The 52-17 work rhythm is a form of time management during work. More breaks result in higher productivity. The result is better concentration on the essentials and more relaxation during rest periods.
Work rhythm 52-17: Really take a break
Breaks are required by law, but let’s be honest: many employees don’t really take the time for themselves or actually relax during their breaks. They tend to grab a quick coffee between meetings or take a quick look at their cell phone and then get on with their work.
The 52-17 work rhythm starts there and ensures more relaxation, while concentration on the actual tasks is increased. This is achieved through very strict time management. Every 52 minutes is followed by a 17-minute break.
The human brain can work at peak performance for about an hour. After that, it needs a little regeneration time. The 52-17 method provides this regeneration.
Where does the 52-17 working rhythm make sense (and where not)?
The 52-17 method cannot be implemented equally everywhere. It is primarily suitable for jobs in the office or home office. Answering emails, writing articles, preparing presentations, making phone calls to customers or writing invoices, for example. Basically all tasks that you can schedule yourself.
If there is a meeting with several people, 52-17 will obviously not work. After all, you can’t just leave the meeting after 52 minutes. Long-term tasks are also sometimes difficult to reconcile with the 52-17 working rhythm. However, it may be possible to divide up a task so that it does not have to be worked on for three hours at a time, but breaks are possible after just under an hour.
Implement work rhythm 52-17
A little organization is required to implement the 52-17 method. A daily schedule in which the tasks are entered according to the 52-17 scheme is best suited. This also makes it easy to determine which tasks are actually suitable for this form of time management and which are not.
It is also important that all disruptive factors are eliminated. The cell phone should be off. Notifications on the laptop too. In the best case scenario, even the Internet should be switched off, but of course this is not always possible.
Colleagues should also be made aware that they should not disturb you. It probably makes sense to talk to your superiors to make them aware that you want to work undisturbed for 52 minutes. Of course, 52 minutes can also be included in the daily schedule for discussions with colleagues about work-related issues.
The most important thing is self-discipline. The biggest disruptive factor is often ourselves, because we like to be distracted or our thoughts are elsewhere. Focusing on a specific task for 52 minutes and concentrating continuously may be something you first have to learn. But it is possible and afterwards there is always a 17-minute reward in the form of a break.
Conclusion
The 52-17 work rhythm increases concentration and productivity. To achieve this, however, disruptive factors must be eliminated and you must be able to maintain your focus. This may be an exercise that takes a little time. But that’s what time management is for.
Above all, organization is important. If you don’t know what you actually want to or should work on, a method such as 52-17 is difficult to plan and implement. Therefore, not all tasks are suitable for tackling in this way. It makes sense to make a selection in advance and can be organized in a daily plan, for example.
52 minutes may not be long, but you can get a lot done in that time. This article, for example, was written in just under 50 minutes. That certainly doesn’t always work, but it’s all the better when the math works out.
