Q: When can you be more productive without working?

A: When you need a break and start again refreshed and focused.

So many people in this busy society refuse to stop when there is a lot to do. They slog along, pushing themselves during the day and again in the evenings, with both work and personal activities. Yet when you struggle to get through, driving yourself continuously, you can end up working ever more hours but at a slower rate. Production and productivity actually slow down despite the number of hours involved.

Here are a few situations where building in rewards can make a long-term difference:

• When it’s been a difficult project and you got it done
• When you find yourself procrastinating on getting started
• When you have been working too many straight hours
• When you feel stress building
• When you haven’t used your earned vacation days

Not only should individuals build in small treats and rewards, but companies can use this to their advantage. Take the example of Communispace Corp. in Watertown, Massachusetts, with 184 employees. Half of their employees are recent college graduates, normally a high turnover group. Yet the company has an annual turnover rate of 10%. When an employee commented that they were working so hard that it didn’t feel as if they were having any fun, the company found that something even as simple as a pizza party had an impact. While they constantly look for other ways to improve the work climate, the pizza party was immediately responsive to needs.

During this holiday month, is there some time you can build in just for yourself? Family and sharing are important, but make sure you yourself do not start a new year dragging from stressful, busy days without a pause, before plunging back into the whirlwind of work demands.