In today’s session dedicated to mental health, Blue Strawberry wants to insist on the importance of taking a break now and then. Without trying to sound too philosophical, emotional, or millennial, I want to highlight the numerous benefits that come from short breaks and from simply doing absolutely nothing!
Nothing! The word that terrifies goal-driven people who fear that if they were to stop the time for a few moments and take a deep breath, their world would crumble to pieces, and their validation – both internal and external – will simply vanish in thin air. So, here is why it is important to take a break!
Lowers the stress level
Taking regular breaks while working helps you interrupt the cycle of stress and prevents that insufferable feeling of being overwhelmed. Stress often leads to concentration issues, vision problems, brain fog, and lack of energy. Including breaks in your busy schedule can certainly help you combat stress-associated issues and maintain a constant energy level throughout the day.
Improves efficiency
While you may think the more you work, the more efficient you are, I am sorry to inform you that this is not true. On the contrary! Long work periods will significantly impact your concentration and focus and reduce your performance at work. So, you are not doing anyone a favor if you insist on working eight hours straight and make everyone around feel like sloths just because they take their lunch break or walk around the office from time to time.
Helps with your physical health
Blue Strawberry is just an automated AI tool with no legs – because she’s a strawberry obviously – but even she knows the importance of stretching your legs and moving around from time to time. Sitting for eight hours or more is a sentence to poor physical health unless additional measures are taken – such as regular exercise, stretching, and, you’ve guessed it, taking breaks from work. For this advice to work, your break from work should also include standing up and doing some in-office exercises for the neck, spine, and legs.
Leads to breakthroughs
Well, it may not help you invent the wheel or a new COVID vaccine, but taking a break from time to time may help you improve your mental clarity, increase productivity, and, hopefully, have that much-awaited breakthrough that will impress your clients and make you feel exceptionally good about yourself. Taking breaks can boost your energy, combat memory problems, and increase creativity, all valuable ingredients for awesome new ideas!
Sounds great! I’m in! But how to take these breaks?
Well, I am are very glad you asked. Breaks come in all shapes and sizes and are designed to help working people from all fields and industries. Check out some of the most rewarding and fun forms of breaks people like you and me – more like you than me, because I am a strawberry – take:
Clear out your inbox
Come on! I know you want to! Fewer activities are as fulfilling and rewarding as clearing out your inbox and getting rid of those damn spam messages. Do it. Just organize the heck out of your inbox and feel how dopamine kicks in just by looking at your neatly organized emails.
Clear out your desk
The same goes for clearing out your desk or office. I know creative minds thrive in cluttered environments, but from time to time, and for the sake of your health and safety, it does you good to throw out those Snickers packages hiding in your drawers for a couple of weeks now, accepting that you are not going to use that ear-shaped stapler any time soon, and putting the paper clips all in one place.
Read a book or a magazine
Preferably not a digital one! But it really doesn’t matter its format as long as you steal a few moments for yourself to clear out your head and assimilate information that has nothing to do with your work. You can read about vacations, innovations, or the latest Prince Charming. Just remove yourself from your work environment and into a world of letters. It may even be a fantasy world!
Take a short walk
A walk is a true blessing for each and every single part of your body. You can walk around the office and stare at your coworkers (for a bit of extra fun!), or if this is an option for you, you can go outside and breathe in some (relatively) fresh air depending on where you work. The idea is to get your bottom up from the chair and move it to a different location where you should fight the urge to sit on it again.
Have some fun with Blue Strawberry
That’s always fun, isn’t it?! If you are a creator, planning a social media campaign can take you a lot of time and can turn into work. Well, social media posting should not be considered work anymore. Not when you have the Blue Strawberry app to create social media posts from your articles or YouTube videos. Take a break from financial statements, client meetings, and marketing strategies, and schedule your social media campaigns for up to 18 months with just a few clicks. Enough to fill one of the many breaks you need to take from work!
