5 reasons to take a break

How many a times do you actually sit down ready for a productive day at work and yet get so little done? Don’t you worry; this doesn’t just happen to you. Most of us spend the majority of our time hunched over our keyboard, staring at our screen, which isn’t great, well for just about anything! Let’s face it; staring at a screen won’t get the work done… if only it were that easy. The reason behind why you might feel that you haven’t put a dent in that to-do list of yours might be just because you didn’t take your much-needed break.

Most of us are guilty of not taking enough breaks during our workday. Why? Well, we look at breaks as a waste of time, or we simply think it will put a halt to our productivity flow or maybe even worry that our bosses would think that we’re just slacking off. Oh, we couldn’t have been more wrong! Breaks, even just 5-minute ones can work wonders and might be the best thing you do all day. And now, Ellp is there for you to remind you about them!

5 reasons to take a break

Breaks increase work productivity

A study conducted by the University of Illinois shows that people who take a break every hour are able to focus more on their work and be more productive. How? Well, by providing your brain with the necessary breaks it so obviously needs, you return to your desk with a fresh mind and renewed energy. This also increases our attention span and helps sustain our concentration. After all, it’s not just us who numb out after a day of work, but our brains too!

Breaks boost creativity

Just like a car needs its fuel to keep going so does our creativity! No matter how much we enjoy doing our job, sometimes we end up staring into space trying to come up with the next big project for our company to take on but come up empty-handed instead. That shouldn’t come as a surprise if you don’t stop for a break. Even if it’s for just five minutes, simply stepping away from your desk, helping yourself to a cup of coffee, skimming through today’s newspaper or just going out for a bit of fresh air, can work wonders and get your creative juices flowing.

Breaks can help memory and learning

We’re constantly overwhelmed with the amount of information and to-do lists at work. Most of us end up with thousands of sticky notes as a sorry attempt to remember everything. But that doesn’t always work, does it? This is why downtime is so important, as it not only gives us that much-needed energy boost but also helps us with recall and with retaining more of what we’ve learned.

Breaks are essential for brain function

I bet many of you are guilty of having their lunch break at their desk. No one’s pointing fingers, I do it too. Thing is, this doesn’t help us at all. We’re trying to think about eating and working simultaneously, and most of the time we won’t be doing our job properly, just because we’re not fully focused on the task at hand. So the next time you’re up for a lunch break, just step away from your desk and step outside and give yourself some time to actually focus on eating. You deserve it! Remember your brain needs to think about other things, rather than just work, in order for you to be able to return back to your desk fresh. Just by taking that short break, you’ll get back to your task refreshed and be more productive.

Breaks relieve stress

Just like any other engine, the human engine runs on energy. So when you’re tired and don’t take your break, you’re setting yourself for disaster and creating more stress on your body. Your brains, your eyes, your body posture, need a break. So do yourself a solid one and step away from your screen every so often, to recharge and distress. This way you’ll prevent a work burnout and get back to work feeling more energized.

Ellp is here to help

If you’re the forgetful kind, there is a simple way to make sure you remember about your daily breaks. Yes, you guessed it, Ellp is there to help with its new card called ‘When I’m working hard, remind me to take a break’.

It’s normal to get carried away whilst you’re hard at work. It happens to each and every one of us that we’re just so focused on what we’re doing that we barely notice the time, and forget to take those so deserved short breaks. By activating this card, Ellp will notify you when you need to stop what you’re doing and take your break. To get the card, simply go to: https://www.ellp.com/