The Power of Pause: Why Taking Breaks Makes You Better

Shivalika Dhruvchand Srivastav
Dec 22, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Dec 30, 2025

By Coral Health | Workplace Wellness Insights

In the relentless pursuit of success, we’ve been handed a toxic mantra: Hustle harder. Grind non-stop. Sleep when you’re dead.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re the professional who eats lunch staring at their screen, the high-achiever who feels a twinge of guilt every time they step away. You’re dedicated to sustainable productivity, and you see rest as a luxury, or worse—a failure of discipline.

In today's fast-paced business environment—where long hours are often worn as badges of honour—the pressure to appear constantly productive can be especially intense. However, working yourself to exhaustion isn't a sign of strength; it's unsustainable.

Here's what I've learned (and what science confirms): this belief system is actually working against you, sabotaging the very success you’re chasing.

The secret weapon for peak workplace wellness isn't more hours; it's the strategic, intentional Pause.

📉 The High Cost of the Non-Stop Grind on Employee Mental Health

When we operate without adequate recovery time, we’re not just powering through; we’re burning cognitive resources at an exponential rate, increasing the risk of burnout.

1. The Decision-Fatigue Trap

Every decision drains finite energy from your prefrontal cortex. Working non-stop leads to decision fatigue. By late afternoon, your complex problem-solving abilities begin to decline, leading to sloppy errors and poor judgment. That extra hour you squeezed in? It’s probably creating work you’ll have to fix tomorrow.

2. The Focus Illusion

You think you’re focused for eight hours straight. The reality? Studies show the human brain can only sustain peak concentration for about 90 to 120 minutes before needing a period of mental rest. Skipping your lunch or refusing a simple 10-minute break forces your brain to operate in a constant state of diluted focus, hindering sustainable productivity.

✅ Productivity Through Rest: The Scientific Case

The most successful people don't work the longest; they optimize their energy.

The Brain’s ‘Default Mode Network’ (DMN)

When you finally step away from a demanding task, your brain activates the Default Mode Network (DMN). This is not your brain shutting down; it’s your brain’s processing centre going into overdrive.

The DMN is where unconscious thought occurs, allowing your brain to:

Integrate Information: Connecting seemingly unrelated ideas to spark creativity and insight.
Process Emotions: Essential for Managing Stress and Maintaining Mental Well-being.

Power of Pause words embedded in the image — *The Pause* isn't a space; it’s the fertile ground where your best work is grown.

Real Story: When one of our Thai clients—a senior marketing director—came to Coral Health exhausted and unable to focus, she insisted she 'didn't have time' for breaks. After working with our counsellors to implement strategic pauses, her productivity increased by 40%, and her stress levels dropped significantly. The irony? She accomplished more by working less.

⚖️ How to Reclaim Your Power of Pause

Overcoming the ingrained break guilt requires a conscious shift—from viewing breaks as a reward for productivity to seeing them as a prerequisite for it.

1. Schedule Breaks Like Meetings

If you skip your breaks because they aren’t urgent, make them urgent. Block out time in your calendar: a 30-minute “Lunch (Non-Negotiable)” and two 15-minute “Focus Reset” blocks. Treat these blocks with the same respect you would a client meeting.

2. Practice True Mental Rest

A “break” is not scrolling social media or checking personal emails. True mental rest involves activities that are minimally stimulating: walking outside, meditating, or practising the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eye strain.

Quick win notification on phone with caption saying- set an alarm for 3 breaks today

Need help implementing these changes? Coral Health's EAP counsellors specialise in helping professionals build sustainable work habits. Our stress management program includes personalised break strategies tailored to your role and industry.

3. Cultivate a Rest Culture

If you’re a leader or even just an influential team member, make visible, intentional pauses. When you normalise the work-life balance, you permit others to do the same, leading to a healthier, more resilient team and better burnout prevention.

🚀 Strengthen Your Engine for Sustainable Performance

The belief that 100% output requires 100% input is the hustle myth. The professional who masters the pause isn't the one falling behind; they are the one building an engine for sustainable peak performance.

Struggling to Give Yourself Permission to Rest?

Many professionals tell us they 'know' they should take breaks, but guilt stops them. If that's you, Coral Health's workplace wellness counsellors can help you: