Yes! Take More Breaks & Here’s Why

In the course of a work day, do you periodically step away and take a break?

I’ll be honest, I’m frequently so focused and in the zone when I’m working that time has a way of slipping away. Being in a state of flow like that is amazing. It feels like the only thing that matters is what I’m doing right now. I am fully present. Time is on my side. And it’s when I do my best work.

There’s another feeling that I sometimes experience where time feels like it is slipping away and I’m frantically trying to keep up while simultaneously feeling very behind! When I’m in that mode I’m also focused, but on the wrong things, which sort of has me running in circles. Rather being energized, I’m drained, less productive, and often rather stressed.

In either situation, a break is good!

A Real Life Example

A meeting I had a few years back with several managers springs to mind! The conversation took an interesting turn as they all began lamenting the demands of work and feeling quite overwhelmed with the tasks before them. In fact, they were feeling so overwhelmed, that they weren’t even taking the time to drink water or take bathroom breaks. It makes perfect sense that if you weren’t doing the former, the later wouldn’t be necessary.

What stood out to me was that this no-break-power-working-mode wasn’t a one day out of the ordinary occurrence. It was the norm for all of them! I was stunned when one gal shared how this no-break-power-working-mode habit led to a kidney infection. Now that’s serious!

Life & Work ARE Demanding!

I get that there are ridiculously demanding moments in life and work, even some ridiculously demanding jobs, but when you resist taking care of yourself even in little ways like taking breaks, it winds up costing you.

When you are perpetually under pressure and don’t get enough rest, you end up burned out, stressed, and exhausted. Certainly not the recipe for success!

When you have a lot on your plate, the temptation is to buckle down and work like crazy. And that’s just what it is – crazy! Without breaks and moments of pause to regroup, gain perspective, prioritize, and consider creative solutions, your efforts quickly become counterproductive. You don’t want to waste your energy that way!

Back in the 70s, (I know, I’m dating myself) McDonald’s did a catchy ad campaign with a memorable ditty that also sported some equally memorable fashions. It wrapped up declaring…

You deserve a break today!
So get up and get away!
To McDonald’s! McDonald’s! McDonald’s! You deserve a break today!

Now, I’m not endorsing McDonald’s, but I am encouraging you keep that jingle fresh in your mind to encourage you to get up and take a break. A chance to stretch, move, and perhaps experience fresh scenery is quite beneficial!

Breaks are fuel for your brain and necessary if you want to function at your best.

I’ve shared previously on some of the perks to taking breaks, how to spot striving, which is a big contributor to skipping breaks, and the need for rest.

You Are Worth It!

Today, I want to share with you some of the dangers of neglecting to take breaks. You really are worth it!

1. Health Hazards

If you have a desk job or tend to sit for long stretches, beware – sitting is the new smoking! Being sedentary practically guarantees health challenges ahead.

Did you know that when you sit, your muscles are in a state of disuse? That means your muscles aren’t contracting and helping your body to regulate many of the body’s metabolic processes, leading to heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues according to David Dunstan, a professor at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia. That means even when you are relaxing, getting up and moving periodically is a great idea!

Take a break and move! Go outside! Nature is incredibly calming. No sanctuary outside? At the very least, switch up your environment.

2. The Risk of Becoming Dull

While you may view yourself as a dedicated worker, being overly focused on work may be hindering you personally and professionally. All work and no play makes you one dimensional person and less interesting because you don’t bring much to your relationships.

Taking regular breaks, however, improves the quality of your work, demonstrates that you know how to manage you, and it preserves your relationships.

Breaks don’t need to take up a big chunk of time. In fact, longer breaks are less refreshing. A quick 5-15 minutes makes a happy difference! According to Time Magazine, a 52-17 rule works best. For every 52 minutes you work, following it by a 17-minute break helps to maintain focus and productivity.

3. Diminished Creativity & Productivity

It’s hard to be creative when you’re running on empty. You might be surprised by the fresh insights that pop into your head when you step away and give yourself a brief break. A leisurely stroll to the restroom and back does the trick. (Hint, hint to my manager friends!)

Time to pull away, breathe, and check in with yourself reignites your creativity and allows you to come up with ideas and solutions you might not have arrived at if you had tried to power it out. Those brilliant solutions often aid your productivity too!

Need break inspiration? What about taking 15-30 minutes to…

• • • Take a walk
    • Doodle
    • Read a book
    • Close your eyes and listen to music (with your headphones of course, or in your car)
    • Grab some Z’s
    • Work on a crossword or Sudoku puzzle
    • Color
    • Browse through a magazine
    • Dance – Yep! If you are alone, turn on a happy tune and go for it!
    • Sip a coffee, tea, or kombucha
    • Call a friend
    • Knock out a few push ups

And your lunch break matters too! Stop skipping lunch! No more eating at your desk while you work. Not only do you need to fuel yourself physically, breaking for lunch fuels you in other creative ways as well. I promise, you’ll get more accomplished when you pause for lunch.

4. Negative Perspective

When you deprive yourself of breaks, feelings of resentment creep in. It feels like your work is running you rather than you taking charge of your work. That’s not a happy feeling.

Breaks leave you feeling more in control and it gives you a chance to pause and put life in perspective. Odds are that the cranky people in your office are the ones who haven’t been taking breaks. Just saying.

5. Stress

You weren’t meant to perpetually work and when you do it takes a toll. What’s a realistic expectation for you when it comes to work? Stress is felt when reality and your expectations don’t line up.

6. Mistakes

When feeling stressed, negative, uncreative, and all the other points I’ve previously made, the odds of making mistakes increases! You don’t want that!

7. Harmful Habits

Working through breaks, lunches, etc., starts out because a deadline is fast approaching for some highly important project. Before you know it, you are skipping lunch, and working late. It all becomes a habit.

Perhaps you have been habitually skipping breaks and lunches for so long you don’t even remember when it all began! And I bet that habit is affecting other areas of your life and work too because bad habits have a way of doing that!

It’s time to break that habit and discover the power of taking breaks! Stepping away from whatever it is that you do and savoring a break makes you happier, healthier, and enhances your ability to work too!

No Forced Breaks!

You don’t want to find yourself forced to take breaks to see a doctor for conditions like kidney infections, do you? I prefer my breaks to be a whole lot more fun than that, how about you?

What keeps you from taking breaks? How is that affecting your work?

If you are in the habit of taking breaks, how do you like to spend them? How do breaks benefit you?