When you’re constantly connected to the internet, its easy to get distracted. Yes you’ll do some work, just after you’ve checked Facebook, read the news, watched this video of kittens…
But did you know that surfing the web when you’re feeling tired at work can actually boost productivity? One study conducted by the National University of Singapore found that after a ten minute web browsing break between tasks, participants reported lower levels of mental exhaustion and boredom, and higher levels of engagement than participants who had not been allowed to surf the web on their breaks.
This isn’t the first study to find such results. Back in 2009, researchers at the University of Melbourne found that workers who browsed the internet for fun at work were 9% more productive than those who didn’t.
To follow this workplace hack, allow yourself and your team to have regular 5-10 minute breaks to surf the web. Don’t forget, it’s still important to take breaks from your screen so don’t use every break for web browsing.
If you’re a fan of the pomodoro technique (rotations of working for 25 minutes followed by a 5 minute break), why not take a web browsing break every 4-5 rotations?
**Do you find web browsing to be rejuvenating or distracting? **