By Chelsea Babin

Everyone is focused on becoming more productive but very few of those people focus on taking breaks. Whether your breaks are too short, infrequent, or simply not as effective as they could be this will negatively impact your productivity and happiness at work. The good news is you don’t have to be bad at taking breaks! Here are 5 ways to change your break habits.

1. The 50/10 Ratio: Have you heard of the 50/10 ratio? Researchers suggest that the most effective way to work is to work for 50-minute stretches followed by 10-minute breaks. If you can, adjust your schedule to the 50/10 ratio and you’ll not only ensure that you take enough breaks throughout the day but you’ll also be more productive than if you just worked for several hours straight without taking any breaks.

2. Stand, Stretch, Walk: Everyone is well-aware of the dangers of sitting all day so why not use your breaks as a great excuse to stand, stretch, or take a walk? Walking is a proven way to boost your creativity and help you solve problems. But, if you only have time for a little standing and stretching, that will at least help you wake up and reenergize.

3. Different Things at Home: When you’re at home you should do your best to unplug from work and fill your time with hobbies and bonding with family and friends. However, if those hobbies are too similar to what you do at work every day, you may not be taking the most effective break possible. For example, if you sit on a computer all day and then go home and play computer games all night the difference between your work day and your free time starts to blur and you’ll feel less refreshed when you go back to work the next day.

4. Focus on Relationships: Finding a break buddy at work or spending your free time with your family and friends can make your breaks incredibly effective. Focusing on fostering positive, fulfilling relationships both in and outside of the workplace is important and, if you want your breaks to be somewhat productive and plenty of fun, don’t take them by yourself. Use the break time you need to stay productive to foster and maintain these important relationships and you’ll kill two birds with one stone.

5. The Busier the Better: Some people let the excuse of “I’m to busy to take a break” prevent them from taking any breaks at all. If you are one of these people it’s time to stop immediately! The fact of the matter is, countless studies have proven that taking regular breaks greatly improves your productivity and that working longer doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll get more work done. The busier you are, the better it is for you to take regular, effective breaks throughout your workday and allow your free time to be filled with more relaxing and refreshing activities that aren’t similar to what you do when at work.

It’s time to accept that taking effective, frequent breaks can greatly improve your performance at work! Stop pushing your breaks off until later and learn how to be better at taking breaks now if you want to be productive and avoid burnout.