Everyone is busy. As a coach, an employer, a friend and a mentor, I haven’t met a person in the last few months who isn’t rushed off their feet, either with work, family, or day-to-day chores. Sometimes, days roll into weeks, weeks in month, and we constantly find ourselves wishing for more hours, more time, and saying that we ‘cannot believe it’s already June’ and ‘where has the year gone’.
So with that we try to pack more things in to our already cramped And whilst the feeling of accomplishment can be found by working longer hours to get things done, there is also a very high chance of feeling tired, stressed, exhausted and non-achieving as a result.day, and then consciously decide to skip lunch and probably do a bit of work at the weekend, ‘just to catch up’.
When people come to me for coaching, there is a commonality around not realising that the time taken for a lunch break, a holiday, or just away from the usual routine, can add significantly more time back into our lives than the actual time invested.
So, why take a break?
- To refuel your body – but without contaminating the desk! It is important to eat regularly; it keeps your brain functioning properly and means you can focus on the task in hand, not your rumbling stomach. But don’t eat at the desk – did you know that keyboards have been found to have more harmful bacteria on them than toilet seats?
- To reduce stress. Having time away from a challenging or intense situation can enable you to see it with fresh eyes, and make you feel a lot better.
- To inspire you. A different scene, new people or places can all be inspiring and motivational and help to fuel new and exciting ideas or solutions. Speaking to other people can really help to break up a day and can be problem sharing.
- To keep healthy. Sitting all day has some well documented impacts on our health, so get up and walk outside. Not only will you help your body, but you will get fresh air (air conditioning is another germ breeder) and sunlight which boosts production of vitamin D and serotonin (mood booster).
- To renew your productivity. Nothing like a break to feel like you have more energy to tackle the last task of the day.
- To reduce the likelihood of needing time off sick. Being unwell or worn out impacts your whole life, and by using our breaks to take exercise or eat well will help to keep us well.
So make sure you don’t skip too many breaks, as you could be working harder than you really need to be. If you would like to discuss how you could benefit from making breaks a priority in your already hectic schedule, please do give me a call today.