Take Real Breaks

It’s fair to say that rest is something we tend to take for granted. And I mean, real rest, where your mind is completely off work.

I’m just as guilty as anyone in taking half-assed breaks.

Rest to me often means to stop doing one form of work, and to start doing another form of work. During my 1-hour lunch breaks, I’d often still be at my desk, eating a home-packed sandwich with one hand, and using my laptop with the other. Only the last 10 minutes or so would be used for washroom and prayer time.

Lately, though, I realized that I should start taking my breaks a little more seriously.

Just as your laptop needs to be shut down or be put into sleep mode every now and then to perform at its best, and for its long-term health, so do you. Your mind needs its rest so that you could think clearer thoughts, and be more creative, too.

So, I decided to tweak my lunch routine. I made it a rule to have my laptop in sleep mode during this one hour. I’d still be at my desk eating the same sandwich every day, though, because I don’t like having to decide what to have for lunch. But I’d be eating it while I enjoy a good book.

I decided to make good use of my work-from-home perk too. (I get to work from home twice a week.) I generally don’t enjoy working from home as much as I do working in the office. But I noticed that if it weren’t for working from home, I wouldn’t have the time for leisure activities, like exercising. Even if I were to make this time during my office days, I’d be too tired and sleepy by the time I get home at night.

Anyway, as a takeaway from this article, learn to take real breaks. Block some time every day to properly shut down and disconnect from your work. 

Your rest isn’t a privilege. It’s a necessity. And it’s time you start treating it that way.

To quote author Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, “Rest is not something that the world gives us. It’s never been a gift. It’s never been something you do when you’ve finished everything else. If you want rest, you have to take it. You have to resist the lure of busyness, make time for rest, take it seriously, and protect it from a world that is intent on stealing it.”