This week’s post will give you some insight into taking breaks. Today, we’ll keep it a bit shorter – seems like it’s time for us to take a break too! Soon after, we’ll discuss strategies to improve efficient working, so stay tuned!
Taking breaks is a crucial aspect of life. It seems like we either take breaks that are too long, getting none of our work done but knowing every new TikTok trend, or we overwork until burnout. If you’ve read multiple posts from us up until now, you know what’s coming – taking breaks needs to be balanced.
Today, we want to focus on overworking.
Taking breaks is necessary to maintain concentration and, therefore, efficiency. Additionally, utilizing your body in various ways is essential to prevent straining. Working nonstop will navigate you directly toward burnout.
1. This Is What Your Body Does Daily
No matter what you do, your body is always working—whether it’s thinking, running, eating, or sleeping. When concentrating or exercising intensely, your body needs to adjust the amount of work. This is exhausting and requires balance.
Biologically, most processes need energy. This energy is provided through energy-bearing molecules, such as ATP. This molecule can be produced in every cell of our body, but it can’t be transported by blood. As a result, each cell needs to synthesize its own ATP when necessary.
This synthesis involves many of our main digestive processes, meaning it is impacted by many factors to function properly. Working without breaks strains your body’s natural ability to produce energy to its extent, leading to actual physical deficiencies, decreased concentration, fatigue, and more.
2. This Is What Happens Mentally
Mentally, taking breaks allows you to engage in multiple activities, as it does not mean doing nothing at all (although that’s perfectly fine if you want to). Engage in hobbies or explore new interests, gaining knowledge that you can apply to problems in your work. Don’t forget your most important job: you have a life to live!
Knowing you’ll never give yourself a break will leave you dreading upcoming workdays. The feeling of exhaustion and strain can easily brand itself into your mind. Therefore, taking breaks not only enhances your current situation but also improves your outlook on every day of life and work. Don’t lose the love and fun you once felt when thinking about your employment or tasks.
Breaks are necessary for your body and mind to refresh, reorganize, and recharge.
3. Your Type of Break
If you mostly work in fields requiring high levels of concentration, try to incorporate breaks to get some fresh air and maybe even move your body. This change of stimulation will relieve your brain and help you work effectively again afterward.
If you mostly work in areas requiring a lot of physical activity, make sure to incorporate breaks to help your muscles relax. You can read more about muscle functionality and the dangers of overstraining in our article >>First Steps – Balanced Movement<<. Essentially, overusing your muscles can result in micro-wounds, leading to inefficiency. Additionally, muscles can become acidic when used intensely over a long period.
In the end, breaks are necessary for refreshment. Therefore, anything that leaves you feeling energized and happy is right. Go for a run, eat something, do a puzzle, or watch a series—do whatever your heart desires to experience joy and calm down!
Taking breaks is essential to working efficiently on your everyday tasks and maintaining a positive outlook on life. Remember, taking breaks does not equate to idleness, but is a way of respecting and treating your body and mind.
Realize that taking breaks is not something a lazy individual made up, but something we all need to balance and manage the thousands of tasks we face every day in a healthy and productive way!