The following procedure is recommended
With the 50/10 and 25/5 exhaustionE protocol, PIRKA offers a scientifically based and tried-and-tested procedure that is suitable for documenting, assessing and supporting the ability to concentrate at work, at university or in the home office.
Application of the 50/10 and 25/5 exhaustionE protocol in 3 steps
The beginning
Select one of the two working time windows of □ 25 min. or □ 50 min. and tick it in the table. Set the TIMER. Start the work. If the selected time window □ 25 or □ 50 ends without an early warning sign □ do not tick any EWS. The work can be continued. To do this, select a new time window □ 25 or □ 50 in the next line.
Step 1 - Early warning signs EWS 1 □ 5 min.
If EWS 1 occurs in the selected time window □ 25 or □ 50 (attention wanders to non-task-related content), interrupt the work and tick □ FWZ 1. Then tick whether the recommended recovery time of □ 5 min. is initiated or not □ no.
- A recovery time of □ 5 min. is ticked and initiated. Set the TIMER to 5 min. At the end of the recovery time, select a new time window in the next line; □ 25 or □ 50 min.
- No recovery time is initiated and □ no is ticked. Select a new time window in the next line; □ 25 or □ 50 min.
Step 2 - Early warning signs EWS 2 □ 10 min.
If EWS 2 occurs in the selected time window □ 25 or □ 50 min (difficulty concentrating), interrupt the work and tick □ FWZ 2. Then tick whether the recommended recovery time of □ 10 min. is initiated or not □ no.
- A recovery time of □ 10 min. is ticked and initiated. Set the TIMER to 10 min. At the end of the recovery time, select a new time window in the next line; □ 25 or □ 50 min.
- No recovery time is initiated and □ no is ticked.
Step 3 – Beyond early warning signs of lack of concentration 10+(t ÷ 2)
If no recovery time □ no is ticked at EWS 2 and work continues beyond EWS 2 (difficulty concentrating), the subsequent working time (t) must be recorded with a TIMER and entered with t min in the formula
10+(t ÷ 2)
The recovery time required must be calculated individually beyond EWS 2, as the need for breaks beyond EWS 2 (difficulty concentrating) increases steadily over time!
exhaustionE - protocol for documenting, evaluating and supporting the ability to concentrate.
To prepare the exhaustionE protocol 50/10 and 25/5 use
PIRKA® Early warning signs of decreasing concentration
PIRKA® Early warning signs of lack of concentration
Use various relaxONnaming® techniques during breaks
PIRKA® relaxONnaming® colours
PIRKA® relaxONnaming® the surroundings
PIRKA® relaxONnaming® during the pause
exhaustionE - Protocol 50/10 and 25/5
Am I working concentrated? Date: ____________________
*(t) corresponds to the time from which work continues beyond EWS 2, i.e. despite difficulties in concentrating. Measure the time (t) with a TIMER and calculate 10+(t ÷ 2), as the need for breaks beyond EWS 2 increases steadily over time! Example: If work is continued for 100 minutes beyond EWS 2 despite existing concentration problems, the recovery time is calculated as follows: 10+(t ÷ 2) with 10+(100 ÷ 2) = 60 min. Such a long recovery time is not feasible in everyday working life! To avoid long recovery times, you should react promptly to EWS 1 and EWS 2.
Important note
Organic diseases with similar early warning signs must be ruled out by the doctor.
Early warning signs are not the result of the effects of medication, alcohol or drugs.
Useful tips
The topic of concentration has many facets. You might think that the ability to concentrate is like electricity from a socket and is always available. Or that if you lack concentration, all you have to do is work harder (like building muscle) and you can train your ability to concentrate. Clinical experience and research on mental fatigue and exhaustion prove that our full concentration can only be restored by taking breaks. The following conditions should be met:
- With early warning signs of decreasing concentration and early warning signs of lack of concentration, PIRKA offers concrete signs that can be observed and named by the individual.
- Specific break times should serve as a guide and match the progression of the various PIRKA early warning signs.
- How the break is spent is also crucial. Reading the news, making phone calls or having conversations are energy-demanding mental processes and, strictly speaking, are not breaks that allow the mind to rest. PIRKA offers a variety of relaxONnaming® breaks that can contribute to mental recovery in a timely manner.
- The use of a TIMER to measure the time windows of 50 and 25 minutes has proven itself in practice. Anyone using a conventional watch to measure time cannot distinguish whether looking at the watch is curiosity or early warning sign EWS 1 (attention wandering to non-task content).
Example - practical application of exhaustionE - Protocol 50/10 and 25/5
He set the TIMER to 50 minutes and started working on the task. It was a good feeling to be able to concentrate fully on the work and to be “woken up”. After 50 minutes, the TIMER reported back. He still felt mentally fit. He had not wandered off mentally and therefore ticked □ no in the log, i.e. no break. In the next line of the protocol, he ticked □ 50 min. again.
Remember: Distractions caused by ringing telephones, loud talking by others or street noise are distractions caused by external events and do not constitute digression into your own thoughts.
As he continued his work, he noticed the thought of who would pick up his daughter from kindergarten. There was a noticeable digression into another topic. He interrupted his work and decided to take a relaxONnaming® break. He set the TIMER to 5 minutes.
Some people believe that they do not need breaks or that the pressure of work does not allow it. Please remember that in a state of lack of concentration, which becomes noticeable through PIRKA early warning signs of lack of concentration, the number of careless mistakes increases. In addition, the need for breaks increases many times over! A lack of concentration is like a flat battery: the lower the battery in your cell phone, the longer it takes to charge. Or: The lower the battery in your flashlight, the less distance you can shine and the longer the charging time. Translated, this means that the less we can concentrate, the harder it is for us to master more difficult tasks and we comfort ourselves by completing a lot of easier tasks. The emptier the mental battery, the more time 10+(t ÷ 2) you need to regenerate until you are able to concentrate fully. And if we have not measured the working time from EWS 2, we do not know our personal “charging time”. As a result, we become more and more accustomed to the feeling of hard work due to a lack of concentration.
You can also use
PIRKA® Early warning signs of decreasing concentration
PIRKA® Early warning signs of lack of concentration
PIRKA® Active reliefs that support our ability to concentrate
PIRKA® Noticing work disturbances
PIRKA® Understanding concentration problems and mental burnout
PIRKA® exhaustionE – Protocol 50-10 and 25-5
PIRKA® Hunger and ability to concentrate
PIRKA® observe, name and evaluate burnout
© 2024 PIRKA® Wolfgang Smidt. The content provided on this website is protected by copyright. Any use requires the prior written consent of the author. The information and advice provided has been compiled to the best of our knowledge and carefully checked. However, it is no substitute for expert psychological and medical advice in individual cases.
Try it out!
PIRKA wishes you every success with the application.
Literature
Abels, D. (1974). Konzentrations-Verlaufs-Test K-V-T. 2., verbesserte Auflage. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Arnold, W., Eysenck, H. J. & Meili, R. (1987). Lexikon der Psychologie. Freiburg: Herder.
Borg, I. & Staufenbiel, T. (1989). Theorien und Methoden der Skalierung. Bern: Huber.
Brickenkamp, R., Schmidt-Atzert, L. & Liepmann, D. (2010). Test d2-Revision. Aufmerksamkeits- und Konzentrationstest. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Clos, R. (2004). Ein Leitfaden zur Diagnose und Behandlung der ME/CFS für den Arzt in der Praxis. Hrsg.: South Australian Department of Human Services, PO Box 287 Rundle Mall 5000, South Australia, Australia.
Demerouti, E., Fergen, A., Glaser, J., Herbig, B., Hofmann, A., Nachreiner, F., Packebusch, L. & Seiler, K. (2012). Psychische Belastung und Beanspruchung am Arbeitsplatz. Inklusive DIN EN 10075-1 bis -3. Herausgeber: DIN Deutsches Institut für Normierung e.V. Berlin: Beuth.
Dilling, H., Mombour W. & Schmidt M.H. (2011). Internationale Klassifikation psychischer Störungen. Göttingen: Huber.
Düker, H. & Lienert, G. A. (2001). KLT-R Konzentrations-Leistungs-Test. Revidierte Fassung. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Eimer, M., Nattkemper, D., Schröger, E & Prinz, W. (1996). Unwillkürliche Aufmerksamkeit. In O. Neumann & A. F. Sanders (Hrsg.), Enzyklopädie der Psychologie. Aufmerksamkeit. Kognition 2 (S. 219-258). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
EN ISO 10075.1 (2012). Ergonomische Grundlagen bezüglich psychischer Arbeitsbelastung. Allgemeines und Begriffe. In Demerouti, E. et. al. Psychische Belastung und Beanspruchung am Arbeitsplatz. DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. Berlin: Beuth.
EN ISO 10075.2 (2012). Ergonomische Grundlagen bezüglich psychischer Arbeitsbelastung. Gestaltungsgrundsätze. In Demerouti, E. et. al. Psychische Belastung und Beanspruchung am Arbeitsplatz. DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. Berlin: Beuth.
EN ISO 10075.3 (2012). Ergonomische Grundlagen bezüglich psychischer Arbeitsbelastung. Grundsätze und Anforderungen an Verfahren zur Messung und Erfassung psychischer Arbeitsbelastung. In Demerouti, E. et. al. Psychische Belastung und Beanspruchung am Arbeitsplatz. DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. Berlin: Beuth.
Franke, G.H. (2002). Symptom-Checkliste SCL-90-R von L.R. Derogatis. Göttingen: Beltz.
Frankenhaeuser, M. (1981). Coping with stress at work. International journal of health services, 491-510
Frankenhaeuser, M. (1986). A Psychobiological Framework for Research on Human Stress and Coping. In M.H. Appley & R. Trumbull (Hrsg.), Dynamics of Stress. New York: Plenum Stress.
Gaab, J. & Ehlert, U. (2005). Chronische Erschöpfung und Chronisches Erschöpfungssyndrom. Fortschritte der Psychotherapie. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Heubrock, D. & Petermann, F. (2001). Aufmerksamkeitsdiagnostik. Psychologische Diagnostik. Band 2. Göttingen. Hogrefe.
Kallus, K. W. (2011). EBF Erholungs-Belastungs-Fragebogen. Frankfurt: Pearson.
Klix, F. (1976). Information und Verhalten. Kybernetische Aspekte der organismischen Informationsverarbeitung. Bern: Huber.
Klix, F. (1998). Begriffliches Wissen – episodisches Wissen. In Klix, F. & Spada, H. (Hrsg.), Enzyklopädie der Psychologie. Wissen. Kognition. (S. 167-205). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Koelega, H.S. (1996). Vigilanz. In O. Neumann & A. F. Sanders (Hrsg.), Enzyklopädie der Psychologie. Aufmerksamkeit. Kognition 2 (S. 403-467). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Luczak, H. (1989). Wesen menschlicher Leistung. Köln: Bachem.
Manzey, D. (1996). Psychophysiologie mentaler Beanspruchung. In O. Neumann & A. F. Sanders (Hrsg.), Enzyklopädie der Psychologie. Aufmerksamkeit. Kognition 2 (S. 799-850). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Marschner, G. (1972). Revisions-Test. Ein allgemeiner Leistungstest zur Untersuchung anhaltender Konzentration bei geistiger Arbeit. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Moosbrugger, H. & Oehlschlägel, J. (2019). FAIR-2. Frankfurter Aufmerksamkeits-Inventar 2. (2. überarb. u. erg. Aufl. des FAIR 1996). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Oppolzer, A. (2006). Menschengerechte Gestaltung der Arbeit durch Erholzeiten. Abschlussbericht. Studie im Auftrag der Hans-Böckler-Stiftung.
Packebusch, L. (2012). Psychische Belastung und Beanspruchung – Erweiterungsmöglichkeiten des Normkonzepts ISO 10075. In E. Demerouti et. al. Psychische Belastung und Beanspruchung am Arbeitsplatz. Inklusive DIN EN 10075-1 bis -3. (S. 28-37). Herausgeber: DIN Deutsches Institut für Normierung e.V. Berlin: Beuth.
Rohmert, W. & Luczak, H. (1973). Zur ergonomischen Beurteilung informatorischer Arbeit. Internationale Zeitschrift für angewandte Physiologie, 31, 209-229
Rudow, B. (2011). Die gesunde Arbeit. Arbeitsgestaltung, Arbeitsorganisation und Personalführung. München. Oldenbourg.
Rühmann, H. & Bubb, H. (2010). Grundsätze ergonomischer Arbeitsplatz- und Betriebsmittelgestaltung. In U. Kleinbeck & K. H. Schmidt (Hrsg.), Enzyklopädie der Psychologie. Arbeitspsychologie. (S. 521-578). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Schaarschmidt, U. & Fischer, A. W. (2013). Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster AVEM: Frankfurt: Pearson.
Schlick, C., Bruder, R. & Luczak, H. (2010). Arbeitswissenschaft. Heidelberg: Springer.
Schmidtke, H. (1965). Die Ermüdung. Bern: Huber.
Schmidtke, H. & Bubb, H. (1993). Das Belastungs-Beanspruchungs-Konzept. In Schmidtke, H. (Hrsg.), Lehrbuch der Ergonomie (3. Aufl.) München: Hanser.
Schmidtke, H. (Hrsg.) (1981) Lehrbuch der Ergonomie. München: Hanser.
Seiler, K. (2012). Merkmale und Folgen von Emotionsarbeit. In E. Demerouti et. al. Psychische Belastung und Beanspruchung am Arbeitsplatz. Inklusive DIN EN 10075-1 bis -3. (S. 28-37). Herausgeber: DIN Deutsches Institut für Normierung e.V. Berlin: Beuth.
Semmer, N. K., Grebner, S. & Elfering, A. (2010). Psychische Kosten von Arbeit: Beanspruchung und Erholung, Leistung und Gesundheit. In U. Kleinbeck & K. H. Schmidt (Hrsg.), Enzyklopädie der Psychologie. Arbeitspsychologie. (S. 325-358). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
van der Molen, M.W. (1996). Energetik und der Reaktionsprozess. Zwei Leitlinien der Experimentalpsychologie. In O. Neumann & A. F. Sanders (Hrsg.), Enzyklopädie der Psychologie. Aufmerksamkeit. Kognition 2 (S. 333-395). Göttingen: Hogrefe.