We all know the feeling… You step away from your work for a quick break, hoping to feel refreshed, and somehow, you come back just as drained. It’s an awful feeling. You’ve maybe scrolled through the news, checked your inbox again (just in case), or gotten distracted by a few too many tabs, and in the end, the break vanished, and your brain still feels like it’s running at full tilt. If that sounds familiar, you’re absolutely not the only one – but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it.
The fact is that breaks are supposed to help, but another fact is that not all of them do. In fact, if you don’t take good breaks, they might even make you feel worse. However, the good news is that with the right tools, you can turn your break time into something that actually gives you a lift instead of just filling time – does that sound like something you’d like to do? Probably. And if that’s the case, keep reading to find out more about how to make the most of your break time.
The Importance Of A Real Break
First things first: taking a proper break isn’t about being unproductive, and that’s a thought you’ve really got to get out of your mind. The truth is that it’s the opposite, really. Short, well-timed breaks can improve focus, reduce fatigue, and even boost creativity, even if it might feel like you’re wasting your time when you could be doing other things – what you’re actually doing is giving your brain space to breathe so that when you return to whatever you’re working on, you’re not running on fumes and you can be a whole lot more productive.
Now something else to think about is that this does have to be a real break, not a half-hearted thing, so you can’t just step away from your desk and say it’s done and you’re doing things well. What you really need to do is choose something that helps you reset mentally, physically, emotionally… and anything else you need to do. And it can be anything, from something active to something relaxing – or both. The point is, it should feel like a shift and a total reset, and it should be something that helps you feel a little more like yourself again. That’s what’s going to make all the difference.
Choosing The Right Kind Of Pause
One thing to bear in mind is that not every break needs to look the same – that means they don’t have to look the same as someone else’s, but it also means they don’t need to look the same for you every day – do whatever it is that you want to do, and don’t try to schedule things too rigidly, or you’ll be undoing the good you’d otherwise get from those breaks. The fact is that some days you’ll want to do exercise, sometimes you’ll want to listen to music, other days you might have a hobby or class to do, and so on. It really depends on how you feel and what you want, and that’s crucial.
So take a moment to think about how you feel and what your mental and physical health is like. For example, if your energy is low, something light and enjoyable might do the trick. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, calming tools, like breathing exercises or quiet music, can help bring things down a notch and relax you. And if your focus is all over the place, perhaps you need something a bit more structured to keep your mind together and in a good space. ,
This is where small, easy-to-use tools come in, and why you should think about using them. There are apps and platforms designed to guide you through five-minute meditations, offer gentle reminders to stretch, or even give you a space to doodle or reflect, and you don’t need anything fancy, just something that helps you feel a little less tangled, so why not take a look and see what you can find?
Playing Games Can Help
It’s so easy to think of games as just distractions that don’t do a lot to help and are really just a waste of time, and yes, some of them certainly are – but the truth is that the right kind of game (something low-pressure that gets the brain thinking, for example) can actually be a great thing to do during your break and it can help massively.
You’ll want to look for games that ask you to focus, but not too much, problem solve a bit, and enjoy a challenge without making you feel overwhelmed if you really want to do good for your mental health. These are the kinds of games that give your brain something a little different to do, and that can be exactly what you need to recharge and get back to being properly productive.
A good example is an online game of bridge. Why is that such a good one? It’s because it’s strategic but not too stressful, and it’s fun and engaging but it won’t get too much and take up all of your time. It’s great because you need to use your memory and logic, and you do need to be focused, but you can also be nice and relaxed, and whether you’re playing it against a computer or with other people (or just practising by yourself), it’s the ideal way to give yourself the mental change and shift you need to feel better and do better.
What’s really important, though, is that you don’t worry about winning or losing when you’re playing these games – that’s not the point. The point is that you’re taking time out from your other tasks and doing something different that’s going to help you, so that’s what you need to keep in mind.
Creating A Break Routine That Works
If you often find yourself just totally skipping breaks or spending them in ways that don’t really help, it’s definitely time to rethink your routine, because something isn’t working – breaks need to be there, and they should be as important as anything else; they’re not something you should skip just because you think they’re not crucial (because they really are).
That’s why coming up with a routine that includes your breaks is so important. It doesn’t have to be rigid and set in stone, but the fact is that having at least a bit of structure can go a long way. It’s best to start by deciding when your break is going to happen – mid-morning and mid-afternoon are good places to start because you can break your day up nicely that way. Once you’ve done that, you can think about what you actually need to do at that specific time of day; do you need to stretch, for example? Do you need to get outside? Take some time to find somewhere quiet? Have a snack? Play a game?
Whatever it is, you should try to keep things simple, and the most important thing is to step away from your work and phone (if possible) for at least a little bit. Just 10 or fifteen minutes to reset can be enough to keep you productive for the next few hours, as surprisingly as that might seem, so once you get into taking breaks regularly, you’ll start to see results, and that’s going to make you a lot more motivated to keep those breaks in your schedule.
And remember – it really is okay to do something just because you like doing it. It doesn’t have to lead to anything or mean anything, and enjoying a little bit of the day away from your other tasks is really enough of a reason to do it on its own.
