Short breaks every two months help recovery from work stress, study suggests

A study published in the scientific journal Cureus suggests that short breaks spread throughout the year can support sustained recovery from work stress and help preserve well-being.

The research was conducted by scholars at the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) in collaboration with Tawam Hospital in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

In the study, titled “Maximizing recovery: the superiority of frequent breaks for well-being and performance,” authors Selvaraj Giridharan and Bhuvana Pandiyan argue that frequent holidays can provide opportunities for recovery, instead of concentrating days off in a single long period during the year.

The authors propose that, as a strategy for managing stress, employees should plan short breaks roughly every two months.

They also stress the importance of fully disconnecting from work communications and duties during holidays.

A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies followed 54 employees during and after their holidays.

The holidays lasted an average of 23 days, and participants reported on their state before the holidays, several times during them, and at five points after returning to work.

The results showed that well-being and health improved quickly during the holidays and peaked around day eight.

After returning to work, however, the improvement was short-lived and returned to pre-holiday levels within the first week.

The study also showed that how holidays are spent can matter.

Relaxation, enjoyment of activities, a sense of control over one’s time, engaging experiences, and longer, better-quality sleep were associated with greater improvements in well-being.

The authors argue that these findings support the idea of regular recovery and therefore recommend spreading holidays throughout the year.