How to prevent work fatigue: here are two simple methods.

Bosses, to put it mildly, do not approve of their subordinates idling – even for a short while. Typically, they make remarks when they catch employees off guard, for instance, playing computer games, sipping tea or coffee with pastries, chatting about football or hockey, or worse – browsing inappropriate websites. It turns out they are wrong to reprimand. To their own detriment. Instead, they should be praising. This is the belief of researchers from Wake Forest University, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and Northeastern University in the USA. Through their experiments, they have confirmed the controversial hypotheses put forth by their colleagues over the years, and importantly, added a significant enhancement to their recommendations.

Time for work – how much for fun?

Many research teams from various countries have sought the optimal balance of work and rest. This has been an ongoing effort. Romanian scientists from West University of Timisoara analyzed the results of 22 studies conducted over the past 30 years. The essence of most of these studies is that the simplest and most accessible way to increase productivity is to alternate any work activity – both physical and mental – with micro-breaks, as researchers call them.

Firstly, taking even small breaks is beneficial for health – it helps combat fatigue and emotional burnout at work.

Secondly, by periodically stepping away from their main tasks or temporarily setting aside a challenging problem, workers ultimately become more productive.

From the Romanian summary, it follows that micro-breaks should be taken every hour. The duration of these breaks should be 10 minutes. Any "activity" unrelated to the main work will suffice.

After some time, the "role of micro-breaks in the work process" became a concern for Australian scientists from Sydney University. Doubting their colleagues’ conclusions, they did not limit themselves to a mere "review," but conducted real experiments involving 72 students.

The students were tasked with complex mathematical tests requiring lengthy calculations. Those participants who took periodic breaks completed their assignments faster and with better accuracy. Their scores were, on average, 57 percent higher than those of the "diligent and focused" volunteers who worked without pause. More precisely, without resting their brains.

According to Australian data, breaks should last 5 minutes every 25-30 minutes.

Graph showing the increase of fatigue during work. If one does not take breaks and does not receive praise from management, fatigue builds up to the maximum. With both – it decreases.

A kind word is pleasant even for accountants

Recently, Americans took an interest in micro-breaks. First, they "went on reconnaissance" – surveying 44 accountants to see if they took breaks during work and how they felt about it. Then, the researchers invited another 179 volunteers and conducted a scientific experiment.

The participants not only took periodic breaks but were also praised. The researchers referred to this as "support from management."

Here are the conclusions the Americans drew from their study:

Firstly, micro-breaks are beneficial for health in themselves – they reduce fatigue, help avoid overexertion, and prevent emotional burnout.

Secondly, by periodically stepping away from their main tasks or temporarily setting aside a complex problem, workers ultimately become more productive.

Thirdly, specifically for accountants, micro-breaks improved the accuracy of audits.

Moreover, micro-breaks turned out to be more effective than any post-work rest in terms of restoring mental and physical energy, especially for employees engaged in routine and monotonous tasks.

However, there is a nuance discovered by the Americans: the beneficial effect of short breaks is significantly enhanced when management regularly praises employees. For their work, of course, not just for the sake of it.

The research was published in the journal Contemporary Accounting Research.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1911-3846.12999

Lindsay Andiola from VCU’s School of Business is confident:

- The combination of short breaks and managerial support helps manage fatigue, especially under high workloads. They provide significant assistance to professionals and ultimately contribute to creating a more resilient and productive work environment.

According to American data, micro-breaks can be very short – just a minute long. But every hour.

BY THE WAY

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