The tiny breaks that ease your body and reboot your brain

The tiny breaks that ease your body and reboot your brain Alamy Stock Photo If you don’t have time for an hour-long break in your workday, a series of ‘microbreaks’ can also have a powerful effect on your body and your mind. Though the breaks are tiny, they can have a disproportionately powerful impact – studies have shown that they can improve workers’ ability to concentrate, change the way they see their jobs, and even help them avoid the typical injuries that people get when they’re tied to their desks all day. “Sometimes it’s just removing your discomfort.” Microbreaking by watching a funny video clip left people invigorated and more attentive, with lower fatigue and delays in their response times during a cognitive test The finding fits with the idea that microbreaks enable a process known as “psychological detachment”, which occurs when you mentally disengage from work-based tasks and allow your brain to recover. Rebrand it, if necessary Of course, watching television clips might not go down well with your boss – but there are plenty of other ways that you can take microbreaks without looking like you’re skiving. “A microbreak isn’t the time to catch up on several new episodes of a television show!” Kim is keen to stress that how people spend their microbreaks should be down to them, since different industries are likely to accommodate different types of break.