How to Create Moments to Pause During a Busy Workday
Instead of leaving it solely to chance when you can find a few minutes to take a short break, be intentional and disciplined in creating (and taking) these moments to pause throughout the day by trying the following strategies:
- Give yourself permission to take breaks.
Many people operate from the belief that there’s too much to do and they can’t afford to take a break. Challenge this assumption, whether it is self-imposed or imposed by others in your organisation (or both). Remember that you are a human and not a machine. Developing a sense of agency and self-direction for how you spend your time during the workday is a key part of developing not only as a leader, but as an adult.
- Batch email and other communications.
It can be tempting to use a few spare minutes when you have them to quickly respond to email or Slack messages to make the ever-growing mountain of communications more manageable or be as responsive as possible. However, research shows that work takes 50% longer when we’re constantly switching tasks. This same research also shows that people typically try to make up for this loss in productivity by working faster. However, doing so only creates more stress, time pressure, and frustration. Blocking out specific times when you will respond to email will allow you to use the much smaller blocks of time that you may have for actual breaks.
- Reset the default meeting duration.
Most people have a default meeting duration of 30 or 60 minutes. Change your default to either 15–25 minutes for shorter meetings or 45–50 minutes for longer meetings. If given more time, people will invariably find ways to fill it. Having a more limited time window encourages everyone to manage meetings more efficiently to fit the available time. You can always make exceptions when warranted. With the remaining window be mindful! Get up from your desk and stretch, or get a coffee or a snack. Consider planning your weekend so you have something to look forward to. Research shows that when you have something positive to anticipate, it can boost your mood and reduce stress.
- Communicate and enforce hard stops.
If at all possible, do not go over allotted meeting durations and, yes, this is easier to enforce when you are the one leading the meeting. Nevertheless, communicating up front that you have a hard stop at the end of the booked time period sets the expectation from the start that you’ll be leaving on time. In doing so, everyone attending can try to attain the goal of ending promptly. Most people will appreciate it since it benefits everyone. It’s another way of demonstrating agency over your time.
- Build on bathroom breaks.
The one short break everyone needs to take is a bathroom break. “Stacking” a new habit onto an existing habit or behaviour is a way to pair something you want to do with something you need to do (such as take a bathroom break). For example, after visiting the restroom, you might create a new mini-habit and take 5–10 minutes to practise mindfulness, meditate, or climb a set of stairs or walk around the block to get some exercise.
- Schedule breaks and set reminders.
Schedule short breaks in your day when you know your energy is at its lowest. Research shows that our energy is typically lowest around 3 P.M. Make this into something you can look forward to so it’s more likely to stick in the future. Having a reminder pop up on your computer or phone can also help you to remember to take a short break, and there are several apps designed around this.
- Have a visual cue.
Having some type of visual cue on your desk, computer, or workspace can also serve as a reminder to take short pauses. It could be your coffee mug or water bottle on your desk, a picture of a yoga pose, or a post-it that just says “breathe.” These casual reminders can help you take a few moments every now and then for an impromptu pause.
- Have a go-to routine for unexpected breaks.
You can still take advantage opportunistically when you have an unexpected break, such as when a meeting happens to end early. Whether it’s listening to music, texting a friend, or stopping by someone’s desk to say hi, knowing in advance how you plan to use any unanticipated breaks will help you get the most out of them. Likewise, if someone else is running late to a meeting with you, while you are waiting for them, use the time to do some breathing exercises while sitting in your chair to help reduce stress and restore your capacity.
The above strategies can help you create several moments to pause over the course of your workday. By doing so, there will be a cumulative benefit, as you’ll be able to more effectively manage your energy and capacity, helping you to be more resilient.