The power of hitting pause during a workday

That’s a day in the life of most corporate employees across the world—respond to mails, constantly check Slack, attend meetings, many of which could have been a text/email, and check items off.

“I don’t think I am capable of using my creative faculties anymore. It feels like my grey matter has depleted just by focusing on survival in the corporate world," says Sakshi Pradhan, 41, a senior content specialist at a multinational in Bengaluru. “When was the last time I sat down and thought of a big idea? Probably three to four years ago."

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We operate in a work world obsessed with “getting stuff done". This constant “doing" mode, which revolves around meeting short-term targets, leaves little time to hit pause during the day and focus on real work that brings joy and makes life and work worthwhile—be it achieving long-term goals or investing in learning opportunities to move up the ladder.

Recent global research by Harvard Business Review, based on the responses of 1,500 mid and senior managers, concluded that close to 40% of workers were unable to pause during the day to reflect on how to “plan and prioritise". Fifty-nine percent described meetings as “rushed", and 29% said they were unable to take the time needed to consider and respond to what others said.

Due to this inability to carve out more personal time, employees often have a myopic view of their careers and lose sight of long-term career goals.

It’s because of the hustle culture, says Seetha Pachchhapur, assistant professor (human resources management) KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai. “Employees believe that the speed of accomplishing tasks begets career success, but strategic pauses within and across assignments can lead to better decision making, innovation and long term career success," she adds.

Going Beyond ‘Doing Mode’

While technology was designed to simplify our work lives, the unintended consequence has been a culture of constant connectivity that rarely allows for genuine contemplation.

Several studies suggest that being in “doing mode" all the time can be detrimental to an employee’s creative faculties, robbing them of the power to think.

“The paradox of modern leadership is that slowing down actually accelerates meaningful progress," says Ritu Bhardwaj Moitra, chief human resources officer at mattress maker Duroflex Group. “Taking intentional pauses allows employees to step back, see the bigger picture, and identify opportunities that may otherwise go unnoticed,"

Prof. Pachchhapur agrees. According to her, most employees today spend 10-12 hours at work, chasing their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and doing every bit they can to hit a target, thereby appeasing their managers.

“While being fixated on their immediate goals, employees seem to be closed to new information and deeper understanding," she adds. “As they manage resources and battle challenges, they experience a flurry of emotions like excitement, fear, anxiety, worry, due to which somewhere there’s no feeling of accomplishment or fulfilment."

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The obvious consequence is stress and burnout, which also leads to the employee’s detachment from the purpose of the organisation. Thus, it’s crucial for companies to create an environment where employees can balance execution with conscious reflection. After all, habitually pausing is beneficial for the well-being of the employee as well as their performance at work.

“A culture that values deep thinking and creativity leads to innovation and long-term growth. Leaders play a critical role in setting this tone," says Chetna Israni, co-founder and director at Mumbai-based integrated communications consultancy, MorningStar BrandCom. “By demonstrating that it is fine to take a step back, reflect, and approach problems with fresh perspectives, they encourage employees to do the same."

Cultivating a Shift

To create meaningful pauses during a day, it’s first important to make oneself understand that pausing is not a luxury, but a much-needed thing that allows you to grasp what’s happening around you. It’s about taking a moment to sit down with yourself and think about nothing, or go for a walk and look at trees and listen to nature’s sounds, or grab a cup of coffee with a colleague and discuss the previous day’s cricket match. The more you do this, the more you’ll realise how these pauses will help you think differently about your work and self while building more solid relationships.

Organisations, too, need to integrate structured and informal mechanisms that encourage employees to step back, reflect, and recharge.

“Encouraging employees to allocate time for deep thinking, problem-solving, and creative exploration rather than being in constant execution mode is helpful," says Israni.

It’s also crucial for leaders to actively demonstrate the importance of pausing to reflect—whether by openly taking time to think before making decisions or engaging in discussions about long-term strategies. This is likely to make employees feel empowered to do the same.

“Adopting simple yet effective initiatives like informal brainstorming sessions, and even making use of unexpected breaks like power outages or internet disruptions to exchange ideas, or just simply chat about things beyond work, can transform how employees think and work," Israni adds.

One of the most important steps, believes Moitra, is establishing clear priorities and ensuring they are well communicated, especially given the potential conflicts between business cycles and personal time.

Prof. Pachchhapur adds that creativity will be a part of an organisation’s DNA if companies borrow less from Frederick Taylor’s principles of scientific management—a set of theories that support the use of scientific methods to solve managerial issues—and more from human relations theories. “While KRAs (Key Responsibility Areas), KPIs and timelines are still valid, creating a psychologically safe space and instilling a spirit of support, trust and respect in everyday activities and actions will help in bringing incredible ideas, thoughts and work to the table," Prof. Pachchhapur says.

Celebrating innovative efforts, promoting cross-functional collaboration, and redesigning work structures and jobs to infuse creative thinking time are some ways to ensure long-term productivity and sustainable outcomes.

“When organisations consciously move beyond a purely task-driven culture, they unlock the potential for more creative solutions, better collaboration, and ultimately, stronger business outcomes," says Israni.

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