Intro:
In today’s professional corporate environment, it can sometimes feel like the hustle mentality is the only mentality that matters.
In other words—work, work, work—take very few breaks, sleep as little as possible, and never stop.
However, there’s a dark side to all of this grinding.
Unfortunately, if you work yourself too hard, you’ll end up getting diminishing returns on your effort.
Your health and wellness will start to take a dive, and you’ll just in general end up being less effective.
Therefore, a huge part of this conversation about ‘work’ relates to this truth:
Taking strategically placed breaks throughout your workday can actually really help to increase your productivity.
And in this post, you’re going to learn why it may be time to hustle a little bit smarter instead of harder, using these five pieces of productivity knowledge that all support the idea that taking breaks might actually be a good thing.
Let’s dive in and talk about it.
1. Breaks Help You To Rest
We all need rest.
And this also means that you need to rest periodically throughout the workday.
Even the hardest workers need to give their minds and bodies a few minutes to rest and recover.
This isn’t something to be ashamed of.
This is something that you should do you strategically, that’ll work to your advantage to help you get more done throughout the day.
2. They Give You Time To Re-Focus
Sometimes, when you’re up close and personal with your work for an extended period of time, you’ll tend to lose the ability to see the bigger picture.
In moments like this, it’s usually highly advantageous to step back, take a small break, and just refocus.
Gain some new context on the larger picture, and try to look at your project from a new angle.
It’s amazing how much more productive you can be when you utilize this approach on a regular basis.
3. They Give You An Opportunity To Change Your Perspective
Sometimes, changing your perspective isn’t just a matter of focusing on different things.
Sometimes, it’s a matter of examining your creative potential in an entirely different way.
This is especially true when you’re engaged in creative challenges, or need to troubleshoot some kind of operational problem you’re experiencing.
If the solution to a problem seems to be eluding you, you may need to change your perspective to find a creative alternative and solution.
Consider taking a break, taking a step back, and giving yourself a moment to zoom outward.
Then, return with a new perspective to tackle the problem from a different point of view.
4. They Give You Time To Consume Additional Nutrients
Never underestimate the helpfulness of a little bit of caffeine, a nutritious snack, or a drink of cold water on a hot summer day.
Sometimes you need to take a snack or coffee break to give your body the nutrients it needs to keep going.
Of course, there are other things that can fit into this category too—like smoking a bit of cannabis on your break, or maybe even consuming an edible.
(Do you need a great strain to help you stay focused? Check out Veriheal’s post on Cinex, the best strain for focus and creativity.)
5. They Help To De-Stress You And Keep Your Mental Energy Balanced
If you keep working for long periods of time without breaks, you’re most likely going to end up stressed out.
But this is bad for your creativity and your work output.
For best results, make sure to take periodic breaks to help you keep your mental energy balanced.
This is especially important as you get into the later part of the day—when your body and mind are already growing fatigued.
The human body and mind are quite impressive pieces of machinery.
But even our miraculous human machinery will give out if we don’t de-stress it and take care of it.
Conclusion
There you have it.
Five reasons for why taking breaks at work can actually increase productivity and help you to get more done.
Armed with this information, try attacking your work with a more balanced approach—giving yourself the breaks you need at the intervals that work best for you.
This also applies to managers who are leading teams.
Make sure to give your teams the breaks they need in order to maximize productivity, and to keep spirits high.
All that’s left now is to get out there and make it happen.
You’ve got this!
