Sometimes, when you are working so hard to finish a project, you feel bad that you are taking too many breaks. You shouldn’t feel bad about this, though, because taking breaks is an important part of completing a task. It might sound counterintuitive, but this is true for several reasons.

Breaks Increase Performance

Surprisingly, the more breaks you take, the better your performance at work will be. It is extremely difficult to work quickly and effectively when your brain is feeling tired or otherwise distracted. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can take a break every minute of every day, but most experts recommend taking at least one break for every hour of work you complete.

Taking A Break Relieves Stress

Having you ever worked while under stress? If you have, you know how difficult it can be to focus when your mind is stressed about something. When you take breaks from your work, this can help your mind release stress, even if your current work doesn’t cause the stress. When you are stressing about the project you are working on, taking a relaxing break is especially important because it can be difficult to solve problems you encounter while you are stressed. Once you take a break and come back to the project less stressed, you may find that you’ve found a solution to the problem without even thinking that hard about it.

Breaks Encourage Creativity

No matter what job you have, it’s likely that it includes creativity in some aspect or another. When you are actively working on a certain aspect of an assignment, it leaves little room for your creative mind to develop new ideas. But when you take a break, talk to coworkers or have a snack, your creative juices will start flowing again. Just like less stress will help you develop a solution to a problem, so will creativity. This truth means that you’ll be much more productive and well equipped to complete your project when you go back to work after a break.

Overall, taking breaks is important in just about every aspect of your life. This is true because breaks help increase your performance, relieve mental stress, and encourage your creativity. Therefore, you should take frequent breaks as you work. Next time you face a particularly difficult challenge, don’t sit and stare at it, but try taking a much-needed break instead!