A psychologist wants you to set an alarm & take a break from work right now. Chances are you have been (or have been guilty of) working for hours without taking a break. That's not good for you & does'nt make you as productive as you may think.
Psychologist and workplace consultant Anoushka Dowling said quote, “Sometimes we think that not taking breaks is making us more productive, but what is more likely happening is that we are not giving our brains a chance to rest, increasing stress, and in fact decreasing productivity."
Taking a break is a way to prioritize your well being, especially since 31% of people surveyed said setting an alarm to take a break would encourage them to take a lunch break.
Source: NY Post
The idea behind this reminds me of the Pomodoro Technique. Using this technique can help you accomplish more without burning out or feeling too overwhelmed.
Here's how you do it:
- Choose a task.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Focus on the task until the timer goes off.
- Take a short break, about two to five minutes.
- Repeat four times
- After 4 work session, Take a longer break about 15-30 minutes.
The technique was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late '80s. When Francesco was a student he was struggling with study sessions, so he grabbed a Tomato timer and set it for a short time to focus on the task at hand. He found this technique helped him accomplish more.