You'll need to adjust the allocations and make some tradeoffs to craft a realistic schedule, but even taking small steps to incorporate timeboxing into your schedule can 'work wonders' for your well-being and focus, says Janzer. Timeboxing, of course, isn't a perfect science. Their break-taking counterparts, on the other hand, show higher scores for work-life balance, productivity, job satisfaction, and a greater ability to manage stress and anxiety. Employees who rarely or never take breaks at work are nearly 2x more likely to burn out than those who do, Slack and Qualtrics found. Skipping breaks isn't just counterproductive - it can also be detrimental to your mental health. 'That's where you have the time and space to be innovative and creative, to effectively accomplish the tasks on your plate and reflect on longer-term career goals,' she explains. Proactively scheduling blocks of time on your calendar to focus - and a few breaks throughout the day to restore your ability to focus - is 'really critical' for productivity, says Christina Janzer, senior vice president of research and analytics at Slack. 'The right balance gives you the energy you need to work your best.'

'Focus time, collaboration time, connection and rest are like the macronutrients of a workday,' says David Ard, the senior vice president of employee success at Slack and Salesforce. In a typical eight-hour workday, that leaves two hours to be split between social connection, like grabbing coffee with a co-worker, and rest. On average, desk workers say the ideal amount of focus time is about four hours a day, while the majority agrees that two hours, max, should be spent in meetings and on collaboration. Regardless of job tier, the survey of more than 10,000 desk workers and executives found an ideal balance of focus time, collaboration time, social connection and downtime to be productive while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Setting clear guidelines for how you spend your time and energy is the easiest and most effective way to boost productivity, according to new research from Salesforce subsidiary Slack and research firm Qualtrics.

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