13 Ways To Spend Your Work Breaks More Productively
Gone should be the days when lunch breaks just meant gobbling down your food so that you can get back to work.
I’ve seen people take shorter and shorter lunch breaks because there’s so much work to get done and so many deadlines to meet. I call bullsh*t. Work breaks are your deserved time off. Take full advantage of them instead of just wasting it away eating or rushing through it.
Tired of doing boring things during work break? Here are few other things you could be doing-
1. Paint Something
Now, let me be honest. I wasn’t a big fan of painting till a couple of months ago. That’s until a colleague got out her painting stuff for a work project. I started with just dipping my toe in, or you could say dipping my paint brush in (geddit? GEDDIT?) and there was no going back. I now jump at every chance I get to paint. There’s something calming about putting a paint brush to paper and seeing colourful things come to life. It’s soothing and helps calm your nerves like nothing else. You don’t have to be good at it. I mean, I still draw stick figures for humans. But now, I draw stick figures with paint brushes. So if you have the luxury of time to paint for a while during the day, do it! Don’t spend hours on it. Paint for a few minutes, summon that creator inside you and see it work wonders for your productivity! Extra points for glitter, glue, sharpies and anything extra creative ✨
2. Solve Puzzles
I’m a huge huge fan of puzzles. Especially trivias and riddles. And oh oh word puzzles too! I have a team mate who has a physical book of “find the word” puzzles too. Something about logging off electronic devices and using actual pencils and books. Puzzles also help get those gears in your head moving again. Win win! 👊
3. Write Sh*t down
Speaking of putting pen to paper, you could also physically write down in your diary during lunch breaks. Not your notes app inside your phone, Susan. 🙅
Writing in a book with actual papers. The old school way. It definitely calms me. Start writing about your day, activities, your feelings, your hopes and dreams, past, future…everything! Writing things down helps you get things off your chest and look at the same things from a new perspective. It’s like having your own therapist. Except that you don’t have to shell out $200 per session. And you’ll be developing a productive habit along the way too 💁
4. Get your furry fix
Everyone loves themselves some cute furry animals right? 🐶
If you’re lucky enough to find an animal shelter near your office, then go pet some dogs! Or cats. Or squirrels. Or a lizard. Whatever floats your boat ⛵️
5. Read a book
Let that bibliophile in you out and get started on the books that have been in your ‘To read’ list as part of your New year resolutions since 2014. High time no? Extra points for the coolness factor 📖
6. Learn a new language
Ever looked wistfully at the “Known languages” section in a job application form and wished you could list down more than 2 languages that you know? Why not actually put in efforts and learn one? There are hundreds of online classes available and thousands of languages you could learn. Get started! So the next time your colleague is flaunting off their newly developed Spanish vocabulary after a week spent vacationing in Mexico, you could try and engage them in a Spanish conversation and see the colour drain off their faces 😛
7. Take up a new hobby
Remember all those times you told yourself, “I wish I’d listened to my parents for once and took those guitar lessons/painting lessons/cooking lessons/every other lesson they signed me up for” with a huge sigh? Well, wish granted. It’s never too late to take up a hobby. Sign yourselves up for those online classes and start learning during your work breaks and put that free time to good use. Make yourselves proud 🙌
8. Take a walk in nature
Nothing clears your mind better than a stroll in a park. Cold breeze, chirping birds, fresh air… am I making it exciting enough? Imagine being close to nature for even a few minutes in the day! *runs off to look at nearby parks available near my office* 🏃
9. Exercise
Now I’m as lazy as they come when it comes to exercising. But you no one’s asking you to do a full blown workout. Just 10 minutes. A few jumping jacks, planks or even push ups would do just the trick. Sweat out that work stress! We used to have a fun group plank session where everyone would gather and do planks together. See who lasts the longest. It was fun, healthy and another reason to get together!
10. Meditate
Imagine disconnecting from everything around, at least for a while. Meditating is known to help you clear your mind and help you bounce back with a refreshed mind. After a rushed morning, it’s good to slow down for a few minutes and just go to your happy place. Meditating during lunch breaks is just what the doctor ordered 💆
11. Hone your photography skills
If like me, you’re obsessed with perfecting your Instagram feed too and pretend like you take the perfect flat lays, then you should dedicate some free time every day to try and perfect your photography skills. You don’t even need a professional camera. Just take out your smartphone and get clicking! 📷
12. Sing
You can try and deny it, but everyone loves singing. Some like to belt out “Dancing queen” in their showers, some in their car and for the brave hearts among us, some belt it out in public (Not for the faint hearted)
But I digress. The point I’m trying to make here is why not sing to your heart’s content during lunch hours? Even better, grab some of your colleagues and make a jam session out of it. You could have your own Glee Club. Okay, before I stop nerding out about this, let me conclude by saying that SING! 🎤
13. Watch a TED talk
They’re creative, captivating and informative. It’ll leave you feeling smarter and more knowledgable than 10 minutes ago.
So tell me. Would you rather spend your lunch breaks just stuffing your lunch down your throat before rushing back to work or try something from the list? I’m listening 👂
