Knowing when to take a break is important, but a lot pf people don’t know how to take a break. Some would say that surfing the internet for a few minutes between articles will do the trick. Others profess that getting up and going for a walk fills the time nicely. While these ideas may seem on track, that’s not entirely the case.
A break is defined in several ways, but the one we’re going to focus on is:
A pause or interval, as from work.
It’s important to remember that you really do need to press the “pause” button when you take a break. That means if you work on a computer all day, you should get and get away from it during the break. If you work inside, go outside. If you work in solitude, find interaction of some sort. A break should not only be that interval you take to get away from your work, but give you a chance to break the pattern you have while working.
How you take your break is just as important as when. Do it right and you’ll come back recharged every time.
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I love your posts…but you’ve had tons lately! My RSS feed is beginning to affect my productivity. 8)
Ali
We’re doing 3 or so “small posts” every weekday as well as our usual featured post. So far the esponse has been positive – we’d love to hear your feedback on it!
This article seems stunted; lacking any real information.
Also what does this sentence mean:
“How you take your break is as important as when.”
This article’s intention is to get people thinking about “how” they take their breaks (as in making sure you take breaks that are quality ones). People take breaks all the time (well, maybe not everyone) and many don’t know how to shake it up when they do.
The last sentence alludes to the fact that there is a lot of emphasis on making sure you take breaks, but not a lot on how to take them properly. While it’s not an art, it is something everyone should know how to do.
You should know how to step away from the desk and take a real break.
Thanks for your feedback!
I think it’s a great idea to remember the way we did things in elementary school. No one expects kids to be able to work on the same project for more than an hour and then you switch classes or have recess, almost always means getting up and moving somehow…why shouldn’t we do this as adults. After all kids generally are able to retain more info and learn more efficiently than we do as adults.
I read recently that the mind is limited in its ability to focus at optimal levels past 40 minutes or so. A 5-10 minute refresh should get things going again.
I find it difficulty to complete the entire 5-10 minutes. I have to force myself to resist my restless temptations. I have often found that guided meditation or mellow songs in a playlist on itunes for a prescribed amount of time can be helpful. Then I just wait for the tape to end and there are no excuses.
Thanks for the post! I have found your blog to have some very helpful information.
You got me in but then didn’t take me anywhere. I totally agree you need to truly take a break and not just move on to the next project. UNPLUG is my advice.
I liked how you started the article but it left me hanging…