Are You Taking Enough Breaks at Work? Find Out Here

For many of us in procurement, working harder means literally … working more hours. For procurement professionals everywhere, career success is extremely important, and many of us put in hours well beyond our contracted 40 per week. While this may sometimes deliver good results, it can also result in a number of negative consequences, for example, losing focus, getting frustrated, making mistakes, and even burnout. 

The key to managing this, even when longer hours are required or when more stressful situations occur, is to take breaks. But not all breaks are as effective as others. Here’s what you need to consider when taking breaks to ensure that what you’re doing results in maximum recharge and optimal productivity: 

1. Long breaks at work versus short breaks

Taking a break from focused, intense work can take many forms: for example, you can browse social media, take a walk, stretch, nap, or grab a coffee or a snack. All of these activities might take a few minutes, or they could even take an hour or longer. So, what’s the ultimate break ‘length?’

The answer to that isn’t as clear-cut as it might seem. Research shows that in the morning shorter breaks can be more effective, whereas as the day wears on (and especially after lunchtime, when fatigue can set in), longer breaks are needed to properly recharge you and return you to your morning productivity levels. 

Breaks as short as a minute can be effective, especially in the morning. 

What matters more than the length of breaks is how regularly you take them. Experts recommend taking some sort of break at least every 90 minutes.

2. At-your-desk break versus an outside break

When you’re busy in procurement, leaving your office building or home office might seem like an insurmountable task. But if you’re wanting to work as productively as possible, doing so might be the best thing you can do. 

Stretching at your desk can help recharge your body and your mind, so if there is no other option, this type of break can be effective. However, what’s far more effective is breaks outside, especially if they involve moving in some type of green space. 

Breaks in nature can provide both physiological and psychological rejuvenation, and also have the added bonus of some incredible health outcomes, including decreasing the prevalence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. 

3. Brain break versus body break

When you’ve been working on something that involves a lot of thinking, for example, a complex supplier analysis or a large RFP, it’s understandable that you might want to tune off a little and look at something a little more mundane. After all, who can resist catching up on all of the latest gossip on social media? 

As tempting as this might seem, simply taking a ‘brain break’ to look at something different, especially if it involves simply staring at a screen, isn’t the best break – and can, in fact, be emotionally exhausting. The best type of breaks to take are ones where you exercise other parts of your brain – and also your body. 

For example, a great break from demanding work could involve embracing your creative side. Creativity takes many forms; it might be diving into a new skill, such as learning a language or giving knitting a try.

An equally good way to take a break is to exercise, even if it involves gentle exercise such as walking. Walking, even for a few minutes, can help combat fatigue and help you return to your challenging procurement task feeling refreshed and more productive than ever. 

How often do you take breaks? What type of breaks work best for you? Let us know in the comments below.