A new study has found that people who take smartphone breaks are happier and more productive at work.
Taking a one or two minute break from your day to play Flappy Bird or Candy Crush can help you recover from stressful situations, according to the Daily Mail.
“By interacting with friends or family members through a smartphone, or by playing a short game, we found that employees can recover from some of their stress to refresh their minds and take a break,” said Sooyeol Kim, a doctoral student in psychological sciences who conducted the survey.
“A smartphone micro break can be beneficial for both the employee and the organisation.”
Kim found that in an eight-hour day, employees spend an average of 22 minutes playing on their phones. It’s difficult to concentrate for eight hours straight, so “micro breaks” can help break up the work day.
“Such breaks are important because they can help employees cope with the demands of the workplace,” Kim said. “These days, people struggle with a lot of different types of stressors, such as work demands, time scheduling, family issues or personal life issues.”
“We need to understand how we can help people recover and cope with stressors,” Kim said. “Smartphones might help and that is really important not only for individuals, but for an organisation, too.”