Is it Time for a Break Yet?

Ahhhhh – the lazy hazy days of summer: fewer deadlines, less ‘busyness’, and more time soaking in the joys of life. Don’t you just love how this relaxed, casual feeling has followed us into September?

Screeeeeeech!!!

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Wait a second. Is it just me, or is life as busy as ever? I feel like that ‘zen’ summer feeling has snapped shut, as quick as a brand new school backpack.

Not that I am afraid of working hard, but the ‘relentlessness’ gets to me at times. With that said, I am determined to maintain a teeny bit of that good ol’ summer feeling all through the fall and winter.

I know, I know …

I know that the secret is to take more breaks. (I also know that I am supposed to floss each night but that isn’t happening too often.) The trouble is that once I ramp up with work, it doesn’t seem as though there is time to stop. There is always more to do.

A Lesson Learned

I needed to really convince myself that breaks were a good thing before committing to them. So I dug in and did some research, coming up with a pretty inspiring list.

Three great reasons to take a break:

1. We get more done

After a break, we come back to work more refreshed and focused, able to produce more work at a higher quality in less time. With less time available to work, we are forced to go right to the core of what needs to get done. We strip away the distracting tasks. We focus on our priorities. And at the end of the day, our impact is often higher.

2. We become more creative

Breaks can expose us to a different context and new ideas. Our imagination works best when we are relaxed and we often come back to work with some amazing ideas that lead to better work.

3. We keep things in perspective
Breaks provide us with an outlet from work frustrations. Whether we sweat it out at the gym or laugh it out over lunch with a friend, it is important to have releases in our day. When we step back, we often realize that things are not worth worrying about. (When we step really far back, we realize that most things fall into this category.) Breaks help us to roll with the punches at work, and not get too emotionally charged about the little things.

Without a doubt, there are times when we have to work hard. Really hard. Sure, we can all push through and skimp on sleep to meet a deadline. But using this approach over the long term seriously harms are productivity.

At the end of the day, breaks help to remind us to make time for the things that are important to us. And that leads to a better life. Now that is a balance I am willing to strike.