In the past, when most work was physical, taking a break from work meant taking time to relax physically. To sit down, pick up a book, or day dream for a few minutes.
You turned off your body for a few minutes to get your energy back up and get back to work.
As people have transitioned to mental work done sitting at a computer or thinking over a hard problem, we have retained our view of what a break should be. So sedentary workers that sit at a desk for hours will use their breaks to relax physically and go on social media or text with friends.
Breaks Are For Restoration
We take breaks to restore ourselves so we can continue with our work at a high level. The idea started as a way to maintain output with tough, physical labor, but even though our work burns less calories today, breaks are still necessary to maintain a high level of judgment and productivity.
But with mental work, the dynamics of a good break are reversed. Instead of finding opportunities to turn your body off and relax, you need to find ways to turn your mind off, and the best way to do that is to get your body moving.
Doing something active like push-ups and squats, stretching, or running up and down some stairs energizes your body and relaxes your mind.
A popular technique for applying this is the Pomodoro Method. ~ 25 minutes of work followed by a short 5-minute break spent doing something physical. I have tried to use the Pomodoro method (tried because it is easy to forget to take breaks) for the past years and have noticed a remarkable increase in productivity and mood when I am consistent about taking short breaks to stand up, get away from my screen, and get my heart rate up by doing something physical.
Next time you take a break, instead of lying down on the couch or pulling up Facebook, put the distractions down and go do some quick exercise instead. You’ll be amazed by the results.
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