Take it outside

Celebrate spring by taking your breaks outside

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to make the most of lovely weather by
taking your breaks outside. I love spring every year in April,
and may I apologize to Pennsylvania for threatening to leave

(00:32):
for Florida all winter. With mild weather, flowers blooming, and
busy birds flying and singing, Spring is just a great
time to be outside. An added plus is that there
are fewer mosquitoes than in the summer. I do my
best to get outside as often as I can. For me,

(00:56):
this often means having my morning coffee outside, reading on
the porch when that's an option, and running outside rather
than on the treadmill. This year, I am also trying
to go outside for my breaks during the workday. Taking
my lunch outside to eat doesn't mean I'm away from
my desk any longer than if I eat at the
kitchen counter, but it makes a huge difference in how

(01:19):
refreshed I feel afterwards. Scrolling for ten minutes on my
phone between calls is much less refreshing than going outside
and feeling the sun on my skin. The air and
change of scene do wonders for me, and I bet
they could make a difference for you as well, whether you.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Work remotely or in person. If you get formal breaks
or have the flexibility to take breaks as needed, aim
to go outside whenever you can. As one of my
challenges as part of writing the book Big Time, I
had hundreds of people try taking intentional breaks twice a
day during their work days. Many people started going outside,

(02:03):
and over the course of the week they started finding
their breaks much more energizing for you. Getting outside might
mean having your lunch or an afternoon cup of tea outside.
You could go outside to call a friend, read a book,
or go for a walk. You could also just sit

(02:23):
outside and soak in the sunshine. If you are not
using your phone for a call, try to stay off
of it. If you work from home, you may be
able to slip outside and sit on your own patio
or lawn chair. Maybe you work in an office with
an outdoor sitting area. Perhaps your workplace is close to

(02:43):
a park. But even if you don't have a particularly
appealing outdoor perch near your workplace, it can still be
worth it to get outside. You can just stand on
the sidewalk and take deep breaths, or people watch. You
can take a lap around the block or around the

(03:03):
parking lot. Anything you can do to get away from
your computer and desk can feel great. In addition to
going outside during your workday breaks, consider eating breakfast or
having your morning coffee outside. You can also go outside
if you are waiting for something, like if you arrive
early for a doctor's appointment or a lunch reservation and

(03:26):
your lunch partner isn't there yet, or if you're waiting
for a kid to finish sports practice. Instead of sitting
in your car or in the waiting area, find a
bench or walk around outside. If you can't get out
of your car, at least open the windows or the
sunroof if you've got one. Even five minutes outside can

(03:50):
be refreshing. So if the weather is lovely where you
are this time of year, try to make the most
of it. You will probably be glad you did. In
the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's
to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening

(04:17):
to before breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,
you can reach me at Laura at Laura VANDERCAM dot com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts
from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

(04:40):
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.