Building in breaks: The importance of unwinding

How many of us find the proper amount of time to take a break? A lot of people in today’s world are overworked and exhausted, running on fumes, yet constantly trying to find ways to do more. And yet, studies have shown that taking regular breaks can actually make you more productive and better capable of handling stress. 

If you’re looking for ways to reduce your work hours and improve your overall health, you might look at how a 4-day work week could help… but you might also want to think about how implementing breaks into your everyday routine could make a difference to how you feel.

But what should you do during a break? Doomscrolling on social media is not the answer if you want to feel refreshed and energized. It’s important to engage your brain in new ways and offer it a reset through a totally different activity from your work. With that in mind, here are our top suggestions.

A game might not seem the obvious go-to for a short work break because it’s so easy to get sucked into games and distracted by them. You can find yourself playing for hours… but only if you choose the wrong kind of game. Pick the right game and you’ve got the perfect option for a short, structured break that precisely meets your needs.

Browser games have become popular for this reason, and so have casino games. If you check out an Australian online casino, for example, you’ll see that they offer a plethora of games specifically designed for short-play, high-fun sessions. Maybe you want to test your mental skills against blackjack or poker, or maybe you just want something relaxing - in which case, slots or roulette might tickle your fancy.

And if you’ve never stepped into this world before and you don’t know where to start, the good news is that there are lots of options. Checking out an online casino’s social media pages is often a great way to see what they’re promoting and what other players are enjoying. For example, you could test the activity out with a game of the week like Multi Hot Ways.

You’ll often find that after a short break like this, you’re ready to plunge back into your day with more energy and enthusiasm than ever before!

One of the best ways to prevent burnout is by doing something totally different from your normal activities. Picking up a hands-on skill can be a really great way to get that “reset” feeling, and crochet is often a top option for this. What looks complicated actually isn’t that hard, and there are tutorials galore online.

You’ve just got to teach your hands the basic movement and then you’ll be away, creating hats, socks, even blankets - potentially wrapping up your Christmas shopping months in advance. Again, crochet is a great activity for a micro-break because you can pick it up and put it down with ease.

And once you get good, there’s so much to learn. Different kinds of yarn, different stitch options, different patterns, different challenges - this is a whole world. It’s also pretty transportable (depending on the project), so you can take it to work with you if needs be.

For those who love having something to do with their hands, crochet is both productive and relatively mindless once you’ve mastered it, making it an ultimate “break” activity.

If you’re someone who loves pretty colors, gel pens and a nice notebook could create your next break solution. A journal is something you can treasure forever, a gift to your future self and even to following generations. It’s also a superb way to reduce stress, deal with problems, and inject a bit of mindfulness into your everyday life - always helpful for folks who are busy. If you find regular meditation doesn’t cut it, journaling might provide a nice “active” way to gather your thoughts and take a bit of time to yourself in the middle of the day.

Remember, there are no rules in this activity. Write, draw, doodle. Be structured or be free. Approach each day differently or create some standards. Your journal can look however you want it to.

Again, this is an activity that you can spend just a few minutes on. It serves as a wonderful way to pause, reflect on what has happened thus far in your day, and think about any tasks you need to complete. You can journal several times a day, creating a rich record of your thoughts and mood, and then finish things off before bed as an effective wind-down activity that lets you close the book on another busy time.

Journaling has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, and you get the extra reward of looking forward to the next pretty notebook or posh pen, which enhances the pleasure of this activity another notch.

This article was written in cooperation with Bud Ozzie