1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: tip is that while real breaks are wonderful and rejuvenating things, 4 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: when you feel the first urge to take a break, 5 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: consider whether you can work just a little bit longer. 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:34,279 Speaker 1: First five more minutes here and there can add up 7 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: and make a real difference in your productivity. When you 8 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: are feeling stuck or bored or overwhelmed by a work task, 9 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: it is tempting to go get another cup of coffee, 10 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: or go to the restroom, or wander around the halls 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: at work, or move the laundry to the dryer. If 12 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: you are working from home, and it is possible that 13 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: you do need a break sometime soon. But if you 14 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: give in to the urge to take a break right 15 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: away at the first moment your attention wanders, you may 16 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: be undermining your productivity. You might not be at a 17 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: good stopping point. You might also be trying to do 18 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: something easy to avoid something hard. Taking a break right 19 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: then will mean time away from your desk and then 20 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: time to get back focused and fully on track. So 21 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 1: before you stop, consider if maybe you can push through 22 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,119 Speaker 1: to a good stopping point or through the tough work 23 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 1: and then stop. Just wait five before you take five, 24 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: and your brakes will help your productivity rather than undermine it. 25 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: Because here's the thing, well timed rejuvenating breaks can make 26 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: your workday more productive and more satisfying. I suggest that 27 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: people take a real break mid morning for lunch, and 28 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: then mid afternoon. Ideally, you think about what you'd like 29 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: to do and consciously build in those rejuvenating activities during 30 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: that time. Often people tell me that they don't really 31 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: take breaks, but if you look at how you are 32 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: spending their days, they are in fact taking breaks all 33 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: the time. They're working on a project, but then get 34 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: a little bored and decide to check email. They read 35 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 1: two non urgent work emails and see a breaking news 36 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: headline and click over to read that, and wind up 37 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: spending ten minutes or more reading the news before realizing 38 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: it's time to get back to work. It didn't register 39 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: as a break, and it wasn't all that rejuvenating, but 40 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: it was time away from work, so it was a break. 41 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: Those fake breaks can add up over the course of 42 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: a day, since none of those emails actually needed to 43 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: be dealt with. Anytime soon, This was all a waste 44 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: of time. Time really better to push through that boredom 45 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: to a natural stopping point, or to the time when 46 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: you agreed to meet a colleague for coffee and then 47 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 1: enjoy this real break. Now again, it may be the 48 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: case that you are tired, or hungry, or need the bathroom, 49 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,399 Speaker 1: but all of those things can generally wait at least 50 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: a minute or two. So when you start feeling the 51 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: need to leave what you are doing, check in and 52 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: see if this is truly what you need or whether 53 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: with a few more minutes you could really get something done. 54 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: I love breaks, but I want them to be worthwhile. 55 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: If you wait five before you take five, that is 56 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: more likely to be the case. In the meantime, this 57 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 58 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 59 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 60 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 61 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 62 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 63 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.