Working late? Take a break in the middle

How to manage your energy during long days

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that if you'll be working particularly late
some night, take a longer break in the middle of

(00:23):
the day. That way, you will be sharp and at
your best for your late commitment, and you won't necessarily
have to give up your personal priorities either. We have
all likely put in some long days this year, and
we've all likely noticed that being at a computer from
eight am to eight p m is seldom a recipe

(00:47):
for doing your best work. Even something different like a
work dinner can feel tedious if you have been on
since the morning. So here's an idea. Okay, if you
have a late meeting, or you are gathering with a
team for an evening push to a deadline, or you
have an event, take a chunk of time off mid day,

(01:12):
do something totally different from work. Use whatever flexibility you
have to rethink the day. Just because it is two
pm doesn't mean you have to be doing something work related,
particularly if you will be doing something work related at
eight p m. So what else can you do? I

(01:37):
am a big fan of moving time around like tiles
in a mosaic. The best idea might be to do
exactly what you would have done in the evening during
the midday instead. Now, yes, this is easier said than done.
You might have spent the evening with your family, and
your family might not be available at one pm. But

(02:00):
maybe you could get creative. Perhaps your spouse is available
for a date lunch. If you have a short commute
or you mostly work at home, perhaps you could pick
up a kid at school at three p m. And
go get hot chocolate together. That way, when you're gone
for the evening, you'll know you still got some quality time.

(02:25):
But family isn't the only option. For instance, if you
normally run errands after work on Tuesdays, but now you
have a late Tuesday meeting, go run your errands during
your longer mid day break. You might be amazed at
how empty the grocery store feels. If you usually meet

(02:46):
up with a friend after work on Wednesdays, but this
Wednesday you have a work dinner, see if your friend
might be available for coffee or lunch instead. If you
usually go to the gym after work, go mid day,
even if this means taking an extra shower. If that
is not possible. Take a good long walk that will

(03:07):
get you some exercise but won't leave you sweaty. You
will still get some physical activity even on a day
when you are working late. Contrary to what we tell ourselves,
we don't have unlimited capacity. Breaks are good. They help
us manage our energy. Well designed breaks are an investment

(03:32):
in our performance. I can also speak from personal experience
here that things often get a little inefficient in the
middle of a super long work day. If I know
I am heading to a work dinner in the evening,
I am sometimes more focused on that than on getting
through my tasks. If little would be getting done, best

(03:54):
to use that time for other things. Indeed, a visit
to the art museum in the middle of the day
might give you more interesting things to talk about over
cocktails with your clients. I have suggested thinking of time
flexibly like this for a long time, but I have
found it is a surprisingly hard sell. Few professionals are

(04:18):
paid by the hour. No one is chained to their desks,
especially now as many people work from home at least
part of the time. There is no rule that you
have to work straight through the day, especially if work
is claiming extra hours beyond the usual work day. People

(04:40):
who get paid by the hour can often arrange for
comp time in these circumstances. So why do people who
don't get paid by the hour feel funny or even
guilty about using their flexibility. There is no difference between
working from nine to five and going to the gym

(05:01):
from five thirty to six thirty, and working from nine
to three, going to the gym from three thirty to
four thirty, and then dialing into an evening meeting from
six to eight. If option A is acceptable, then so
is option B. So the next time you have an

(05:23):
extended work day, aim to schedule a mid day break,
perhaps to find time for what you usually would have
done in your off hours, and to get a change
of pace from your work day activities. The midday change
of focus will enable you to perform at your best
for all the time that you are working, which is

(05:45):
a win all around. 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 hear from you.

(06:07):
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 p O D. You can also shoot me an
email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot
com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

(06:30):
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For
more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.