Regardless of your goals in life and the topics you enjoy reading, a common desire is to be more productive.

Many people become so absorbed in their work that they forget or refuse to take breaks. They sacrifice productivity to stay on task, sometimes choosing to stare at a screen a little longer instead of taking time to get up, stretch, and work more efficiently.

Not moving away from the workstation can cause decreased overall work performance and may even strain your eyes.

62% of Americans eat lunch at their desks. If you don't have time for a full 30 or 60-minute break, consider taking just 15 minutes to enjoy your food instead of using it solely as fuel to get through the rest of your day.

Fortunately, taking breaks doesn't mean you'll lose valuable hours of potential productivity every week. You may actually gain more energy and complete tasks more efficiently in less time.

Jeff Bezos schedules high-IQ meetings at 10 a.m. because he says, "By 5 p.m., I'm like, 'I can't think about that today. Let's try this again tomorrow.'"

I'm seeing fewer meetings scheduled for 8:30 or 9 am. Most people have a morning routine to prepare for the day, and interrupting can disrupt the day and throw them off.

Rather than measuring productivity by hours worked, consider measuring it by task completion and outcomes. Evaluate whether a task resulted in increased sales, shorter turnaround times, a promotion, or more positive online reviews.

No matter how much you love your job, your brain needs time to reset. It is a misconception that only people who don't enjoy their work need a vacation or more breaks throughout the day.

One way to gauge how absorbed you are in your work is to consider whether you take calls from your parents, siblings, children, or best friends when you're not in a meeting. Taking these calls can provide a mini-break that injects you with more energy.

✌️