Stop The Grind: The Business Benefits of Taking a Break

What if taking breaks made you more productive, not less?

Would you take more breaks if you knew they made breakthroughs more likely?

Because they do.?

Taking a break might seem counterintuitive when you’re overwhelmed with work.? Especially when our fast-paced culture glamorizes the hustle and grind as a way of life for entrepreneurs and business owners.?

But focusing on a single task for long periods of time can actually decrease performance and productivity.?

So much for all that hard work paying off.

Whether you’re troubleshooting a problem that doesn’t want to be solved or logging long hours on an important project, taking a break instead of pushing through actually improves attention, focus, and creativity.

What Happens to Your Brain When You Take a Break

When you’re working on solving that problem or completing that project, the part of your brain known as the “task-positive network,” or TPN, keeps you focused on the job at hand.?

When you take a break, your TPN turns off, and your brain switches to your “default mode network,” or DMN, which is active when you’re resting or daydreaming.?

This is why “A-HA!” moments tend to happen when you take a break:

Because your resting brain can access memories and information that your task-focused brain can’t. When you take a break, you change gears and open a mental doorway to information, ideas, and perspectives that literally aren’t available when you’re hard at work.

So even when you’re daydreaming instead of working on that important project, your DMN is drawing connections and creating possibilities you couldn’t see even when you were trying.

Start Small: Make it a Microbreak

When you don’t have enough hours in the day as it is, taking even a few short breaks can feel like an overwhelming idea. The good news is that even ten-minute-long microbreaks can help decrease fatigue and improve your well-being.

While longer breaks are essential for more enhanced performance, starting small can help you overcome your internal objections and integrate this new habit.

Remember, taking a break doesn’t mean you’re lazy or not dedicated enough. Breaks actually make you more productive and creative, improve memory and concentration, reduce stress and decision fatigue, boost energy and motivation, and increase the odds of unlocking that brilliant breakthrough.

10 Ways to Actually Take a Break

When you’re used to working all the time, figuring out what to do beyond grabbing another cup of coffee and scrolling social media can be more challenging than you might expect.

Getting out into nature and going for a walk are two great ways to take a break and reset, but if you can’t do that, here are a few accessible options to help you enjoy a little downtime.

1. Tackle a crossword or test your Wordle skills.
2. Name that tune with Heardle.
3. Meditate.
4. Draw, sketch, or doodle.
5. Daydream.
6. Read a book.
7. Take a power nap
8. Stretch.
9. Put on music that makes you feel good.?
10. You can dance if you want to.

Make the Clock Work For You, Not Against You

If you’re an experienced, established business owner who still struggles with not having enough time, you aren’t alone.?

I’ve worked with hundreds of founders and CEOs who have built their companies to the stage where they’re making their first–or next–million. Many of them had a hard time creating space to take time off work, too.?

Part of the problem is your habit of working all the time. It served you well through the start-up phase, but you’re past that now. It isn’t a sustainable strategy. You need to start taking time away from your business.

Which leads to the other part of the problem: Finding an approach to time management that doesn’t leave you feeling stifled or stretched too thin. It’s a challenge because standardized time management tools are created to offer one-size-fits-all solutions.

That’s why they don’t work for you.

As a high-achieving entrepreneur, you need a personalized approach that accounts for your unique circumstances, responsibilities, and natural rhythms. Because that’s how you position yourself to do your best work and get ahead of the game.?

Ready to stop fighting the clock?

Start taking back your time. Unlock your personal productivity strategy here .