Want to Work Smarter not Harder? Take a Wellbeing Break! (or 12)

As a corporate facilitator, leadership coach and yogi, I'm all too familiar with the physical and physiological dangers of working at a desk. Tense, hunched over a computer, sipping on coffee…yep…we all know that it's terrible for us. But when a deadline is lurking, we are all guilty.

Have you heard of microbreaks? Microbreaks are regular, small, biologically meaningful breaks from being stuck in one position at work.

Even when we're sitting still, our postural muscles are working to support the upper body and head. When these muscles face prolonged exertion, fatigue and even injuries can develop. Microbreaks can help avoid these injuries.

I’m a big fan of microbreaks as I have difficulty sitting still for too long. Essentially, the idea is that every 15-20 minutes you stand, stretch, maybe even take a quick walk before sitting back and down and resuming your work.

The concept is not new. Enlightened teachers encourage kids to take "brain breaks" to boost concentration when they're going off task. Studies show that when school children are allowed to stand and move, memory, attention, mood, and academic achievement all improve.

In fact, movement breaks are crucial to all of us because you stretch your spine, get the blood circulating, and change your physiological state.  All wins!

But…what about your well-being? What about your spirit?

Take a Wellbeing Break (or 12)

Kristen Engelke, RScP, creator of Bliss Breaks®, encourages us to stop working on the task we are doing, and take a total break. She defines Bliss Breaks as easy, 10-minute mental exercises you can do to reduce stress, manifest peace and capture joy in your life.

Here are some of Kristen’s example Bliss Breaks.

Bliss Breaks are a great way to motivate yourself by rewarding yourself with a quick mental vaca when you finish a task. Your mind, body, and soul get a break by doing something that makes you rejoice. 

Other ways to restore your wellbeing include:

• If you love golf, perhaps you finish your task and then read about the latest and greatest in the world of golf. 

• If you love fashion, complete your task and read through your favorite fashion blogs.

• If you work from home, go over and cuddle with your dog.

Essentially, you reward yourself (time boxed of course) with something that makes you feel elated after you finish a task. 

If you find it difficult to break from an ongoing project, quickly jot down what you need to do after the break so you don't need to hold the next step in your memory.

Wellbeing breaks are a must. Here’s why:

They require some sort of movement.  Step away from the desk, talk a walk and do something you enjoy (eg. listen to your fav podcast).  As you move, you change the physiological state and get the blood moving, just like microbreaks; however, you are adding a component of joy.

When you are stuck, I mean stuck… you can’t finish a task because your mind is not inching forward with a solution or you just can’t think, taking a regularly scheduled break and doing something completely different can actually help ignite creativity, per the March issue of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

These small interval breaks filled with something you enjoy allow you to motivate yourself to complete the tasks that don’t give you as much joy.  It’s essentially a self-motivating vehicle to get things done!

Bring Wellbeing Breaks to Your Workplace

One of my clients strategically placed the printer upstairs so when printing is required, everyone must walk upstairs. And, of course, the printer is near an office that always has dance music on.  For a moment, as you pick up a print-out you are psychologically transported to a fun environment.

Another strategy is to schedule walk and talk meetings, particularly when the office is out of action. Here’s a video I made about talking the walk:

If you are a leader of an organization or a manager of a team, what can you do to ensure your team takes wellbeing breaks?  If you are an individual contributor, how will you remind yourself to take a wellbeing break? 

Give it a try and let me know in the comments how it works for you.