We all lead busy stressful lives, so it’s important to take regular breaks to recharge your batteries. During the day, go for short walks around the office or do nothing else but stare into space. Call it a mental health break if you like. This is especially important if you spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer or if you work bent over papers.
Taking a timeout is also a good opportunity to do the following:
- Get a glass of water
- Get a low-fat, high protein snack
- Do a two-minute exercise for your neck, back or spine
- Do pelvic floor exercises
- Give your eyes a break by focusing on something in a distance
- Empty your mind for a quick meditation
- Do some abdominal or core exercises
Don’t spend the weekend thinking about work
It’s imperative that your downtime is used for recharging, re-energising and rebuilding focus. Unfortunately, many people feel that they must fill those hours with extra work, instead of pleasurable leisure. The irony is that if you set work aside to focus on yourself, you’ll find it much easier to work when you do get to it.
Plan for regular holidays
Mark your diary with plans for a regular holiday, when you can leave work behind you. The office won’t collapse without you and your brain needs new stimuli from a new environment. Don’t buy into the trend of never taking any leave for fear that it will make you look less professional. Leave is there for a reason. You owe it to yourself.
Allow yourself time to being creative
The best way to maintain mental, spiritual and emotional health is to escape to a place that’s far different from the one you occupy. The creative realm is one such example. When people are burnt out with stress or work, they travel or they take up new and creative hobbies. Some people write or paint, some take up crocheting, cross-stitching or scrapbooking. Here is a list of easy activities that will not only allow you to get away from your stress; they will also give you a fresh, new perspective on your situation…
- Mosaic making
- Pottery
- Watercolour painting
- Poetry writing
- Flower arranging
- Beadwork and accessory design
Also be aware that daydreaming is the equivalent of stress-busting.
