TAP reading note: "Give me a break!" A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of micro-breaks for increasing well-being and performance
Micro-breaks produced small average improvements in vigor and fatigue. The pooled effect on overall performance was not statistically significant, so feeling better and performing better should be reported separately.
Updated 2026-09-14 · Archived
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What the study found
Micro-breaks produced small average improvements in vigor and fatigue. The pooled effect on overall performance was not statistically significant, so feeling better and performing better should be reported separately.
Scope & limitations
19 records yielding 22 independent samples (2,335 participants); outcome-specific samples differ.
Tasks, break activities and measures varied. The review cannot identify one best break schedule or establish long-term changes in allostatic load.
Population & sample
19 records yielding 22 independent samples (2,335 participants); outcome-specific samples differ.
Exposure or intervention
Breaks of up to ten minutes in experimental and quasi-experimental studies.
Outcomes
Vigor, fatigue and performance analyzed separately. The overall performance analysis used 15 samples and 1,132 participants.
Time frame
Short-term break outcomes in literature searched through April 2021; no common long-term follow-up.
Research funding
Andrei Rusu reported support from the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS–UEFISCDI, project PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-2032.
Research conflicts of interest
The authors declared no competing interests.
Reading scope
Based on the publication’s text, including Abstract, Results, limitations and funding/competing-interest statements. This reading note has not undergone independent scientific review.
References
Publication record
TAP-RDN-0023 · v0.1 · English
Scientific review has not been completed for this edition.
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Record integrity & available editions
SHA-256: 2ad62793c03d7dd0c4868e7268c6f717517dd9bc6d05a7a3225cd4c440f2da27
Captured: 2026-09-14T11:37:40.855Z
- v0.1 · 2026-09-14