This Simple Trick Will Make You Happier and Better at Your Job

Tech startups are famous for installing nap pods and break rooms to attract Millennial workers. But most people work in offices where slipping off for a snooze or a foosball match would put a big dent in their promotion prospects. Even for self-employed or remote workers who don’t have a boss peering over their shoulder, taking anything more than a lunch break during work hours is anathema. But this “all work and no play” ethos may be harming employee health and productivity. The latest evidence suggests that taking short breaks during the work day makes employees happier and better at their jobs. A recent study on call center employees found that taking short breaks to relax or socialize increased employees’ positive affect—basically, their on-the-job outlook, energy and enthusiasm—which translated to measurable gains in sales performance. “Micro-breaks didn’t directly benefit performance, but they did so indirectly through their impact on the employees’ positive emotions,” says YoungAh Park, coauthor of that study and an assistant professor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois. Another of Park’s recent studies linked micro-breaks with reduced stress, which in turn lowered rates of negative mood and emotion at the end of the work day. A micro-break, Park says, is “a totally voluntary mini-break that employees can take whenever they need.” This is different...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime Mental Health/Psychology Source Type: news