--- title: The Most Effective Way to Take a Break at Work description: According to science canonical: https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-03T13:00:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:56:10.554Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Most Effective Way to Take a Break at Work og:description: According to science og:url: https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9f1e613209e4e334/69887f040b72e3c8b36e84c1/business-woman-rear-view-bench-sunlight.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5760 og:image:height: 3240 og:image:alt: business-woman-rear-view-bench-sunlight og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Most Effective Way to Take a Break at Work twitter:description: According to science twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9f1e613209e4e334/69887f040b72e3c8b36e84c1/business-woman-rear-view-bench-sunlight.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Most Effective Way to Take a Break at Work > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=75450607-ad39-43ef-b630-770932f35610&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=75450607-ad39-43ef-b630-770932f35610&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=75450607-ad39-43ef-b630-770932f35610&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=75450607-ad39-43ef-b630-770932f35610&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 10 Ways to Be More Active at Work [Watch (HLS stream): 10 Ways to Be More Active at Work](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zdNUwr7I.m3u8) (1:02)  _Published 2016-01-27_ by [TheBrainFlux](https://time.com/author/the-brain-flux/) ## TheBrainFlux Mar 3, 2016 1:00 PM UTC  Businesswoman basking in sunshine in urban park Businesswoman basking in sunshine in urban park Getty Images by [TheBrainFlux](https://time.com/author/the-brain-flux/) ## TheBrainFlux Mar 3, 2016 1:00 PM UTC Some people have a relentless drive to work all the time. They’ll work through lunch breaks, stay late at the office, and even bring projects home to finish. For most of us, though, we can’t wait for that next break. It signals a brief time where we can eat, socialize, refresh, and mentally reset. We want to make the most of our sweet, but short breaks from that endless work. But have you ever wondered if you’re really making the most of your breaks? You would think that the productivity researchers and scientists would have figured out how to take effective breaks a long time ago. Surprisingly, there is little research on the topic. Two researchers decided to apply a bit of scientific method to this question. So let’s take a look at what you’ve been doing right and what you’ve been doing wrong on that work break. **_TheBrainFlux:_**[_111 Discoveries From Brain and Psychology Research in 2015_](http://thebrainflux.com/111-discoveries-from-brain-and-psychology-research-in-2015/) **Survey Says…** Emily Hunter and Cindy Wu are associate professors from Baylor University’s School of Business. They felt the best place to begin was with some commonly held beliefs. Emily explains their approach: --- > “” --- For the study, Emily and Cindy defined a break as “any period of time, formal or informal, during the workday in which work-relevant tasks are not required or expected, including but not limited to a break for lunch, coffee, personal email or socializing with coworkers, not including bathroom breaks.” They surveyed 95 employees ranging in age from 22-67 over the course of a week. For each break the employees took they were asked to record their activities. When all the surveys were gathered, Emily and Cindy had a total of 959 break surveys to analyze. An average of over 2 breaks for each person every day. Their analyses resulted in several nuggets of wisdom. And it may come with a surprise or two. Emily had this to say about their results: --- > “” --- **How to Take Effective Breaks** Here are 4 tips – straight from Emily and Cindy’s [press release](http://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=159785): * **The most beneficial time to take a workday break is mid-morning.** Hunter and Wu found that rather than the typical culture of working hard all morning only to take a lunch-hour or mid-afternoon break, a respite earlier in the workday replenishes more resources – energy, concentration and motivation. “We found that when more hours had elapsed since the beginning of the work shift, fewer resources and more symptoms of poor health were reported after a break,” the study says. “Therefore, breaks later in the day seem to be less effective.” **_TheBrainFlux:_**[_39 Brain Benefits of Exercise_](http://thebrainflux.com/brain-benefits-of-exercise/) * **“Better breaks” incorporate activities that employees prefer.** A common belief exists that doing things that are non-work-related are more beneficial, Hunter explained. Based on the study, there was no evidence to prove that non-work-related activities were more beneficial. Simply put, preferred break activities are things you choose to do and things you like to do. These could also include work-related tasks. “Finding something on your break that you prefer to do – something that’s not given to you or assigned to you – are the kinds of activities that are going to make your breaks much more restful, provide better recovery and help you come back to work stronger,” Hunter said. * **People who take “better breaks” experience better health and increased job satisfaction.** The employee surveys showed that recovery of resources – energy, concentration and motivation – following a “better break” (earlier in the day, doing things they preferred) led workers to experience less somatic symptoms, including headache, eyestrain and lower back pain after the break. These employees also experienced increased job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior as well as a decrease in emotional exhaustion (burnout), the study shows. * **Longer breaks are good, but it’s beneficial to take frequent short breaks.** While the study was unable to pinpoint an exact length of time for a better workday break (15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.), the research found that more short breaks were associated with higher resources, suggesting that employees should be encouraged to take more frequent short breaks to facilitate recovery. **_TheBrainFlux:_**[_How to Stop Sitting All Day: Advice Backed By Science_](http://thebrainflux.com/how-to-stop-sitting-all-day-advice-backed-by-science/) **Breaking Bad** Thanks to Cindy and Emily, we can now maximize our break time. Their [study](http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2015-36861-001/) appears in the _Journal of Applied Psychology_. Will this work for everyone? I would say probably not. Human personalities are too nuanced and quirky to have a “one-size-fits-all.” What works for someone else may not work for you. We’re all a little bit different. However, these can be a great guideline to get ideas, tweak your existing routine, or even examine current office policies. Experiment and find out what works for you. Oh yeah, and one last thing. While traveling that road to success, don’t forget to stop and enjoy the scenery. It does the soul good. _This_ [_article_](http://thebrainflux.com/4-science-backed-tips-for-taking-effective-breaks/) _originally appeared on_ [_TheBrainFlux_](http://thebrainflux.com) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/"},"headline":"The Most Effective Way to Take a Break at Work","datePublished":"2016-03-03T13:00:07.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:56:10.554Z","description":"According to science","url":"https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/","keywords":["health","Psychology","Workplace"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9f1e613209e4e334/69887f040b72e3c8b36e84c1/business-woman-rear-view-bench-sunlight.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TheBrainFlux","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/the-brain-flux/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9f1e613209e4e334/69887f040b72e3c8b36e84c1/business-woman-rear-view-bench-sunlight.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"business-woman-rear-view-bench-sunlight","caption":"business-woman-rear-view-bench-sunlight","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/health/","name":"health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/","name":"The Most Effective Way to Take a Break at Work"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"How to Stay Mentally Strong When You Think You're About to Crack","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/QLgnQEN9/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-27T15:44:28.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QLgnQEN9.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/","duration":"PT39S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"10 Ways to Be More Active at Work","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/zdNUwr7I/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-27T15:44:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/zdNUwr7I.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/","duration":"PT1M2S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4236149/break-tips/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```