On a busy working day, when we are short on things to do, we tend to think that there is no greater luxury than taking a break. However, we can prevent burnout with an effectively spent break. Here are eight tips for building some downtime into your work day.
According to the Harvard Business Review (HBR) article , when we think about what conditions are necessary to perform our work optimally, we must not forget that in addition to available time, available energy is also important. It may just happen that by the time we have the time we need for an important project or task, we are too drained or burned out to actually do it. With regular breaks — which are especially important for those who do creative work — we can keep our energy reserves at a level, which is important not only for productivity, but also for the prevention of burnout.
Not to mention, it also helps us maintain healthy self-regulation of our emotions and behavior so we can have positive interactions with others. More simply: to remain balanced and preferably not to shout at our colleague’s head when he speaks to us or asks something. When we are exhausted, we are more irritable and frustrated, which can lead to unpleasant situations.
The solution: take micro-breaks during the day. These short breaks can be very short indeed: one minute, but also 5-10 minutes. Just as micro-stresses can accumulate at work, micro-breaks during the day can help offset their effects. Of course, don’t leave it to chance and don’t rely on randomly finding (or not) a few minutes for a break. Let’s be aware of this — the HBR article gives eight tips for this.
1. Allow yourself that little downtime
Many people assume that there is too much to do and they cannot afford to take a break. It is worth questioning this assumption, whether it is our own belief or it is forced upon us by the organization (or both). Let’s look at it the other way around: we can’t afford not to take — even very short — breaks at different times of the day. «When you set a good example by regularly taking these breaks, you implicitly give permission to those around you to do the same.»
2. Designate time slots when you answer emails and chat with others
It can be tempting to quickly answer e-mails or various chat messages in the few free minutes that fall into our laps, because we want to reduce the number of them as well or we just want to respond quickly. However, research shows that work takes 50 percent longer if you constantly rotate tasks. And then people typically try to make up for this loss of productivity by working faster. However, this only causes more stress, lack of time and frustration. That’s why it’s useful to set specific times for answering emails.
3. It is not scripture that a meeting can only last 30 or 60 minutes
For most people, 30 or 60 minutes is the default length of a meeting. But why can’t shorter meetings be completed in 15 or 25 minutes, and longer ones in 45-50 minutes? When there is more time, people always find a way to fill it. The narrower time window encourages people to adjust to the available time and participate more effectively in the meeting. At most, if absolutely necessary, it can still be extended. With the abbreviated meetings, we may have five to ten to fifteen minutes to get up from the table, exercise, drink coffee or eat a few snacks. Or we can even organize a weekend family or friend program: according to research, it also reduces stress and makes you happier if you have something to look forward to.
4. Stop
If possible, do not exceed the specified duration of the meetings. Of course, this is easier to comply with if we lead the discussion. It is also a solution if we announce in advance when we have to leave the meeting, so that the participants will also try to finish things by the given time. This is also good for them, because they know in advance what to expect. If the meetings run over and we are late for the next one because of this, it also only increases the daily stress.
5. Combine it with bathroom breaks
The only short break everyone needs is a bathroom break. It is much easier to build a new habit on top of an old one and connect it with it. After visiting the bathroom, you can create a new mini-habit and take 5-10 minutes to meditate, do exercises, take the stairs in the office building, or take a walk around the block.
6. Schedule breaks in advance and set a reminder!
According to research, our energy level is usually at its lowest during the working day around 3 p.m. It is also worth adjusting the breaks to these periods and getting up from the table. Here, too, you can create rituals (coffee, a short walk, feeding the dog), which can also be expected in advance. You can also set a reminder, but you can also find many applications developed for this purpose.
7. Coffee cup on the desk
It is worth putting something on the desk or near our computer that reminds us to take a break. It can be a coffee mug, a wet key, or even a picture of a yoga pose, or a post-it that just says «breathe».
8. Routine for unexpected breaks
We can take advantage of the occasional breaks even if we didn’t plan them into our day, but they suddenly fall into our laps. It’s also a good idea to develop a strategy for this: if a meeting ends earlier or if we have to wait for someone because they’re late, we can listen to music, text our friends, do breathing exercises, so we can get the most out of these as well.
