. (2015). Can Creative Breaks Boost Your Employees’ Productivity?. entrepreneur.com
Career Concepts. (2016). How to Take A Real Break. careerconceptsinc.com
Schwarz, T. (2010). The 90-Minute Solution. huffingtonpost.com
tom.james.watson. (2016). Break Timer. chrome.google.com
Marinara Timer. (2016). Marinara Timer. marinaratimer.com
EyeLeo. (2015). EyeLeo. eyeleo.com
The Muse. (2016). Take Five: 51 Things to Do When You Need a Break at Work. themuse.com
Cirillo Company. (2016). Things To Do In Your 5 Minutes Break. cirillocompany.de
Tyagarajan. (2016). How Solving the Rubik’s Cube can make your Brain Sharper. chalkstreet.com
The Muse. (2016). Take Five: 51 Things to Do When You Need a Break at Work. themuse.com
TED. Let us surprise you.ted.com
Patel, N. (2014). When, How, and How Often to Take a Break. inc.com
Gordon, J. (2014). 10 Fun Things To Do During Your Lunch Break.linkedin.com
Mitchell, H. (2013). Making the Most of Your Lunch Hour. wsj.com
Nikitina, A. (2016). 21 Counter-Intuitive Break Ideas to Boost Your Productivity at Work. lifehack.org
Oaklander, M. (2015). 10 Deskercises You Can Do at Work. time.com
Kim, L. (2016). 4 Must-Watch Inspirational TED Talks on Creativity in Business. inc.com

About the author

Zahra Campbell-Avenell covers career planning, skill development, and professional advice at Career FAQs.

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