Second Cup: Take a better break today

Enjoy work more with intentional, rejuvenating breaks

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to take a better break today. Everyone takes
breaks during the workday, whether they think they do or not.

(00:26):
So if you are going to take a break at
some point today, why not make it as rejuvenating and
wonderful as possible. In some lines of work, breaks are
formally built in. When I worked in a fast food
restaurant many years ago, an eight hour shift was scheduled
over nine hours because the working hours came with two

(00:50):
fifteen minute breaks and one thirty minute break. My coworkers
and I all took our fifteen minute breaks at set
staggered times to make sure enough people were manning the
kitchen and the registers. I imagine many people listening to
this podcast work in slightly different ways. Breaks aren't so

(01:11):
formally structured in your line of work. You work for
a while, and then you do something different that isn't
necessarily the core of your job until you resume work again.
When I have observed people and discussed their schedules, I've
noticed that these breaks often start unintentionally. Maybe you are

(01:33):
working on a report and mean to ask your colleague
about something you hope to include. You pop over to
your inbox to send a note. Then in your inbox
you see a headline about something designed to get your attention.
You click over to the article and read it, and
then read something else, or see a sports score and

(01:55):
have to go check that out, and next thing you know,
it can be twenty mins, minutes or more before you
resume work. Now, that twenty minute break was longer than
my restaurant's formally scheduled smoke breaks, that's what we called them,
whether you smoked or not, which I didn't. But many
people taking that headline reading break wouldn't even note it

(02:16):
has a break. It wasn't particularly rejuvenating or relaxing, and
since it wasn't scheduled ahead and intentionally taken, many people
might not even notice it. Then they might claim that
they don't take breaks. But everyone takes breaks, some are

(02:37):
intentional and some are not, Some are relaxing and some
are not. I would argue that since it is impossible
to spend an entire workday entirely focused on work, we
are all best off taking breaks intentionally so they can
be truly rejuvenating and not take more time than we

(02:59):
intend to give them. So as you think about your
day to day, aim to take a much better break.
You might look over your schedule and identify when you'd
be most likely to do something that is not your
core job. Lots of people feel unfocused and fatigued in
mid afternoon, so if you are not sure that's probably

(03:22):
a good time to aim for, then think about what
you could do in ten to fifteen minutes that would
boost your energy levels. Could you go for a quick walk,
Even if you can't leave your building, you might be
able to go up and down the stairs. You could
have a quick cup of tea with a colleague that
you enjoy. That's a much better way to socialize than

(03:44):
reading comments on online articles. You could read a book
or a magazine for a few minutes. If you think
people will look askance at this intentional break, just go
somewhere that they can't see you outside or your car,
or a faraway conference room or something like that. Of course,

(04:07):
if you work from home, you've got a lot more options.
You could do any sort of hobby, like practicing a
musical instrument, gardening, doing some artwork, or maybe a more
complicated workout. You could take your dog on a real
walk and get both of you some exercise and fresh air.

(04:27):
Picture what you would like to do today, and then
work out the logistics. If you plan to read and
you work in an office, make sure you bring your book.
If you'd like to go for a walk, make sure
you wear or bring shoes that would make that possible.
If you plan to practice your flute in your home office,

(04:49):
put your flute and your music in there so you
don't waste time looking for it when it's time to
take a break. Then at break time, execute on the play. Now,
you might need to be a little bit flexible. Maybe
your break happens a little earlier or maybe a little
bit later than you planned. Maybe a colleagues meeting runs long,

(05:11):
so you walk alone rather than with a group. Maybe
you take two shorter breaks instead of one longer one.
But I highly doubt that you can't make it work.
If you work in a job where breaks aren't scheduled,
but you think you work without ceasing, try observing your
time sometime and your activities just for a day and

(05:34):
see if there is any time spent on stuff other
than the core of your work. My guess is that
the answer is yes. If so, you will be better
off choosing those activities and acknowledging your break. You'll feel
more relaxed and like time is more within your control.

(05:58):
That little mindset shift can change everything. In the meantime.
This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to

(06:19):
hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,
or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook
and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the
number four then breakfast pod. You can also shoot me
an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com.

(06:40):
That before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

(07:00):
you listen to your favorite shows.