Effective Work Breaks
I have made an interesting discovery since I started taking our new puppies to work with me: I actually seem to be more productive now than I was before I started taking the puppies to work! The pups generally need to be taken outside to relieve themselves and run off some energy every hour or so for about ten minutes. These puppy induced breaks are fairly practicable and not skippable unless the pups are asleep at which point I think it is better to let sleeping dogs lie.
Previously I had been using programs like Work Rave and Anti-RSI to make sure I’m taking sufficient work breaks, mostly to keep me sane and free of RSI like injuries (I still recommend these programs). I confess I am guilty of skipping breaks suggested by these applications fairly frequently, which perhaps is not a smart thing to do as it increases the likelihood of fatigue, injury and lowered productivity. I had thought this system to be effective but I’m finding puppy breaks even more effective: possibly due to the lack of a skip option. As puppies with full bladders cannot miss a break without risking an accident!
I think perhaps this lack of a skip option to puppy induced breaks is giving me more of a sense of having to make the most of the time between the breaks, this is helping me focus which results in increased productivity (which is not what I would have expected). This is a most welcome and unexpected side effect to having the puppies at work with me: aside from the obvious benefits of canine companionship and having a very good excuse to go for a walk at lunch time!
I have found over the years that any sort of regular break gives me a chance to pause and reflect about my current task and that is very useful for considering options and possible solutions to problems. The end result is that stopping to reflect about what I am currently doing regularly results in a superior end product than just hammering away at a task.
Do you have regular breaks and do they help or hinder your productivity?
