How to take breaks properly

Vol 27, Issue 23, 4 April 2025

There is no need to say that breaks are important. Our attention span got shorter with the time, but nonetheless, people have different capacities for how long they are able to remain in the state of concentration. Generally, it is advisable to work for an hour and then take a 15-minute break. However, what do we usually do when we have these 15-minute breaks? With the current generation, most of us would just scroll. It would be like a natural reaction, but have you ever even felt rested after scrolling or just being on your phone? Personally, I haven’t. Afterwards, it feels like I am even more tired and not organised for work at all. If that sounds familiar to you, I would like to suggest you methods of taking breaks so that afterwards you feel energised and ready to continue.

1. Move your body

Although it sounds cliché, but it actually works. Going out for a short walk, even if it is just in your home, stretching, or even making a time for a short workout session is a nice way to bring some energy back to your body and make your brain work again.

2. Listen to your favourite music

Pick a song that actually makes your body move and maybe even do a little dance to shake all the stress and tension off. It will reload your brain and get it distracted from tasks and assignments.

3. Have a snack

Make a cup of tea or coffee for yourself, or prepare some toast to fuel your mind. I have heard somewhere that thinking deeply and being in a state of focus actually makes you more tired than any possible workout. Nourish your mind with some food!

4. Do a breathing exercise or meditate

Perfect for the cases when you are too short on time but still have to rest from hard work. There are plenty of videos and podcasts with different types of meditations, which will effectively help you to take your focus back to your present body and calm your nervous system down.

5. Talk with your close ones (not about work)

Socialising and sharing your thoughts can actually help to get over the working stress and tiredness. It will definitely give you a boost of energy and a pleasant feeling of rest.

Hopefully these tips brought some insights to you and from now on you will take your breaks more seriously, in order to get a proper rest.