The HBR Work Smart Collection (4 Books)

6 How to Take Better Breaks at Work, According to Research

by Zhanna Lyubykh and Duygu Biricik Gulseren

For many of us, being productive means spending more time working. It seems intuitive that the more time we spend on job tasks, the more we can get done. And not surprisingly, popular literature is rife with advice on how to maximize work time. For example, the “daily routines of CEOs” often include things like waking up at 4 a.m., working on the weekend, and even being “strategic about how often you go to the bathroom.” To tackle an ever-increasing workload, many workers choose to grind through, skip lunch, and stay after hours.

But the cost of being always-on (and doing it well!) is high. More than half of employees (59%) report feeling ...