“I’ll just power through” might be one of the most damaging decisions we make at work.
It sounds committed.
Productive.
Responsible.
But when your energy has dropped, your concentration is fading and your body is asking you to move, continuing to work does not guarantee better results.
It often means spending longer producing lower-quality work.
The immediate solution is simple:
Step away for 60 seconds, move your body and return with a clearer brain.
That is the idea behind Movement Snacks: short Performance Microbreaks designed to improve how you think, feel and perform during the working day.
Why powering through damages workplace performance
During my legal career, I thought good employees stayed at their desks.
I regularly worked through lunch, ignored fatigue and treated breaks as a reward I had not yet earned.
I told myself I was being productive.
In reality, my energy was falling, my stress was rising and even simple tasks required more effort.
Eventually, I burnt out.
The World Health Organisation describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterised by exhaustion, increased mental distance or cynicism towards work, and reduced professional effectiveness.
Burnout rarely begins with one dramatic event.
It is often built through repeated everyday decisions:
- Working through lunch
- Ignoring fatigue
- Sitting for hours without moving
- Moving directly from one meeting to the next
- Staying online long after concentration has dropped
- Treating recovery as something that happens after work
The phrase “I’ll just power through” can become a daily habit long before burnout becomes visible.
What is a Movement Snack?
A Movement Snack is a 30-to-60-second burst of purposeful movement performed during the working day.
It does not require:
- Gym clothes
- Equipment
- A fitness studio
- A shower
- A full exercise break
It could be:
- Shoulder rolls after a Teams meeting
- Desk shoulder taps before beginning a new task
- Seated overhead stretches
- Calf raises while making coffee
- Chair squats before lunch
- Marching while waiting for the kettle
- A brief walk after a difficult conversation
Movement Snacks are the memorable method.
Performance Microbreaks describe their purpose.
They interrupt long periods of physical and mental stillness and help people reset before their performance deteriorates.
The movement is the delivery mechanism.
Better performance is the outcome.
Can microbreaks improve workplace productivity?
Research supports the value of brief breaks during the working day.
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that microbreaks were associated with reduced fatigue and increased vigour. The evidence for performance varied according to the type of work and the length of the break, with more demanding tasks sometimes requiring longer recovery.
That distinction matters.
A Movement Snack is not a cure for excessive workloads, chronic understaffing or a toxic workplace culture.
It will not turn an exhausted employee into a machine.
Nor should it.
But it can provide a practical interruption before fatigue, tension and mental overload continue to build.
NIOSH also emphasises that chronic exposure to occupational stress can damage worker mental health. Burnout prevention therefore needs supportive organisational practices as well as tools employees can use themselves.
Movement Snacks work best as part of a wider workplace burnout prevention strategy, not as a substitute for one.
Five signs you need a Performance Microbreak
You do not need to wait until you feel completely exhausted.
Try a Movement Snack when you notice:
1. You are rereading the same sentence
Your eyes are moving, but the information is no longer landing.
Stand up, move for 60 seconds and return to the task.
2. A simple task suddenly feels difficult
Mental fatigue can make ordinary decisions feel disproportionately demanding.
Use movement to create a clear break between tasks.
3. Your shoulders are near your ears
Stress often appears in the body before we consciously acknowledge it.
Try slow shoulder rolls, chest opening movements or an overhead stretch.
4. You are reaching automatically for caffeine or sugar
You may need stimulation, but you might first benefit from movement, water and a brief change of focus.
5. You are saying, “I’ll just power through”
Treat that sentence as a warning light.
Stop.
Think.
Move.
Then decide what you genuinely need.
A 60-second Movement Snack to try now
You can perform this beside your desk without changing clothes.
The 60-Second Performance Reset
20 seconds: March on the spot or perform seated marching.
20 seconds: Reach both arms overhead, then lower them slowly.
20 seconds: Roll your shoulders backwards while taking slow breaths.
Then ask yourself:
- Has my energy changed?
- Do I feel more focused?
- Has any tension reduced?
- Am I better prepared for the next task?
This short pause will not solve every workplace problem.
But it may improve how you approach the next one.
Movement Snacks are not a replacement for the gym
One of the questions I am asked most frequently is:
“Wouldn’t it be better just to go to the gym?”
The gym and Movement Snacks serve different purposes.
A planned workout can improve physical fitness, strength and cardiovascular health.
A Movement Snack interrupts prolonged sitting or mental overload while it is happening.
An evening gym session cannot give you back the quality of thinking you lost during a difficult afternoon.
You do not have to choose between them.
Exercise supports your overall fitness.
Performance Microbreaks support how you function throughout the working day.
Burnout prevention is not solely the employee’s responsibility
Employees can take more movement breaks, protect their boundaries and recognise early warning signs.
But leaders must create an environment in which doing so is genuinely safe.
A manager cannot tell people to prioritise wellbeing while praising those who skip lunch, respond at midnight or remain visibly glued to their desks.
Workplace burnout prevention requires organisations to examine:
- Workload
- Staffing
- Role clarity
- Psychological safety
- Management behaviour
- Communication expectations
- Access to meaningful recovery
- Whether employees feel able to pause without judgement
Individual strategies matter.
Workplace culture determines whether people feel permitted to use them.
How leaders can make Performance Microbreaks normal
Leaders do not need to launch an elaborate wellbeing campaign.
They can begin with three practical actions.
Lead visibly
Take a brief movement break yourself.
Employees are more likely to believe breaks are acceptable when senior people demonstrate them.
Attach movement to existing routines
Build a 60-second reset into:
- The end of meetings
- Shift handovers
- Training sessions
- Long virtual calls
- Afternoon team check-ins
This avoids adding another task to an already crowded day.
Measure the outcome
Do not only count how many breaks people take.
Ask whether they feel more focused, energised, calm or physically comfortable afterwards.
That is why I created the Performance Microbreak Platform.
How the Performance Microbreak Platform works
The platform begins with one practical question:
How do you need to feel or perform right now?
Employees can select outcomes such as:
- Focus
- Energy
- Calm
- Creativity
- Stress reduction
- Post-meeting recovery
- Relief from aches and tension
- Beating the afternoon slump
The platform then recommends a suitable 60-second Movement Snack.
Employees record how they feel before and after, allowing organisations to understand whether the intervention is creating a meaningful difference.
It keeps the method simple for employees while giving leaders useful insight into workplace performance and recovery.
One minute can change the next hour
I did not create Movement Snacks because people need another instruction to exercise more.
I created them because I know what happens when people repeatedly override their need for recovery.
I spent years powering through.
I mistook exhaustion for commitment and stillness for productivity.
By the time I stopped, stopping was no longer optional.
Movement Snacks are designed to help people interrupt that pattern much earlier.
Not after burnout.
Not during a crisis.
During the ordinary working day, when one small decision can change what happens next.
One minute. One outcome. One better hour.
Trial the Performance Microbreak Platform
I am inviting 25 organisations with desk-based, frontline or high-pressure teams to trial the Performance Microbreak Platform free for one month.
Your employees receive Movement Snacks matched to how they need to feel and perform, while your organisation gains insight into the difference those microbreaks make.
To request a demonstration or discuss a pilot, contact me through the website and quote “MICROBREAK”.
FAQ
What is a microbreak at work?
A microbreak is a brief pause from a work task, generally lasting no more than ten minutes. A Movement Snack is a specific type of active Performance Microbreak lasting approximately 30 to 60 seconds.
How often should employees take movement breaks?
There is no single schedule suitable for every person or role. Movement Snacks can be attached to natural transitions such as finishing a meeting, completing a task, making a drink or noticing a drop in focus.
Can movement breaks prevent burnout?
Movement breaks alone cannot prevent burnout caused by excessive workloads, poor management or chronic workplace stress. They can support daily recovery, reduce uninterrupted sitting and help employees respond to early signs of fatigue. Burnout prevention also requires organisational action.
Do Movement Snacks replace exercise?
No. Movement Snacks interrupt prolonged periods of sitting and provide short resets during the working day. They complement rather than replace regular exercise.
Can Movement Snacks be performed while seated?
Yes. Seated marching, shoulder rolls, overhead reaches, torso rotations and controlled breathing can all be adapted for people who cannot stand or use their legs.
