Abstract
This paper examines how scheduled breaks and access to online distractions affect productivity in cognitively demanding tasks. We conduct a continuous-time real-effort experiment with 271 participants, generating over 57,000 second-by-second observations, enabling precise measurement of productivity dynamics. We find that scheduled breaks substantially increase performance, both by restoring cognitive resources and by mitigating anticipatory fatigue. Granting internet access alone also improves productivity, because it provides workers with autonomy over attentional shifts rather than simply reducing distraction. Importantly, combining breaks with internet access attenuates the appeal of unscheduled browsing, further sustaining performance. These effects are robust across individual differences in self-control, grit, and personality traits. Our results highlight the dual role of breaks as productivity enhancers and behavioral anchors, suggesting that organizations may achieve greater efficiency by implementing strategic micro-break policies rather than relying on restrictive internet bans.