Having scheduled downtime during our working day is essential to not only our productivity but also for our brain health.
Research has found that taking breaks can improve your mood, boost your performance, and increase your ability to concentrate and pay attention. It can be dangerous for your performance levels if you overwork yourself because you increase your chances of burning out and losing focus.
A pair of fresh eyes:
The saying looking at something with “fresh eyes”, is especially relevant to the practice of downtime because it represents a need for replenishment. When you have time to refocus and recalibrate yourself, you are able to look upon your work with a newfound tranquillity.
Sometimes during a task you can begin to get frustrated, desperate to finish your writing or find an answer to your question. It can become overwhelming when you experience writer’s block, notably when you are acutely aware of a deadline.
Regardless of the pressures that we are under, by refusing to succumb to your stress means that you are put in much better stead. You will not achieve as much if you are bombarded with pressure, so by taking scheduled and strategic breaks you can improve productivity.
Give yourself a break:
Taking a break is not a sign of weakness and it does not mean that your brain is switching off, a hiatus is not synonymous with laziness but instead intelligence. It is the far wiser thing to do to prioritise yourself.
Downtime Do’s and Don’ts:
Downtime can equate to so many things, it is a very subjective term. Experts have argued that the most successful ways of enjoying downtime include mundane tasks like vacuuming or weeding. Sometimes leisurely activities like attending a museum or painting can still stimulate the brain, therefore to completely optimise your downtime you really need to turn it off. By merely sitting back and staring into space, you are giving yourself valuable rests, rather than engorging yourself with stress and endless tasks.
For the Busy Bees with No Time:
Many of us feel as though we simply do not have the time for tasks however this is untrue. If you are strategic and you schedule them in and prioritise yourself a bit more, then you will be able to enjoy a rest.
By squeezing in a few minutes a day for downtime you benefit yourself exponentially, something as simple as enjoying your morning coffee equates to a plethora of benefits.
Remember:
Whilst it can be difficult to remember to rest, taking a break can help to revitalise your work, giving you not only fresh eyes to look upon something with but also a fresh mind.
