A recent study was done by the Draugiem Group (a social network service) to determine how long productive employees generally work before taking a break. And I kind of love the results of this study, simply because they’re so weirdly specific.

The researchers found that the most productive employees worked exactly 52 minutes before taking a 17 minute break. (No more, no less.) And they spent that break time doing things that weren’t work-related, or even computer-related. They weren’t reading emails or messing around on Facebook. They were walking away from their desks, talking to coworkers, or reading non-work related articles. They really gave themselves a chance to relax and recharge.

So what should you do if you’re interested in trying this technique? Well, it was suggested that you could set a timer for yourself, so you know when you’ve worked exactly 52 minutes. But if that seems a little extreme, here are a few other suggestions:

  • Take regular breaks during the day.
  • Be realistic about what you can accomplish in one day. Don’t overschedule yourself.
  • Try not to get overwhelmed by the number of things you need to accomplish. Prioritize your work. Get the most important things done first. The less-important things can probably wait a bit.

 

Evans, L. (2014, September 15). The exact amount of time you should work each day. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/3035605/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/the-exact-amount-of-time-you-should-work-every-day