When you take on the mantle of being a business owner, it often comes with certain expectations that you need to be the most motivated, the hardest working, and the thickest-skinned member of your crew. That might be true, given that you also stand to reap the greatest rewards, but that doesn’t mean that you need to be pedal to the metal 100% of the time. In fact, that’s an easy way to find yourself crashing. Here, we’re going to look at the importance of taking real breaks and how you can make them more effective.
Why Breaks Are Non-Negotiable
As a business owner, it might feel the responsible move to skip breaks, or even a fine example to set for your team. However, in reality, it does little but worsen your ability to run the business. Without real downtime to clear your mind and process your thoughts, your abilities of judgment and decision-making abilities worsen, mistakes increase, and stress can build up, making problems feel heavier and worse than they really are. Breaks are not an indulgence that you treat yourself with; they are an important technique for managing your performance in the long term. Often, the breakthroughs and motivation you need only come after you have a moment to reset.
Distance Yourself From The Workstation
If you’re glued to your desk or stuck to screens, wanting to keep yourself ever-available for messages and notifications, you’re not really taking a break; you’re just pausing momentarily while waiting for the next work-related distraction. Stepping away from your desk and from screens in general is one of the fastest ways to feel some relief. If you need to set up an auto-reply letting people know that you’re taking a break and when you’re likely to be back, then do it. However, close your tabs, silence your notifications, and let your eyes and brain get some real rest. It gives you a chance to lessen your cognitive load, which can greatly improve your focus when you get back into things.
Engage In Some Active Recovery
A lot of bosses find themselves living a sedentary life, sitting at their desk between four walls. As such, even if you’re mentally tired, you can find yourself becoming more physically restless. A little active recovery, such as a 20-minute walk, can improve your mood and focus, lowering your stress hormone and getting the blood flowing to the brain. This helps you be more effective at making decisions and regulating your emotions later in the day. It’s even better if you can take the opportunity to get outside, to let the natural light and greenery of your surroundings refresh you and give you a break from the looping thoughts that can otherwise prove a distraction for the rest of your day.
Stay Limber With Desk Yoga
If the weather isn’t great outdoors or you’ve really been sitting still for hours on end, you don’t necessarily need to leave the office. Instead, picking up a desk yoga routine can help you release the physical tension that builds up during those work sessions. Doing exercises like gentle neck rolls and shoulder stretches not only reduces stiffness, but they can also mitigate the risk of musculoskeletal injuries that are a major risk in office spaces, such as back pain and joint pain. The slow movement involved in yoga also helps to signal safety and peace to your body, which can help you shrug off some of the more stressful thoughts that have been rolling around your head during the day.
Clear Mental Noise With A Calming Game
There’s a lot more value to ‘play’ than we often credit it for. When the mind is overloaded, play is a great way to shrug off some of the weight while keeping it active. Calming, low-stakes games such as FreeCell give your brain something to do that’s structured and requires a little attention, but doesn’t add any pressure or overstimulate you. A quick, finite game, with a clear goal, can add a little sense of accomplishment, helping you rally your morale to get back into the latter part of the day in a better mood. Even ten minutes can act as a refreshing mental palate cleanser, helping you be more effective at decision-making.
Eat To Recharge
Eating lunch is a natural part of any lunch break, but what you eat matters as well. If you’re relying largely on sugar and caffeine, you can find yourself more prone to energy crashes and irritability later in the day. Instead, you want to make sure you bring foods that stabilize your blood sugar and give you the necessary energy to focus. A high-protein milkshake bottle, some healthy fats, and complex carbs can have a much bigger impact on your clarity and stamina in the latter parts of the day than you might think. There are plenty of cheap and healthy lunch ideas you can grab from the internet that can make sure that you’re not just relying on sugary, feel-good snacks to get through the day.
Take A Power Nap
It might seem like it’s a truly indulgent thing to take a power nap at work, but it is a highly underrated recovery tool. If you have 10 to 25 minutes left in your break, lie down and get some shut-eye. Even if you don’t fall asleep, being at rest for that long can help you feel more alert and put you in a better mood, without the groginess that comes with slipping into the deeper layers of sleep. Restraint is the important thing here. You want to keep it brief and aim to do it in the early afternoon, rather than closer to the evening, when your body is already starting to crave sleep.
A business owner needs a break just as much as anyone else on the team, if not moreso. Trying to forego them for too long is going to see that pressure building up and up until the dam breaks, and it all crashes down on you.
