06/10/2015
06/10/2015
Distractions…are they really such a bad thing? We’ve been trained to think that any time spent not working while you’re at work, is time wasted. Actually, the opposite may be true. Numerous studies support that small frequent breaks throughout the day increase productivity, creativity and decrease stress.
Distractions…are they really such a bad thing? We’ve been trained to think that any time spent not working while you’re at work, is time wasted. Actually, the opposite may be true. Numerous studies support that small frequent breaks throughout the day increase productivity, creativity and decrease stress.
Here at Zappos, we take the “work hard, play hard” motto seriously and even have it reflected in our Core Values, “Build a Positive Team & Family Spirit” and “Create Fun And A Little Weirdness.” You can’t do either without taking time out of your day to step away from your desk every once in a while. We’ve brought these values to life in the past by hosting Greek Week themed festivities where teams could compete in activities from beer pong to toga contests and our HR department even dialed up the fun and weirdness by choreographing a full Riverdance-style parade.
Onlinebusinessdegree.org has some fun facts around the benefits of taking breaks:
- Microbreaks between 30 seconds to 5 minutes improved mental acuity by 13%
- When you’re staring at a computer screen for hours, a 15 second break taken every 10 minutes reduces fatigue by 50%
- Those who spend some of their time (less than 20%) surfing the web are an average of 9% more productive than those who resist the urge to browse
Want to take advantage of your downtime? Depending on the amount of time you have, you could try some of the following ideas:
Have 5 minutes?
- Find and share a funny YouTube video
- Share a personal story
- Check social media- Studies suggest that employees may be up to 10% more efficient when they check social media regularly.
Have 15 minutes?
- Take a coffee break with a co-worker.
- Step outside and take a quick walk and get that blood flowing. Even better if you can convert a meeting into a walking meeting!
- Grab a few people and play a quick board game or solve a puzzle as a group. You can even leave this in a central location and continue this throughout the day or week.
Have an hour?
- Host a themed potluck. Let your creativity shine and make the theme fun….food on sticks, anyone?
- Have an eating contest. Our favorites at Zappos include Oreos, donuts, and hotdogs.
- Host a lunch and learn. Learn or teach a new skill to your team over your lunch hour, what better way to spread your talents!
What are your favorite ways to spend down time at work?
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Here at Zappos, we take the “work hard, play hard” motto seriously and even have it reflected in our Core Values, “Build a Positive Team & Family Spirit” and “Create Fun And A Little Weirdness.” You can’t do either without taking time out of your day to step away from your desk every once in a while. We’ve brought these values to life in the past by hosting Greek Week themed festivities where teams could compete in activities from beer pong to toga contests and our HR department even dialed up the fun and weirdness by choreographing a full Riverdance-style parade.
Onlinebusinessdegree.org has some fun facts around the benefits of taking breaks:
- Microbreaks between 30 seconds to 5 minutes improved mental acuity by 13%
- When you’re staring at a computer screen for hours, a 15 second break taken every 10 minutes reduces fatigue by 50%
- Those who spend some of their time (less than 20%) surfing the web are an average of 9% more productive than those who resist the urge to browse
Want to take advantage of your downtime? Depending on the amount of time you have, you could try some of the following ideas:
Have 5 minutes?
- Find and share a funny YouTube video
- Share a personal story
- Check social media- Studies suggest that employees may be up to 10% more efficient when they check social media regularly.
Have 15 minutes?
- Take a coffee break with a co-worker.
- Step outside and take a quick walk and get that blood flowing. Even better if you can convert a meeting into a walking meeting!
- Grab a few people and play a quick board game or solve a puzzle as a group. You can even leave this in a central location and continue this throughout the day or week.
Have an hour?
- Host a themed potluck. Let your creativity shine and make the theme fun….food on sticks, anyone?
- Have an eating contest. Our favorites at Zappos include Oreos, donuts, and hotdogs.
- Host a lunch and learn. Learn or teach a new skill to your team over your lunch hour, what better way to spread your talents!
What are your favorite ways to spend down time at work?