Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
Speaker 2: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
Speaker 2: tip is to make the most of lovely weather by
Speaker 2: taking your breaks outside. I love spring every year in April,
Speaker 2: and may I apologize to Pennsylvania for threatening to leave
Speaker 2: for Florida all winter. With mild weather, flowers blooming, and
Speaker 2: busy birds flying and singing, Spring is just a great
Speaker 2: time to be outside. An added plus is that there
Speaker 2: are fewer mosquitoes than in the summer. I do my
Speaker 2: best to get outside as often as I can. For me,
Speaker 2: this often means having my morning coffee outside, reading on
Speaker 2: the porch when that's an option, and running outside rather
Speaker 2: than on the treadmill. This year, I am also trying
Speaker 2: to go outside for my breaks during the workday. Taking
Speaker 2: my lunch outside to eat doesn't mean I'm away from
Speaker 2: my desk any longer than if I eat at the
Speaker 2: kitchen counter, but it makes a huge difference in how
Speaker 2: refreshed I feel afterwards. Scrolling for ten minutes on my
Speaker 2: phone between calls is much less refreshing than going outside
Speaker 2: and feeling the sun on my skin. The air and
Speaker 2: change of scene do wonders for me, and I bet
Speaker 2: they could make a difference for you as well, whether you.
Speaker 1: Work remotely or in person. If you get formal breaks
Speaker 1: or have the flexibility to take breaks as needed, aim
Speaker 1: to go outside whenever you can. As one of my
Speaker 1: challenges as part of writing the book Big Time, I
Speaker 1: had hundreds of people try taking intentional breaks twice a
Speaker 1: day during their work days. Many people started going outside,
Speaker 1: and over the course of the week they started finding
Speaker 1: their breaks much more energizing for you. Getting outside might
Speaker 1: mean having your lunch or an afternoon cup of tea outside.
Speaker 1: You could go outside to call a friend, read a book,
Speaker 1: or go for a walk. You could also just sit
Speaker 1: outside and soak in the sunshine. If you are not
Speaker 1: using your phone for a call, try to stay off
Speaker 1: of it. If you work from home, you may be
Speaker 1: able to slip outside and sit on your own patio
Speaker 1: or lawn chair. Maybe you work in an office with
Speaker 1: an outdoor sitting area. Perhaps your workplace is close to
Speaker 1: a park. But even if you don't have a particularly
Speaker 1: appealing outdoor perch near your workplace, it can still be
Speaker 1: worth it to get outside. You can just stand on
Speaker 1: the sidewalk and take deep breaths, or people watch. You
Speaker 1: can take a lap around the block or around the
Speaker 1: parking lot. Anything you can do to get away from
Speaker 1: your computer and desk can feel great. In addition to
Speaker 1: going outside during your workday breaks, consider eating breakfast or
Speaker 1: having your morning coffee outside. You can also go outside
Speaker 1: if you are waiting for something, like if you arrive
Speaker 1: early for a doctor's appointment or a lunch reservation and
Speaker 1: your lunch partner isn't there yet, or if you're waiting
Speaker 1: for a kid to finish sports practice. Instead of sitting
Speaker 1: in your car or in the waiting area, find a
Speaker 1: bench or walk around outside. If you can't get out
Speaker 1: of your car, at least open the windows or the
Speaker 1: sunroof if you've got one. Even five minutes outside can
Speaker 1: be refreshing. So if the weather is lovely where you
Speaker 1: are this time of year, try to make the most
Speaker 1: of it. You will probably be glad you did. In
Speaker 1: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's
Speaker 1: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening
Speaker 1: to before breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,
Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura VANDERCAM dot com.
Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts
Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.