Australians are working more than ever. But skipping breaks isn't healthy

Australia Broadcast Center

4 days ago

Do you ever feel like it's tough to take a break at work?
If you're busy, or in the zone, it can be easy to do. But what happens if we consistently don't take our breaks?
"At a basic biological level, your body will slowly start to break down," Kira Schabram, assistant professor of management and organisation at Pennsylvania State University, tells ABC Radio National's This Working Life.
Dr Schabram likens the impact of not taking enough work breaks on the body to "deferring maintenance" on important infrastructure.
"So you can defer maintenance for quite a while," she says.
"But at some point, you're going to have a catastrophic breakdown."
So, how do we snap the no-break habit, and achieve a healthier work/life balance?
Australians are working more hours than ever before, according to a recent report by the Productivity Commission. But that hasn't equated to an increase in productivity.
Dr Schabram says the main reason why many of us don't take enough breaks is internal, "the sense that I can always give more". This is combined with external pressures like demands from a manager or client.
She says that many of us equate breaks with slacking and believing our work is "too valuable".
A study that examined people who work at animal shelters, co-authored by Dr Schabram, found that workers who viewed work as "their calling" were often the ones who wouldn't take breaks.
"A lot of them feel this moral compulsion to keep working, to keep self-sacrificing. And that profession has a really high turnover rate because of it," she says.
The research found that staff who took breaks and viewed work as a team effort were more likely to thrive.
"A lot thought, 'I care more than anyone else, I have to keep doing this'. Whereas others thought: 'We're in this together, so I can rely on other people to take over when I clock out'."
Vanessa Miles, an organisational psychologist, says there are three categories of symptoms to look out for when you are due for a break:
She suggests that when these symptoms appear, you can apply a strategy called "habit stacking".
Habit stacking is a technique to help individuals build new habits by attaching them to existing routines.
"For example, every time you go to put the kettle on, you might do a quick body scan," Ms Miles says.
She explains this could involve taking a moment to check for any tension in your body.
It could also include applying the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise, which consists of asking yourself a series of questions.
"What are five things that I can see right now? What are four things I can hear? Three things that I can touch? Two things that I can smell? And one thing that I can taste. Really simple," she says.
"You're just taking a couple of seconds, but the habit stacking is what actually encourages you to do it because it's anchored onto something that you're doing already."
Dr Schabram's research identified three different strategies workers use to take breaks.
The first is taking "hidden breaks", when employees step away from work in secret.
"People recognise they need a break, and they also understand that there's too much pressure for them to look busy, so they feel they have to hide it," she says.
Her research found that hidden breaks are common, but lack any benefit.
"People don't come back from those breaks feeling more restored … and they often express negative emotions," she says.
The second strategy involves employees finding a compromise in their work schedule so they can take a break when they need to, and have more autonomy over their workflow.
Dr Schabram says that for a long time, it was believed the only effective work break was a "complete break", such as a walk or doing a leisure activity.
But research has shown that employees are more productive when they have autonomy over their schedules.
"Compromise strategies really seem to be maximally effective, and individuals aren't just more productive afterwards. They also report greater well-being," Dr Schabram says.
The final break strategy is status, which means people take their break without compromising or hiding it.
This can be implemented by leaders in workplaces to define the culture around breaks.
"As a leader, taking overt breaks and role-modelling that's OK can make all the difference," Dr Schabram says.
So if you're starting to snap at colleagues who chew loudly in the office, or you have a neck ache that won't go away, it's probably time to implement more breaks in your day.
Feeling tired after returning to work?
Mel Kettle is a leadership communication strategist and she uses work meetings to achieve this.
"When I have meetings, I try to schedule them for 25 or 45 minutes so that I can have a break in between," she says.
"I will always aim to keep 30 mins free between meetings so I can go for a walk or just take a break when I need to."
When it comes to changing our mindset, Dr Schabram says we need to ask ourselves what type of break we need.
"The way I would suggest you think about breaks is [to ask yourself]: 'What is depleted?' And what are you trying to refill with that break?'"
Depending on your answer, you may need to start small by implementing micro-breaks, says Ms Miles.
"You don't have to go for half-hour walks every time you take a break. Just a short, frequent break of two to three minutes is effective too."
She adds that looking at your schedule and finding natural points in your day is key to retraining yourself.
But more work breaks may not be the solution.
For those experiencing the symptoms of burnout (exhaustion, inefficacy and cynicism), Dr Schabram says a "transformative break" may be needed.
"You have to do that off the treadmill."
Whatever your needs may be, Ms Miles says it's important to prioritise things that make you happy.