
You wouldn’t run a marathon without taking water breaks (or at least collapsing at the finish line). Yet, in the workplace, we often treat our brains like endurance athletes – pushing on and on without giving them time to rest and recharge. Here’s the truth: your brain needs downtime just as much as your body does.
Mental fatigue is a hidden productivity killer
When we skip breaks, push through exhaustion, and normalise being “always on,” we reduce our ability to focus, think creatively, and problem-solve effectively. Yet, many organisations still equate being busy with being productive.
A law firm I worked with struggled with late-night culture.
Staff were expected to stay available well into the evening, even when they weren’t working on urgent cases. Burnout became rife, and mistakes started creeping into work. When leadership introduced protected breaks (no emails over lunch, no post-6pm messaging) productivity didn’t drop; it improved. Why? Because people could finally think clearly.
Neuroscience proves that breaks aren’t wasted time – they’re essential
Research from the University of Illinois found that short breaks improve focus and cognitive performance. Our brains have limited “attentional capacity,” meaning after 60–90 minutes, productivity nosedives unless we step away to reset.
How Can We Implement This?
Here are three proven ways to give your brain the downtime it deserves:
- Adopt the 90/20 Rule: Work for 90 minutes, then take a 20-minute break to recharge. Even 5–10 minutes of movement or fresh air makes a difference. Play around with the timings to find your sweet spot. Each school of thought recommends a different time frame, but what they all agree on is you must take breaks!
- Schedule ‘Protected Breaks’: Block time in calendars for lunch, quiet time, or reflection – treating breaks as non-negotiable.
- Normalise Rest from the Top: When leaders model healthy habits (like logging off at a reasonable hour), it sets the tone for the entire organisation.
Think of your brain like your phone battery
If you’re constantly using it, without plugging it in, what happens? It runs flat. Recharge regularly, and you’ll work smarter—not harder.
Let’s Talk:
How does your organisation encourage (or discourage) taking breaks? Share your thoughts below, or message me if you’d like to explore practical strategies for supporting mental recovery at work.
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