Take a Healthy Break to Perform Optimally

Take a Healthy Break to Perform Optimally

By George Pitagorsky

Taking a healthy break is a sign of self-awareness and being smart enough to know that you’ll be better at whatever you do when you come back to it.

Project environments are stressful, both physically and emotionally. It is the nature of working with deadlines, a variety of stakeholders, and complex issues that require sustained focused attention.

Stress is not a bad thing to be avoided, though too much of it and the wrong kind, like worry, lead to health issues, deplete energy, and reduce effectiveness.

Project managers and performers know how to manage stress. They take healthy breaks – anything from a short “Breather” to 15 minutes for coffee, an hour, a day, or more.

Healthy Breaks

What is a “healthy” break?

A healthy break is any stepping back from your work that fits your situation and offers the rest, relaxation, and renewal that is needed to enable optimal performance.

Ask the experts and they usually give you generic answers like “20 minutes is an ideal break,” “take a break every 30 minutes”, or “take a walk in nature.”

The reality is that while there are general guidelines it is up to you to take meaningful breaks when they are needed. And there are several options that you can mix and match.

A “healthy break” is a step away from your work to shift your attention and recharge mentally and physically.

You use movement, breath work, posture change, relaxation techniques, or simply a change of scenery, to refocus and become more effective when you return to work. The objective is to shift your mental attention away from your work. Disengage mentally and rest physically.

A break doesn’t require going to the gym or having a cup of coffee, tea, or the beverage of your choice. You don’t have to leave your desk.

However, depending on the circumstances, you may find long breaks, for example, a day off or vacation, to be what you need to get the benefits of a break.

Benefits

The benefits are improved concentration and attention, stress reduction, greater creativity, improved decision-making, injury prevention, and physical comfort. These promote greater productivity and effectiveness.

For example, sitting and working at a computer for extended periods without getting up and stretching or moving about contributes to repetitive motion injuries and lower back aches.

Standing and doing simple exercises, right at your desk refreshes you mentally and lets your body adjust to allow a healthy flow of energy and relief.

Focus attention on a challenging problem for too long and you experience a reduction in your ability to concentrate. Step away from the problem and relax and you come back better able to focus. You can allow the more subtle powers of the mind to let the solution come to you.

Maybe you have experienced a breakthrough on problem you have been struggling with while taking a shower or during an exercise routine.

Keeping your head down and focused on a task for too long and you lose perspective and don’t allow yourself to reevaluate your goals or approach. Step back to see the big picture.

Signs You Need a Break

While guidelines for setting an alarm to take a break every half-hour is a good idea, it is even better to learn to listen to your body and brain telling you it is time to stop what you are doing, get up, and step back.

The signs that you need a break are subtle at first. They become more demanding if you miss them or ignore them. Cultivate the mindful awareness you need to become aware of the subtle signs.

The most common signs that occur are increased tension, irritability, frustration, making errors, loss of concentration or focus, loss of motivation, eye strain, and aches and pains. If you find that you are getting sick more frequently it may be a sign that you need more than a few minutes away from work.

Reasons for NOT Taking a Break

Even when the signs appear workers may ignore them and push on. Common causes are

• Lack of awareness of signs that you need a break
• Having a sense that there just isn’t the time to take a break because there is so much to do
• Wanting to get finished quickly – you think “There is just a little bit more to do so I’ll just press on.”
• Fear of missing a deadline
• Thinking that you will look like a slacker
• Feeling guilty because others are working away and you think you should too
• Fearing that stopping will cause a loss in momentum
• Cultural pressure to overwork
• Lack of awareness of the signs that it is time for a break
• Not understanding the benefits of taking a break.

Types of Breaks

There are many options for taking meaningful breaks.

Short breaks can be a moment of breath and body awareness. You stop what you are doing and adjust your posture to become comfortably erect. You turn your attention to the sensations of your breath and body.

Taking a bit more time you can stand and stretch or take a little walk. You can practice a breath concentration and relaxation technique like four rounds of Box Breathing –

breathe in for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold the breath out for four.

Do that for a few minutes and you will feel refreshed and relaxed.

Changing your surroundings by going outside or to another room takes more time but offers an opportunity to clear your mind and relax more completely.

Coffee, snack breaks, or a power nap are other techniques. Listen to music. Do some Yoga or movement. Chat with a co-worker. Play ping-pong. Meditate.

Weekends, days off, and vacations are longer breaks that are needed between projects or during extended projects. Build these into schedules.

Bottom-line

Remember that we are limited in our capacity to sustain concentrated effort for long periods. Taking healthy and appropriate breaks allows us to use our energy more effectively, avoid unnecessary errors, and be more productive, healthier, and effective.