Paradox: How Idle Time at Work Can Improve Productivity

Regular, pre-planned "microbreaks" can keep you focused and energized, and at the top of your game. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Professional sports require incredible stamina. If you’ve ever watched a tennis match, for example, you’ve seen how athletes stay in near-constant motion to maintain their energy and laser focus. Hockey players also go all-out during their brief, on-ice shifts before returning to the bench, panting from exertion. Naturally, we focus on what happens during play, but some of the most critical moments happen off-camera, while the athletes are recovering. During the 90-second changeover break, tennis players often bury their heads under a towel to meditate, change rackets, or hydrate with water and energy drinks. Hockey players do diaphragmatic breathing to increase oxygen flow and mentally review their previous shifts. Whatever technique they use, these pro athletes understand the importance of a break. A brief pause can provide a surge of energy and renewed motivation to keep them playing their best. While most of us aren’t panting from exhaustion, the workday can still be mentally and physically challenging, especially when you’re building a business. In addition to finding your optimal work hours, taking multiple breaks can enhance your productivity all day long. Our workaholic society and the 24/7 startup culture tend to demonize “unproductive” downtime, like out-of-office lunches and web browsing, but research shows that breaks can enhance your performance on several different levels. A 2011 study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign showed that brief diversions can dramatically improve both decision-making and creativity. On the flip side, prolonged attention to a single task can hinder performance. Working until dawn to prep for an investor meeting might seem like a good idea, but it could backfire, leaving you drained and less mentally nimble to field […]

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