“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is true not just in case of studies but also in case of job life.
Regular breaks help to refresh and rejuvenate. Work breaks help to improve concentration and give best results.
People who do not take regular breaks to socialize, explore and interact usually turn out to be geeky individuals with very few friends.
Man is a ‘social animal’ and both the words in this saying are equally true. He is social to the extent that he will interact and try to build relations.
The moment he feels a person is not worth befriending; the animal in him will easily forget you and move ahead. So do not break away from the group.
Benefits and Importance of taking Work Breaks:
1. Refresh and rejuvenate:
Human mind is a miracle machine. Yet, it starts losing its efficiency if it does not get a fair share of enjoyment and entertainment.
Continuously handling the routine task can not just bore you but also hamper your speed and efficiency.
2. To break the monotony:
If you do not give your mind an opportunity to use its varied skills sets, your ability to think and understand diverse subjects and techniques will slowly die away.
To keep the fire alive, you need to learn and explore. Age and lifestyle should not dampen your efforts.
3. To change the flow of thoughts:
As you grow, your mind tends to stick to routine and stops asking questions. You follow a standard logic which may not always be practical.
You need to be open to knowledge, to acquire new skills and abilities.
4. To keep your mind active:
Mind and body work in synchronization. Just like you grow fat and lethargic as you stop being active, you stop losing the ability to think the moment you close the doors of your mind to new things.
5. To gain inspiration:
Newton was not inspired sitting in the comfort of his sweet abode. Just like the apple inspired Newton to discover gravity, it is when we are willing to explore our world around that we discover the facts of life. This applies even to a busy office life.
6. To fight boredom and depression:
The human emotions are also associated with the human mind. The moment you are caught in the 10-7 loop doing nothing but work, you start losing your charisma and intelligence.
7. Best way to spend break time:
There are countless ways to while your time away. Ask some unambitious housewife and she may suggest chatting with relatives, ask a friend and he will open avenues like Facebook and Twitter.
While these are definitely great options for an emotional break, there are many ways to keep your mind active even while at work. Here I have listed a couple of interesting ways to keep your mind young.
8. Reading a book:
The beauty of a book is that it takes you to different worlds while you do not leave your desk.
Read books as it gives you an idea how life is in different parts of the continent. You also get to learn about cuisines and fashion in different parts of the globe.
9. Solving puzzles:
This is a great way to keep your mind alert. You can increase your concentration by Solving jigsaw puzzles and Rubix cubes.
You can also try a hand at the mind racking Mensa puzzles and know how good your logic is.
10. Reading jokes:
If you are upset and sad or bored by the monotony, read jokes. They help you cheer up.
Jokes also help to improve your sense of humour. You may also opt for humorous short stories by writers like O Henry.
11. Learning new things:
Many people aspire to reach superior positions in their career but do very little to keep alive the genius within. Learn things that may prove helpful in your career.
Learn about different places and solve map reading quizzes online. Try and work on language proficiency as it is sure to help you in future.
12. Chatting with friends:
You must take some time to chat with friends. This helps to keep relations alive. It also helps you to socialize and have a personal life.
This is a great way to balance your professional and personal lives.
13. Reading a newspaper:
The newspapers often lose their focus and have crappy news that does not interest or inspire.
Yet it is a great idea to at least read through the headlines. It helps you get a gist of what is going on in the world around.
14. What not to do in breaks:
Many people know the importance of a break but do not know how to make the best use of a break. Here are some things you should not do in a break.
15. Don’t smoke:
Smoking is not just injurious to your health but also affects the people around you adversely. You are polluting the surroundings by smoking.
You are also wasting a percentage of your earnings.
16. Don’t play addictive video games:
Some individuals tend to get addicted to video games and mobile games. These can have many adverse effects on your health.
Continuous use of mobile phone can affect your vision. These games are addictive and they eat up your break time.
17. Don’t get into unintellectual gossips:
The worst thing to do in a tea break or a work break is to gossip among colleagues. It can harm your reputation.
It is also a cause of spreading a lot of negativity in the workplace. Do not contribute to this kind of chatting and gossiping.
To Wrap Up:
A mind that is active and continuously thinks is bound to be more alert and intelligent. Just like your body requires regular exercise, even your mind requires exercise. So never quit learning or understanding.
You can also spend time pursuing your hobbies. Poets can bring life to their emotions through inspiring poetry. Great orators must make sure that their vocabulary is continuously growing so that you keep up with a fast world.
