Be More Productive By Doing These Things In Your Break...

We’ve all done it – we spend 8+ hours in front of the computer screen and when it comes to our lunch hour we choose to stay staring at our devices.

It probably comes as no surprise that this is bad for us – not only for our productivity but also for our health.  Evidence suggests that people who spend six or more hours a day sitting have a 20% higher rate of earlier death than those who sit for three hours or less a day.

Here are 7 tips to get you on your way to being more productive and healthier by taking your breaks the right way.

Take a break every 52 minutes

A recent study analysed 5.5 million daily records of how office workers are using their computers and found the top 10% of productive workers all worked an average of 52 minutes before taking a 17-minute break.

But why?

• You’re more likely to be more productive when you know there is an end goal – in this case, a short break

• Working for long periods of time puts strain on cognitive ability.  Nobody is programmed to work for 8+ consecutive hours.

• Moving around boosts mental focus and overall health

Distract yourself from work

No, we don’t mean avoid all work – we mean distract yourself from work when you’re supposed to be taking a break.  Switching off is difficult but creating distractions when you’re on a break will keep you from overthinking and allow your brain to take a break too.

Try having your break at the same time as friends so you can engage in conversation which isn’t work-related.

Get some fresh air

Escaping from the office, whether for a few minutes or a full lunch hour, can help you alleviate mental fatigue by relaxing and restoring the mind.

Take a walk to grab lunch or find a bench to eat your lunch at.  If outdoors is out the question – try surrounding yourself with mini office plants - they can help boost your mood.

Take care of yourself

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘you are what you eat’?  If you are lazy with what you put into your body then you are likely to feel the effects.  Try and opt for healthier, high protein snacks and meals which can encourage your brain to work at peak performance.

Give your eyes a break

Have you checked your screen time on your phone tracker? If you’re anything like the majority of people in the UK you’ll be surprised at how much time you’ve spent staring at that screen however the time you spend staring at your computer screen will be considerably higher.  Take these steps to exercise and rest your eyes.

• Reduce glare – invest in a cover for your screen to prevent strain.

• Make sure your screen is at the right height, having it at the right height will prevent your eyes from having to work too much.

• Take the time to look away from your screen!

Do some exercise

Exercise is the easiest way to reduce fatigue, boost energy and increase productivity.  Whether it’s taking a brisk 15-minute walk or running 10k every morning or evening will help you stay productive.  Try to incorporate exercise in your lunch break too, a short walk to the shops will be enough to kickstart your energy levels.

Reflect

Daydreaming might seem like a pointless, distracting and unproductive activity but in reality, it gives your brain some time to think for itself naturally.  A report published by Science magazine found that letting our mind wander into daydream had similar effects to meditation.

Daydreaming also allows people to activate their subconscious throughout the day which gives them a chance to develop new ideas without consciously thinking about them.

Taking breaks may be seen as lazy and unproductive however when they’re done in the right way you can increase productivity and reduce the time it takes to do one thing.

It’s time to stop encouraging burnout by working through lunch and time to start encouraging new ways of working.