Why We Should Still Take Breaks When Working From Home

“Rest is not idleness,

“And to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day,

Listening to the murmur of the water,

Or watching the clouds float across the sky,

Is by no means a waste of time.”

– John Lubbock

This quote was shared by one of the participants of The Writers Hour, a zoom gathering of writers who have the opportunity to meet every day at 8am London time and write together for 50 minutes. It came at just the right moment for me as I had been pondering what it means to take a break and to have time for rest during the working day when working from home.

Before I joined the work from home gang, just one year ago, I worked as a hospital palliative care nurse specialist. Then, I rarely took a proper break at any point during the day. Lunches were mostly in front of the computer, and coffee was mostly grabbed on the go. On reflection, this was in part because we didn’t have a staff room or really anywhere to go away from the desk, and it always felt too ‘busy’. But, fundamentally it was the culture I worked in.

In the six years that I worked in that particular role, I can count on one hand the number of times I actually left the hospital for lunch. Twice. Both occasions were for a team picnic in the cemetery next to our hospital! Crazy but I’m pretty sure not that unusual. (well perhaps picnicking in a cemetery is, but as I said I worked in palliative care)

During the worst of the pandemic when I probably needed to get away for a proper break more than at any other time I couldn’t. I couldn’t just wander out to a café in my scrubs or PPE, and there was never enough time or inclination to change, only to have to immediately come back to the hospital and change back into scrubs and get back to work.

The working culture I was ingrained in, was about ‘just keeping going’. When we did have quieter days the guilt would soon seep in. What is that all about? When did we become programmed to think we must be busy all of the time? As humans our bodies need time to rest and recuperate to enable us to get the best from them. We need the down time so we can perform at our best in the busy times

Since I left that job, taking a break has become one of the most precious parts of my day. Those of us who choose to leave conventional working patterns to pursue a freelance life often do so for the flexibility it can bring. It is to escape the routine and rigidity of the 9–5. It is the freedom to work your job around what suits you and take time off when you want or need to.

In my previous job I dreamt of the days when I could just decide to go for a walk in the middle of the day, or wander to my local coffee shop on a whim. However, it has taken me the best part of a year to realise it really is ok not to be chained to the desk from 9–5.

It has taken me some practice to accept it’s okay to be away from the desk for any period of time, and even now, guilt can quickly kick in. However, I’m gradually getting their, and increasingly I am realising the physical, emotional and creative value in ‘taking a break’.

Now, I always take proper time off for lunch. I eat outside when I can, and take time to read a few pages of my book. Sometimes I go for a short walk or incorporate a trip to the post office or local shops. I may also hang washing out, or empty the dishwasher, but taking a defined break away from the desk and the screen makes all the difference to how I work.

I have learned that breaks don’t have to be long. 15 minutes can make all the difference, although I wholeheartedly recommend taking longer! It just needs to be a little bit of time spent thinking about or doing something else. After a defined break, I come back to my desk mostly re energised and mostly feeling more creative.

The Mental Health Foundation says that “A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health. It could be a five-minute pause from cleaning your kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work or a weekend exploring somewhere new. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress you”.

The Benefits

• Change of focus and a different perspective lead to increased creativity
• After a break we come back fresher with improved levels of concentration and energy
• The body has time to recuperate — if you are hunched over a computer all day, then changing your physical position is important to prevent those aches and pains in the back and neck area.
• Improved productivity
• Improved eating habits — A Harvard study found that distracted eating i.e eating whilst doing other things like working leads to more food being consumed and weight gain.

As I write this, I am sitting looking at my garden. It’s a beautiful warm sunny day and I am looking forward to my lunch break in the garden with my book, bird song, and the sound of next doors builders for company!