Six types of breaks you must take

How to take breaks before it breaks you down

Rohit, a 32-year-old young man, works in a multinational company in Gurgaon. Rohit is a self-proclaimed workaholic and is immensely proud of his nature. Rohit started his career when he was 24. For eight years he has been working like a stallion. His favorite life motto was work till you are dead. This philosophy is reflected in Rohit’s daily life as well. He would start his day early and continue to work till late in the night. Not only that Rohit was dead against taking breaks; forget vacations. According to him breaks are escapes and it means that you don’t enjoy your work. He also considers breaks as distractions. So, taking breaks between work is a big no for Rohit.

In the initial years, this attitude had paid him off well. He had bagged several ‘employee of the month’ awards and a few promotions as well. But now after working for eight years Rohit expected to be promoted as a leader, which didn’t happen. The reason he got from top management was very unusual and surprising for Rohit.

The management said, “Rohit you are an excellent performer, you are working so hard and that too without taking any break or vacation. But over the years we have observed that your performance has been declining. You are making more errors than you used to earlier. It has also taken a toll on your health, and you started taking more sick leave. To become a leader, you must be available for and accessible to your people which you are not as of now. We suggest that you think about your workaholic style and change it optimally to become an effective performer & a leader.”

Take breaks before you break down. Many of us in the corporate world struggle between working hard and taking breaks. In our overworked society we undervalue the relevance of downtime. So, we do not learn to rest and relax. Eventually it hampers our brain’s capacity to learn and work optimally. Several psychological studies say that deactivating your brain periodically boosts your performance. Taking breaks refreshes the mind and eases the stress and exhaustion arising from working for long stretches.

How to take break and make it more effective:

1.??????Mindfulness break: Take this break when your brain is in chaos. This mindfulness break can help you become calm and composed. It also helps us bring clarity amidst confusions. Apply rule of three to make mindfulness more effective. See three things around you, listen to three sounds, Flex three muscles. The rule of three will lower confusion and bring clarity.

2.??????Movement break: Sometimes in the middle of the work you feel stuck. You find yourself in a never-ending loop of problems. Then movement break breaks the monotony. Stand up and go for a walk. Go cycling, work out if possible. When you move your body, your brain secretes happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin. As a result, you become more creative and productive.

3.??????Recharge break: Take this break when you feel low on energy. You can choose from a variety of energy giving sources. A banana can give you instant energy, you can try a hot cup of coffee, some prefer a lemonade, and some are fond of energy bars. Try something healthy and optimize your break.

4.??????Relaxing break: Take this break when you are tired. You can choose to allocate time and place and remain lazy for hours. You can take a power nap, listen to music, or simply lounge or take a shower.

5.??????Staycation: Staycation is when you don’t want to go outstation yet want to rest and relax. Staycation can mean you stay at home to relax. That means no cleaning, office work, or dealing with regular responsibilities. You can either turn off the phones, ignore email, and make it a point to both rest and play?at home, or go to a nearby hotel to make it easier.

6.??????Vacation: If you want to get the most out of your vacation then plan it well. The location, the judicious mix of rest and fun; when you decide in advance then you enjoy it to the fullest. Do not overdo activities and sightseeing or else you will need another mini vacation after your vacation. A vacation must leave you refreshed and recharged and sometimes restored also.

When you take breaks, focus on the results. Which kind of breaks seem to help you become more creative, motivated, and productive? Which kind of breaks just seem disruptive to your work? Notice what works and what doesn’t and decide on your favorite breaks.

Published earlier in the newspaper tabloid "The Desert Trail"