"Make it the done thing": an exploration of attitudes towards rest breaks, productivity and wellbeing while working from home.

OBJECTIVE: Taking regular rest breaks while working positively impacts productivity and wellbeing. While home and hybrid working styles have become a popular choice for employees, the impact of, and perceptions towards, taking breaks while working at home is poorly understood. The current research aimed to explore attitudes towards taking rest breaks while working from home and capture levels of breaks taken, wellbeing and productivity in a sample of UK white-collar workers. METHODS: A mixed method approach was applied where self-report data from an online survey were gathered from individuals (N = 140) from one organisation. Open-ended questions regarding attitudes and perceptions towards rest break behaviours were obtained. Further quantitative measures included the number of breaks taken while working from home, levels of productivity (measured by the Health and performance Presenteeism subscale) and mental wellbeing (measured by the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental wellbeing scale). Both quantitative and qualitative analysis approaches were applied. RESULTS: Qualitative responses indicated two overarching themes (1) Personal and (2) Organisational sat above four further themes including Movement outside, Structure of home working, Home environment and Digital presence. Additionally, quantitative findings indicated that the number of breaks taken outside was associated with positive changes in wellbeing. CONCLUSION: Employers could aim to support employees working from home in taking outside breaks through flexible working patterns, authentic leadership, and a change in company social norms around break behaviours. Such organisational changes could help to improve workforce productivity and wellbeing.

Working from home during lockdown: the association between rest breaks and well-being.

One of the challenges with working from home (WFH) is the question of its effect on health and well-being. The impact of home working on health has so far not been studied extensively. We address this gap by investigating the association between internal recovery, operationalised as rest break frequency (low, medium, and high) during the working day, on self-reported musculoskeletal pain, and post-work recovery symptoms in WFH knowledge workers (n = 382). The analysis showed that failing to take frequent breaks was associated with a dose-response increased risk of reporting headaches. For post-work recovery symptoms, failing to take rest breaks throughout the day was associated with an increased risk of reporting psychological fatigue, physical fatigue, and sleep problems, and a decreased risk of psychologically detaching from work and experiencing adequate rest. Our findings emphasise the importance of remote workers taking recovery breaks from work demands in the maintenance of health and well-being.Practitioner Summary: For the foreseeable future, many knowledge workers will be obliged to work from home for at least, some days of the week. It is therefore important for workers to learn to regulate their behaviour, and workers need to be educated about the value of taking regular rest breaks throughout the working day.Abbreviations: ICT: Information and communications technology; MSDs: musculoskeletal disorders; MSPs: Musculoskeletal pain symptoms; OR: Odds ratio; WFH: Working from home; WRRQ: Work-Related Rumination Questionnaire Questionnaire.

The influence of rest break frequency and duration on physical performance and psychophysiological responses: a mining simulation study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of shorter, more frequent rest breaks during simulated work (outdoor mining) in the heat on physical performance and psychophysiological responses. METHODS: On separate days, thirteen males undertook two 225 min simulation trials in the afternoon (12.00-3.45 pm) including 180 min of treadmill walking at a constant rate of perceived exertion of 11 (or 'light') on the 6-20 Borg scale in a heat chamber (37 °C, 40% RH), interspersed with 45 min of rest breaks in an air-conditioned room (22 °C, 35% RH). Rest breaks in the current practice (CP) trial occurred at 1.00 and 2.30 pm (30 min and 15 min, respectively), while in the experimental (EXP) trial were at 1.00 (15 min), 1.45, 2.25 and 3.05 pm (10 min each). RESULTS: Total distance covered was not different (p = 0.086) between CP (12,858 ± 2207 m) and EXP (12,094 ± 2174 m). Heart rate, thermal sensation and thermal comfort were significantly higher at 120-180 min (all p < 0.05) in CP compared to EXP. Moderate- to large-effect sizes (Hedge's g) between trials were also found at 120-180 min for core temperature (g = 0.50 and 0.99, respectively). No differences were found between trials for cognitive performance, perceived fatigue, urine specific gravity, or total water intake (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Shorter, more frequent rest breaks have little impact on physical performance, thermal strain and exercise-related sensations. Current practices should remain in place until further studies can be conducted on an actual mine site during summer where outdoor workers perform their work duties.

Affective and cognitive restoration: comparing the restorative role of indoor plants and guided meditation.

This study investigated whether indoor plants were as effective as a guided meditation for enabling psychological recovery after fatigue induced by the abbreviated vigilance task. Sixty students were randomly assigned to an indoor plant, guided meditation, or control rest-break condition. The psychological processes most in need of recovery were identified as cognitive and affective restoration. Measures of affect, stress, and working memory were taken before and after the vigilance task, and again after a rest intervention. The vigilance task-induced fatigue as shown by a significant vigilance decrement and also significantly lowered positive affect and cognitive engagement, and significantly increased distress across all three conditions. After exposure to the break interventions, distress significantly decreased for participants in the indoor plant break condition while distress significantly decreased and engagement significantly increased in the guided meditation break condition. Indoor plants and guided meditation had a small, but significant positive impact on affective restoration and no significant impact on cognitive restoration. Practitioner summary: Indoor plants are a cost-effective green ergonomics intervention in offices. This study found that a rest break with indoor plants was as effective as a rest break with guided meditation for affective restoration after fatigue from a vigilance task.AbbreviationsARTattention restoration theoryLCDliquid crystal displayPANASpositive and negative affect scheduleDSSQS: dundee stress state questionnaire - short versionBDSbackward digit spanANOVAanalysis of varianceCIconfidence intervalMmean.

Assessing the benefits of napping and short rest breaks on processing speed in sleep-restricted adolescents.

Achievement-oriented adolescents often study long hours under conditions of chronic sleep restriction, adversely affecting cognitive function. Here, we studied how napping and rest breaks (interleaved off-task periods) might ameliorate the negative effects of sleep restriction on processing speed. Fifty-seven healthy adolescents (26 female, age = 15-19 years) participated in a 15-day live-in protocol. All participants underwent sleep restriction (5 h time-in-bed), but were then randomized into two groups: one of these groups received a daily 1-h nap opportunity. Data from seven of the study days (sleep restriction days 1-5, and recovery days 1-2) are reported here. The Blocked Symbol Decoding Test, administered once a day, was used to assess time-on-task effects and the effects of rest breaks on processing speed. Controlling for baseline differences, participants who took a nap demonstrated faster speed of processing and greater benefit across testing sessions from practice. These participants were also affected significantly less by time-on-task effects. In contrast, participants who did not receive a nap benefited more from the rest breaks that were permitted between blocks of the test. Our results indicate that napping partially reverses the detrimental effects of sleep restriction on processing speed. However, rest breaks have a greater effect as a countermeasure against poor performance when sleep pressure is higher. These data add to the growing body of evidence showing the importance of sleep for good cognitive functioning in adolescents, and suggest that more frequent rest breaks might be important in situations where sleep loss is unavoidable.

Determination of the Proper Rest Time for a Cyclic Mental Task Using ACT-R Architecture.

Objective Analysis of the effect of mental fatigue on a cognitive task and determination of the right start time for rest breaks in work environments. Background Mental fatigue has been recognized as one of the most important factors influencing individual performance. Subjective and physiological measures are popular methods for analyzing fatigue, but they are restricted to physical experiments. Computational cognitive models are useful for predicting operator performance and can be used for analyzing fatigue in the design phase, particularly in industrial operations and inspections where cognitive tasks are frequent and the effects of mental fatigue are crucial. Method A cyclic mental task is modeled by the ACT-R architecture, and the effect of mental fatigue on response time and error rate is studied. The task includes visual inspections in a production line or control workstation where an operator has to check products' conformity to specifications. Initially, simulated and experimental results are compared using correlation coefficients and paired t test statistics. After validation of the model, the effects are studied by human and simulated results, which are obtained by running 50-minute tests. Results It is revealed that during the last 20 minutes of the tests, the response time increased by 20%, and during the last 12.5 minutes, the error rate increased by 7% on average. Conclusion The proper start time for the rest period can be identified by setting a limit on the error rate or response time. Application The proposed model can be applied early in production planning to decrease the negative effects of mental fatigue by predicting the operator performance. It can also be used for determining the rest breaks in the design phase without an operator in the loop.

Effects of Rest-Break Intention on Rest-Break Frequency and Work-Related Fatigue.

OBJECTIVES: The present paper presents findings from two studies addressing the effects of the employee's intention to have rest breaks on rest-break frequency and the change of well-being during a workday. BACKGROUND: Rest breaks are effective in avoiding an accumulation of fatigue during work. However, little is known about individual differences in rest-break behavior. METHOD: In Study 1, the association between rest-break intention and the daily number of rest breaks recorded over 4 consecutive workdays was determined by generalized linear model in a sample of employees ( n = 111, 59% females). In Study 2, professional geriatric nurses ( n = 95 females) who worked over two consecutive 12-hour day shifts recorded well-being (fatigue, distress, effort motivation) at the beginning and the end of their shifts. The effect of rest-break intention on the change of well-being was determined by multilevel modeling. RESULTS: Rest-break intention was positively associated with the frequency of rest breaks (Study 1) and reduced the increase of fatigue and distress over the workday (Study 2). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that individual differences account for the number of breaks an employee takes and, as a consequence, for variations in the work-related fatigue and distress. APPLICATION: Strengthening rest-break intentions may help to increase rest-break behavior to avoid the buildup of fatigue and distress over a workday.

Nurses' Rest Breaks and Fatigue: The Roles of Psychological Detachment and Workload.

BACKGROUND: Rest breaks have been shown to reduce acute fatigue, yet not all nurses who take rest breaks report lower fatigue. Psychological detachment-letting go of work-related thoughts-during rest breaks and workload may be key factors in explaining this phenomenon. OBJECTIVE: To examine the mediating role of psychological detachment during rest breaks and determine how workload moderated that pathway to lower acute fatigue among hospital nurses. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 1861 12-hour shift nurses who answered an online survey between July and September 2021. The survey included measures of occupational fatigue, psychological detachment from work, workload, and questions on breaks, work, health, and demographics. Structural equation modeling was used in Mplus 8.9 software to estimate the direct and indirect effects of rest breaks on acute fatigue at 3 levels of workload. RESULTS: Nurses, on average, reported high acute fatigue, rarely experienced psychological detachment during rest breaks, and reported heavy workloads. Around 60% were able to sit down for a break on their last shift but with patient-care responsibilities. The relationship between taking a rest break and acute fatigue was fully mediated by psychological detachment from work. However, this relationship only held in the context of manageable workloads. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that within-shift recovery is possible when nurses can psychologically detach from work during rest breaks. However, this within-shift recovery mechanism was disrupted for nurses with heavy workloads.

Restoration of Attention by Rest in a Multitasking World: Theory, Methodology, and Empirical Evidence.

In this work, we evaluate the status of both theory and empirical evidence in the field of experimental rest-break research based on a framework that combines mental-chronometry and psychometric-measurement theory. To this end, we (1) provide a taxonomy of rest breaks according to which empirical studies can be classified (e.g., by differentiating between long, short, and micro-rest breaks based on context and temporal properties). Then, we (2) evaluate the theorizing in both the basic and applied fields of research and explain how popular concepts (e.g., ego depletion model, opportunity cost theory, attention restoration theory, action readiness, etc.) relate to each other in contemporary theoretical debates. Here, we highlight differences between all these models in the light of two symbolic categories, termed the resource-based and satiation-based model, including aspects related to the dynamics and the control (strategic or non-strategic) mechanisms at work. Based on a critical assessment of existing methodological and theoretical approaches, we finally (3) provide a set of guidelines for both theory building and future empirical approaches to the experimental study of rest breaks. We conclude that a psychometrically advanced and theoretically focused research of rest and recovery has the potential to finally provide a sound scientific basis to eventually mitigate the adverse effects of ever increasing task demands on performance and well-being in a multitasking world at work and leisure.

Individual Determinants of Rest-Break Behavior in Occupational Settings.

AIMS: Work breaks improve well-being, productivity, and health. The aim of this study was to investigate the individual determinants of rest-break behavior during work using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). METHODS: The association between attitude, control, and subjective norm and rest-break intention (i.e., taking rest breaks regularly), and rest-break behavior (average number of rest breaks/workhour) was analyzed with stepwise linear regression in a cross-sectional design. The study participants included 109 clerical employees, and 215 nurses. RESULTS: Attitude and control were positively associated with rest-break intention. Intention and control were positively associated with rest-break behavior. The effect of intention was moderated by occupation, with intention being more weakly associated with rest-break behavior in nurses who had less behavioral control. CONCLUSIONS: Job control is the major predictor of rest-break behavior, with attitudes playing a minor role, and social norm playing no role. To increase rest-break behavior, a greater extent of job control is necessary.

Comparison of rest-break interventions during a mentally demanding task.

Research is scarce on ways to enhance the effect of rest breaks during mentally demanding tasks. The present study investigated the effectiveness of two rest-break interventions on well-being during an academic lecture. Sixty-six students (53 females, mean age 22.5 years) enrolled in two different university classes of 4-hr duration participated in the study. Two measures of well-being (fatigue and vigor) were assessed immediately before, after, and 20 minutes after the break. A control condition without a break as well as an unstructured break was compared with breaks either encompassing physical activity or a relaxation exercise. Compared with the nonbreak condition, the unstructured rest break led to an increase in vigor, the exercise break as well as the relaxation break both to an increase in vigor and a decrease in fatigue at 20-min post break. Compared with the unstructured break, exercise led to an (additional) increase in vigor and relaxation to an (additional) decrease in fatigue at 20-min post break. Thus, the effects of rest breaks during mentally demanding tasks can be enhanced by engaging in physical activity or relaxation exercises, with effects lasting at least as long as 20 min into the continuation of the task.

Sleep quality, sleepiness and the influence of workplace breaks: A cross-sectional survey of health-care workers in two US hospitals.

This study assessed sleep quality, sleepiness and use of workplace break opportunities in 1285 health-care workers via an online questionnaire. Two hospitals were surveyed - one with and one without a fatigue mitigation policy. Across all respondents, 68.9% reported generally taking breaks of at least 30 min and 21.7% had access to a quiet place to rest, with no significant differences between hospitals. The presence of a fatigue mitigation policy was not associated with reduced sleepiness. However, accounting for hospital and shift characteristics, employees with access to a quiet place to rest while on break had significantly lower self-reported sleepiness scores.

The effect of rest break schedule on acute low back pain development in pain and non-pain developers during seated work.

A significant portion of the population (25-50%) is known to develop acute low back pain (LBP) within a bout of prolonged sitting. Previous research has supported the use of frequent rest breaks, from seated office work, in order to reduce self-reported LBP, however, there is limited consensus about the recommended frequency and duration of rest breaks. This may be due to the limited consideration of individual differences in acute LBP development. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of three different standing rest-break conditions on a group of pain developers (PD) and non-pain developers (NPD) engaged in prolonged seated work. Twenty participants completed four one-hour-long bouts of seated typing: Condition A - no rest; Condition B - 5 min of standing rest every 30 min; Condition C - 2.5 min of standing rest every 15 min; Condition D - 50 s of standing rest every 5 min. Self-reported LBP, self-reported mental fatigue and 30-s samples of EMG were collected every 10 min throughout each session. Eight out of 20 participants (40%) reported LBP during Condition A (classified as PD). Only PD demonstrated clinically relevant increases in LBP across conditions where Conditions B, C, or D provided some relief, but did not restore pain scores to their original level, prior to sitting. PD and NPD developed mental fatigue equally, with Conditions B and D helping to reduce fatigue. No differences in productivity were observed between conditions or groups and no main effects were observed for muscle activity, median power frequency or co-contraction. These data suggests that frequent, short, standing rest breaks may help to reduce symptoms of LBP, however they are only a temporary solution as PD still developed clinically important LBP, even with frequent rest breaks.