The Three Types of Breaks You Need to Take to Be More Productive
Working, studying, or doing your daily errands can be overwhelming, which is why a lot of people want to be left alone to concentrate when faced with a difficult and time-consuming task. When you know you have a lot to do, you wouldn’t want to be disturbed or interrupted by anything, right? That way, you can finish more work in the least amount of time. However, recent studies suggest that working nonstop may be counterproductive to productivity.
Taking breaks has been shown to have an important role in reducing stress. As you know, stress can impact a multitude of factors relating to your well-being and performance. Too much stress from working can lead to depletion of energy levels, decreased mental alertness, de-motivation, lack of concentration, reduced mind-body coordination, interpersonal conflict, and a lot more, which may all lead to decreased productivity.
Constantly working without taking breaks can eventually lead to physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, leading to burnout. If you want to learn more about how to prevent this, this course on stress management can help you.
To prevent burning out, experts encourage taking breaks every day in order for the body and the mind to recover from too much stress and pressure. However, if you really want to be more productive, don’t just take any break. You need to use your time and breaks wisely.
By taking these three types of breaks, you will find yourself working faster and more efficiently compared to working nonstop and without a clear direction.
The Physical Break
Did you ever feel stuck on a problem or running low on creative juices, then decide to take a walk outside for a few minutes, and all of a sudden, the solution or a creative idea just pops into your head?
When you take a physical break that involves moving and stretching your muscles, changing your environment, and feeling new sensations, your mind works better and more creatively. Studies have shown that physical exercise, especially one that involves the outdoors, provides the brain with a much-needed chance to wander and explore, thus resulting in increased problem-solving abilities and creative thinking.
Furthermore, taking a physical break from sitting all day in front of the computer not only improves your posture, blood circulation, and muscle functioning, but it can also elevate your mood through endorphins released in your body by exercising.
When you’re in a better mood after taking a physical break, you’ll go back to work feeling happier, healthier, and with more motivation to carry on your work.
Physical breaks may involve anything from walking outside for 15 minutes to walking the dog, going for a run, or just going up and down the stairs. If going outside is not an option, you can always try indoor workouts that can get the job done as well.
The Social Break
Taking a social break may seem counterproductive for a lot of corporate superiors who prevent the use of social media during office hours, frown upon taking personal calls, and reprimand office chit-chat over the water cooler. However, studies have shown that having breaks that involve socialization and forming social connections are integral in keeping up productivity levels.
Workplace socialization improves productivity through improved employee engagement and collaborative efforts. Furthermore, forming meaningful bonds in the workplace also improves employees’ overall well-being, self-esteem, and thus, productivity.
The social break does not always involve workplace socialization, it can also mean taking a break from your laptop to have lunch with your family or having coffee with a friend. It may also involve video calling an old friend or chatting with your parents.
Experts suggest that even trivial chatter or idle conversations that do not involve work-related topics are essential in reducing workplace stress, sharing wisdom, and improving the quality of work in general.
The Spiritual Break
It may seem like there is a huge disparity between spirituality and productivity, but studies have shown that these two seemingly unrelated concepts are actually connected.
Taking a spiritual break in the middle of a chaotic weekday can drastically improve your productivity in various ways. This kind of break involves activities that uplift your soul, like saying a prayer, meditating, listening to positive music, reading scriptures, journaling, looking at the beauty of nature or the stars, or anything that connects your soul to something bigger than yourself.
Increased spirituality has been seen to improve happiness, feelings of security, mindfulness, and calmness. All of which translates to a higher motivation and confidence, and reduced anxiety and stress, which ultimately increases productivity.
If you want to unlock the secrets of unlimited productivity, start scheduling these three types of breaks throughout the day to train your mind and body to adapt a calm and stress-free mindset and replenish your motivation day after day.