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The Importance of Brain Breaks

Do you ever find yourself sitting in your seat, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, without taking any breaks to clear your mind? You may oftentimes find yourself so swamped at work that you don’t feel you can justify taking 10-15 minutes away from your work…fearing that you will lose out on precious time.

In fact, you are probably thinking, “I’m too busy to be reading this post right now.” This tab is likely one of several tabs open on your computer or phone, right? Sometimes we know there is probably a better way to do things to still be more efficient, and not so overwhelmed. But we still find ourselves thinking, “I have SO much to do and so little time to do it,” causing us to just continue scraping by as we always have in the past.

The Art of Taking Breaks at Work

What most individuals don’t realize is that taking those 10-15 minute breaks every 1-2 hours can actually BOOST their productivity levels, allowing them to get a much higher percentage of work done throughout the day.

6 Facts About Taking Breaks

Did you know…

  • Breaks help to keep us from getting bored of the same repetitive work, and thus result in greater productivity.
  • Breaks boost creativity and passion.
  • Breaks can increase your attention span and help you to retain better concentration throughout the workday.
  • Breaks keep your eyes happy and healthy.
  • Breaks can lower your BMI (Body Mass Index).
  • {Active} breaks help to keep your mind from becoming stagnant.

5 Brain Break Ideas to Get Away From Work

  1. Take a walk. This is the most common recommendation, but a good one! Not only will this help to get your brain cleared and those steps in on your Fitbit, but it will also help you lower your BMI (Fact #5 noted above). If you have a coworker who is on a similar schedule, ask them to take a short 10-15 minute walk with you outside. The fresh air and engagement will do you both a world of wonder.
  2. Play a fun game. Whether it’s investing in a mini pool table or corn hole board, or getting a few of your employees together for a quick game of hangman, keep things creative and lighthearted. This will help you build employee morale while letting your mind take a breather and boost those creativity endorphins.
  3. Look at cute puppy photos online. Who doesn’t love good cuddly puppy photos to lighten the mood and take your mind off work for a bit?
  4. Doodle. Have you tried out the latest craze of adult coloring books yet? If not, you should try it! Consider having a large (poster size) coloring page in your office that the entire team can get in on coloring. Once it is complete, frame it and hang it up in the office for a fun and creative piece everyone can enjoy looking at.
  5. Grab a bite to eat and sit outside. Let your stomach get the nutrients it needs and your mind the fresh air it needs. Try snacking on brain-boosting foods such as Greek yogurt, oranges/apples, granola, almonds, etc.

The list goes on and on. Since most of us find ourselves working in an office environment, most likely in front of a computer screen for 8 hours a day, it is important that we take care of ourselves both mentally and physically throughout those hours. As we are all well aware, working in front of a computer screen can take quite the toll on our eyes, neck, and overall posture. Which is why it is so important that we hold ourselves accountable and set scheduled breaks throughout our day –even if they are only 5 minutes long each time.

A recent study shared that, ideally, each 52 minutes of work should be followed by 17 minutes of break time. However, we understand that this may not be feasible in all situations, so we recommend getting at least 5 minutes of break time in each hour to refresh your mind and body. If neither of these options feels like the right fit for you, there are many other recommended methods of getting in those necessary “brain breaks” throughout the day. We encourage you to check out the list of ideas here.

How do you ensure you get enough break time throughout the day in order to boost productivity levels? We would love to hear your ideas! Send us an email at hello@branditonline.com and we will be sure to share your tips up on our Facebook page.

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