Take a Break! Why Do You Need to?

“Respect your body when it’s asking you for a break. Respect your mind when it’s seeking rest. Honor yourself when you need a moment.”

– Unknown

This is exactly what did for myself last week! I was resting and relaxing. I did not push myself physically or mentally or worked hard on creating new content.

I was feeling more tired than usual, so I decided to respect my limits and rest. I took a break!

Why should we take a break?

In this era, work has become an addiction and it’s something that we can’t seem to shake. This isn’t good for productivity or stress levels though, which is why it’s so important to take a break now and then. In this blog post, I’ll share with you some of my own experiences with taking a break — both personally and professionally — as well as provide tips on how you can fit your breaks into your schedule.

What exactly is a break?

To understand what a break is, we first have to understand how the typical workday functions. Work has two main phases: the workday, and the workweek. During the workday, people are expected to sit at their desks for about 8-10 hours per day. This is typically broken up with small breaks (typically 10 minutes or less) every hour or so to get things done, bring in new ideas, answer emails, and take phone calls. After a few hours, work switches to the workweek.

During the workweek, you’ll typically go to your desk for about 4 hours each day with three days off in between. Essentially, this is when you’re expected to be on call 24/7 and do a ton of manual labor that can’t be automated. You’ll still be expected to answer emails and make phone calls, though — but now they’re usually recurring or requires knowledge-based responses that can’t be automated.

Benefits of Taking a Break

It’s no secret that breaking up your work into chunks and taking breaks is a great way to stay engaged and productive. But did you know that there are benefits to taking a break? Taking a break helps you regain focus, plan, reduce stress levels, and increase your productivity.

1. Helps both in personal and professional life

Taking a break can be immensely beneficial to you, both personally and professionally. Personally, breaks allow you to spend more time with your family and friends. Professionally, taking a break can help reduce your stress levels, improving your productivity and overall health. 

2. Helps you regain focus!

You regain focus because you can reflect on the work you’ve done and evaluate whether it’s important and necessary. You may find that you wasted time on a task that is unimportant or not worth your time. Taking a break also gives your brain time to process the information presented to you. Sometimes, there are just too many stimuli around us, so we need to remove ourselves from the environment for a few minutes so we can focus better.

3. Time effectiveness

Planning for your breaks allows you to spend your time effectively instead of wasting yours. You can decide what you would like to do before the workday starts and arrange it accordingly. Taking a break at lunch allows you to get back into the office refreshed and ready to start again when it starts again.

4. Reduce stress level

Stress levels are reduced because you have some time away from your problems and responsibilities, allowing you a chance to relax and give your mind a reprieve from whatever it is that is stressing you out. When you return to the situation, you can deal with it more calmly.

5. Boost productivity

Productivity is increased because taking a break helps to keep your mind sharp. You should have more energy after the break and be able to do the task again without any problems. You will be more creative and have more engagement in the tasks that you take on after the break. Not only that, but breaks give your body a chance to rest so you can come back as fresh as possible when you’re ready.

Taking a break to avoid mental health issues

One of the best ways to reduce stress and improve your mental health is by taking a break. It’s important to take breaks throughout the day, or even during a long stretch of work, to give your brain a chance to rejuvenate and refocus. 

That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips for when you’re feeling overloaded or need some quick time off. These are surefire ways that you can power through a tough workload without risking your health, either physical or mental. 

Tip #1: Give Your Brain a Rest

Your brain is like any other muscle in your body: When you don’t take breaks or exercise, it becomes tired. While you might be able to push yourself through the discomfort, over time, you’ll gradually become more and more stressed out. If this sounds familiar, try taking frequent breaks throughout the day and allow your brain to recharge from constant work.

Tip #2: Practice Deep Breathing Exercises

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, try practicing deep breathing exercises. Taking time to relax your body can help you get your stress levels back in check. Simple steps like closing your eyes and imagining a soothing scene in nature can help slow your breathing down and put it on a more relaxed pace. Some other relaxation methods include meditation, yoga, or simply sitting still with some calming music playing by your side.

((This part of the post is an excerpt from my new book- Tiny Habits Massive Results – Habit# 6)

5 signs that show you need a mental break

To be at your best on any given day, it’s important to take a mental break. This is something that everyone should make time for, whether you’re an entrepreneur or a stay-at-home mom. So if you’ve been feeling frustrated, stressed, or overloaded lately, it’s time to take a step back and assess your mental state.

Here are five signs that show you need a mental break: 

1) You frequently feel overwhelmed. 

2) You’re having difficulty focusing on any task at hand. 

3) You feel detached from the rest of the world around you. 

4) You have trouble socializing with other people without getting exhausted or cranky afterward. 

5) You find yourself frequently stressed out, with no time to relax.

If you can relate to any of these signs, then it’s time to take a mental break. Mental breaks can take many forms, including taking a long walk outdoors, spending 10 minutes in meditation, journaling for a few minutes, or even just taking a few moments to pet your dog.

Wrapping Up on Taking a Break

When you take a break, you’re not not running away from your responsibility. Instead, you’re taking care of yourself. By listening to your body and your mind that you need a break, you’ll know when to schedule an escape to help you feel more refreshed and restored. Taking a break is one of the best ways to take care of yourself, sharpen your saw which eventually will help you to remain productive and creative at work.

Be kind to yourself! Rest! Relax! Take a break!

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