What leads to more productivity – Multitasking? A packed schedule? Being busy?

Here’s a thought: How about taking a break?

As counter-intuitive as that sounds, every self-help program talks about the importance of taking 10-15-minute periodic breaks to boost your productivity. When you are constantly busy, when can you take a break?

Intuitively, I think we all know taking breaks and having “down time” is an absolute must to avoid burnout. So, what is the biggest problem with taking a break? We often forget to take them! (For the record…going to the bathroom, pouring yourself a cup of coffee, standing up to answer the door or checking email, does not count.)

As strange as it may sound, taking regular breaks throughout the work day requires discipline and a little bit of planning. There are plenty of apps and timers to remind you to take a break.

One of my favorites is Stand Up! The Work Break Timer.

Stand Up! is a fun, flexible work break timer.

Stand Up! is a fun, flexible work break timer. By now you know that sitting down is slowly killing you, and we want to help you live longer. We don’t micromanage you, and we don’t make you feel guilty.

There’s no compulsive tracking and time management, and we don’t tell you what exercises you need to do. Just regular, simple reminders to get up, with easy confirmations so you can get a sense of how you’re doing.

 

Now that you are up and standing, the pressing question is: What do you DO during the break…

Here are 21 Counter-Intuitive and INTERESTING Break Ideas from Lifehack that can help to restore your energy, sharpen your focus, boost productivity and avoid burnout at work.

1. Listen to a guided meditation.

Listening to guided mediation to relax at workThere are plenty of 10-15-minute meditations that can trigger your creativity, let go of muscles tension and take your mind off the work at hand.

All you have to do is put on a headset, close your eyes and enjoy peace and relaxation even in the midst of work chaos.

2. Exercise during your break with a co-worker. Alone, you might not always have the strength to pull yourself away from the computer, but if you have a friend taking breaks with you, it is much easier to stick with your break routine. In addition, it offers a great opportunity to bond with your colleagues and get to know them better.

Do this set 5x a day to get your blood flowing:

  • one minute of non-stop skipping
  • one minute of tricep dips
  • one minute of tricep kickbacks
  • one minute of push-ups against the wall

3. Step outside for a fresh perspective. Leaving a stuffy office and letting yourself enjoy the warmth of the sunlight, the coolness of a breeze and the freshness of the spring air can do miracles to your mind and body. You will come back feeling rejuvenated and ready to approach your work with new energy and a fresh perspective.

  • Take a walk
  • Daydream
  • Go for a swim
  • Sketch
  • Read

4. Close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths. Stand up and walk away from your desk. Find a quiet place, where you can sit down, close your eyes, smile to yourself and take a few deep breaths. Imagine your tension, stress and anxiety leaving your body as you breathe out, and peacefulness, positivity and relaxation filling your mind with every breath that you take.

5. Say NO to tension headaches. Slowly roll your neck to the right noticing a slight tension in your neck muscles. Hold this position for a count of 120 (2 minutes), then turn your head to the opposite side and repeat. Enjoy the feeling of warmth and flexibility return to your neck and shoulders.

6. Try people-gazing. Watching people walking down the street, chatting in a nearby café, and driving by, is meditation in itself. In addition looking outside the window helps to take the strain off the eyes.

Watching people walking down the street, chatting in a nearby café, and driving by, is meditation in itself.

7. Rock out to some great music. Music is a great mood changer, especially if you allow yourself to get up and move with it. Just a few minutes of humming and dancing can put a smile on your face and get your blood moving.

8. Take a Thumb and Pinkie Brain Break. This is a great break idea if you need a quick distraction from the problem at hand to get your creative juices flowing:

  • Take your left hand and have your fingers in and your thumb up.
  • Then take your right hand and put all the fingers in except the pinkie.
  • Now switch the roles of your hands. And now try doing it faster.

Pinky and thumb brain break.

Check out this cute video on Brain Breaks for other quick ideas.

9. Exercise. What can be more satisfying than taking a long hard look at your to-do list and crossing off a few unimportant tasks?

10. Eat an apple. S-L-O-W-L-Y. In the middle of a busy day, when you feel rushed, take a 2-3 minute break to eat an apple (or another fruit that you like). Just do it very slowly. Notice the flavor, the texture, the freshness. Doing something at a slow pace might feel weird, even annoying at first. But after a few minutes you feel much calmer and less stressed.

Take a slow bite out of an apple for a break.

11. Say Thank you. Grab a notecard and your favorite pen and write a quick thank you to someone you appreciate. Then attach a stamp and go downstairs to put it in a mailbox. This simple act of gratitude will take your focus away from any pressing work problems and will put you in a good mood.

12. Take a “No Cell-phone Walk”. Leave your cellphone in the office and head outside for a brisk walk. Shake off apathy and fatigue. Walk even faster, raising your heartbeat and letting the excitement and the sense of freedom recharge your mind and body.

13. Read a magazine or a book. Pick a read that has nothing to do with your area of work or the latest news. Give your brain the pleasure of not to thinking, being stressed or making decisions.

14. Hydrate yourself. First drink a full glass of water. Second splash some water on your face: warm to relax, cold – to wake up and energize yourself.

Read: 7 habits of highly dehydrated employees

7 habits of highly dehydrated employees

15. Make animals of the clouds. This is a great exercise to entertain your children, but it is also a great game you can play alone as it helps to tap into your creative potential and distract your mind from upcoming deadlines or customer complaints.

16. Pick up the pace. If you feel yourself tired and sleepy, deliberately pick up the pace, and try to move a little faster than usual. Type faster. Speak faster. Read faster. Make decisions faster. And, of course, go home sooner.

17. Laugh off the tension. You can start by simply saying, “Ha, ha, ha.” and keep repeating it until you are really laughing. A few minutes of a good belly laugh help to get rid of tension, relax a lot of involuntary muscles and increase blood circulation.

18. Stretch out stiffness. Getting up from your desk to do a set of sun salutations or this might not be an option if you work in a room full of people. But it does not mean that you should deprive yourself of the pleasure of stretching your body and getting some exercise. Try a simple stretching exercise.

  • Plant your feet firmly on the ground, lift your arms and look at your palms.
  • Stretch your spine for about 30-60 seconds, gradually increasing pressure, as if you were trying to touch the ceiling with your fingers.
  • Relax, lower your arms and feel the energy moving up your spine.

19. Do something artistic. Write a short, funny poem and dedicate it to your co-worker. Draw a picture for your kids. Take a few photos of your surroundings. Let your creative side shine!

20. Unclutter your desk. A great way to take a much-needed break, while looking “busy” is to unclutter your desk. Not only is it relaxing, it also helps to activate productive energy flow.

21. Juggle. Learning to juggle isn’t particularly difficult and it could be a great exercise to take during a break (maybe not in the office itself, but in a place, where balls flying left and right will not bother anyone). Juggling requires fine muscle control, timing, and concentration. But most importantly, it is fun!

Learning to juggle isn’t particularly difficult and it could be a great exercise to take during a break.

Still looking for the “perfect” productivity-boosting activity for your break?

Here are another 5 break activities – choose one, choose them all:

  1. Take a Nap
  2. Exercise
  3. Call your Mom
  4. Plan a trip
  5. Stand up exercises