WEBVTT - Working late? Take a break in the middle 0:00:03.440 --> 0:00:06.720 Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 0:00:08.960 --> 0:00:14.680 Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 0:00:15.720 --> 0:00:19.520 Today's tip is that if you'll be working particularly late 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:23.720 some night, take a longer break in the middle of 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:27.320 the day. That way, you will be sharp and at 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:31.760 your best for your late commitment, and you won't necessarily 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:36.760 have to give up your personal priorities either. We have 0:00:36.880 --> 0:00:40.519 all likely put in some long days this year, and 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:43.440 we've all likely noticed that being at a computer from 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:46.959 eight am to eight p m is seldom a recipe 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:51.040 for doing your best work. Even something different like a 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:54.480 work dinner can feel tedious if you have been on 0:00:55.120 --> 0:01:00.240 since the morning. So here's an idea. Okay, if you 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:02.960 have a late meeting, or you are gathering with a 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:06.160 team for an evening push to a deadline, or you 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:11.000 have an event, take a chunk of time off mid day, 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:17.560 do something totally different from work. Use whatever flexibility you 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:22.520 have to rethink the day. Just because it is two 0:01:22.560 --> 0:01:27.200 pm doesn't mean you have to be doing something work related, 0:01:28.319 --> 0:01:32.080 particularly if you will be doing something work related at 0:01:32.240 --> 0:01:37.120 eight p m. So what else can you do? I 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:41.400 am a big fan of moving time around like tiles 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.840 in a mosaic. The best idea might be to do 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:48.120 exactly what you would have done in the evening during 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:52.960 the midday instead. Now, yes, this is easier said than done. 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:56.760 You might have spent the evening with your family, and 0:01:56.880 --> 0:02:00.640 your family might not be available at one pm. But 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:05.080 maybe you could get creative. Perhaps your spouse is available 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:08.919 for a date lunch. If you have a short commute 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:12.240 or you mostly work at home, perhaps you could pick 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.000 up a kid at school at three p m. And 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:19.600 go get hot chocolate together. That way, when you're gone 0:02:19.639 --> 0:02:23.840 for the evening, you'll know you still got some quality time. 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:29.680 But family isn't the only option. For instance, if you 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:33.600 normally run errands after work on Tuesdays, but now you 0:02:33.639 --> 0:02:37.520 have a late Tuesday meeting, go run your errands during 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:41.600 your longer mid day break. You might be amazed at 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:46.040 how empty the grocery store feels. If you usually meet 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:48.520 up with a friend after work on Wednesdays, but this 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:51.440 Wednesday you have a work dinner, see if your friend 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:55.920 might be available for coffee or lunch instead. If you 0:02:56.040 --> 0:02:59.600 usually go to the gym after work, go mid day, 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:05.200 even if this means taking an extra shower. If that 0:03:05.320 --> 0:03:07.880 is not possible. Take a good long walk that will 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:11.440 get you some exercise but won't leave you sweaty. You 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:15.200 will still get some physical activity even on a day 0:03:15.240 --> 0:03:20.079 when you are working late. Contrary to what we tell ourselves, 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:27.399 we don't have unlimited capacity. Breaks are good. They help 0:03:27.480 --> 0:03:31.959 us manage our energy. Well designed breaks are an investment 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:37.200 in our performance. I can also speak from personal experience 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:40.400 here that things often get a little inefficient in the 0:03:40.400 --> 0:03:43.640 middle of a super long work day. If I know 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:46.000 I am heading to a work dinner in the evening, 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:49.320 I am sometimes more focused on that than on getting 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:54.120 through my tasks. If little would be getting done, best 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:59.560 to use that time for other things. Indeed, a visit 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:01.840 to the art museum in the middle of the day 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:04.560 might give you more interesting things to talk about over 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:09.560 cocktails with your clients. I have suggested thinking of time 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:12.840 flexibly like this for a long time, but I have 0:04:12.920 --> 0:04:18.160 found it is a surprisingly hard sell. Few professionals are 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:22.400 paid by the hour. No one is chained to their desks, 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:27.000 especially now as many people work from home at least 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:30.800 part of the time. There is no rule that you 0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:35.279 have to work straight through the day, especially if work 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:40.159 is claiming extra hours beyond the usual work day. People 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:42.840 who get paid by the hour can often arrange for 0:04:43.040 --> 0:04:47.520 comp time in these circumstances. So why do people who 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:51.320 don't get paid by the hour feel funny or even 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:57.960 guilty about using their flexibility. There is no difference between 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:01.159 working from nine to five and going to the gym 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:05.320 from five thirty to six thirty, and working from nine 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:08.520 to three, going to the gym from three thirty to 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:12.520 four thirty, and then dialing into an evening meeting from 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:18.200 six to eight. If option A is acceptable, then so 0:05:19.080 --> 0:05:23.200 is option B. So the next time you have an 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:26.880 extended work day, aim to schedule a mid day break, 0:05:27.839 --> 0:05:30.560 perhaps to find time for what you usually would have 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:34.039 done in your off hours, and to get a change 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:38.200 of pace from your work day activities. The midday change 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:41.719 of focus will enable you to perform at your best 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:45.520 for all the time that you are working, which is 0:05:45.560 --> 0:05:51.679 a win all around. In the meantime, this is Laura, 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:57.520 Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 0:05:57.600 --> 0:06:06.479 our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:09.919 You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:14.240 Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. At 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:19.120 before breakfast pod that's b E the number four, then 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:22.600 Breakfast p O D. You can also shoot me an 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:26.440 email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:29.320 com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:32.080 Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:41.000 Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:44.120 more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:47.560 Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:48.320 favorite shows.