Do you Remember How?
That break make be much more important and should come more often than you think! Here we'll teach you how to take a break during the workday.
It Actually Helps you Get MORE Work Done...
Taking breaks goes against the work ethic of modern day America and most of the civilized world. This is a huge problem. Why? Because taking a planned out pause during work can only benefit you and how much work you accomplish. That Annoying Buzz...
What wakes you up in the morning? Is it causing you to be in an awful mood right from the start? No wonder you hit the snooze button so repeatedly! Try awakening to something a little more pleasant...music you enjoy at a listenable volume, ocean sounds, bird songs...these are all much more tolerable than the traditional, harsh shriek of an old-fashioned alarm clock. This will ease you out of a state of sleep instead of shocking you out of it like a bucket of ice water. Not Alarm Clocks, Sound Machines!
Photo at top of lens courtesy of EV World
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Work Poll
Getting up often and getting the blood flowing is healthy and important for keeping your energy levels up.
If you have a sit-down office job...
Look away, look away!
Computers put huge strain on your eyes. Keeping your eyes focused on a computer monitor can damage your eyes, causing the shape of your eye to elongate. This will cause vision impairment. To fix it, look away from your screen every five minutes and focus on something far away.
How to Start a Perennial Garden : How to Select Plants for a Perennial Garden
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It Might seem tempting...
...but don't fall for energy drinks! Some energy drinks have non-FDA approved ingredients that can cause serious long-term damage to your heart. They only provide a short, temporary boost that will leave you dragging after the rush.
Taking a Break at Home
For most people, the work doesn't end once your commute home begins. After a stressful drive home, you may have plenty more chores to do...dishes, laundry, babysitting, you name it. It's essential to add breaks into this time as well! Plan out your time and schedule in a fun thing to do every day. Let's say that again: every day! You deserve a mental break and something fun to look forward to daily, not just once a week.Here are some fun things to plan daily that are healthy, energy-boosting, and mentally stimulating:
- Dancing, yoga, or pilates classes
- Sports activities, anything from mountain biking to tennis, basketball, swimming or wiffle ball, anything that you enjoy that gets you moving!
- Photography--get out into nature, cold, wet, warm or hot!
- Start a garden
- Go for a short walk
- Build something...start a project from scratch, like wooden birdhouses, a boat, a ship in a bottle, model cars...
Whatever you choose to do, just be sure that you enjoy doing it and that you're doing it daily!
Links to Help you Take a Break...
- Work Exercises
- Stretches you can do right at your desk!
- Take a Break to Meditate
- Instructional video on how to take a break and meditate.
- Break Tips
- Even Monster.com thinks you should recharge your batteries now and again...see what they have to say!
- How to Take a Break When you Work at Home
- Distractions are everywhere at home, but breaks are more essential than ever here!
Long Breaks...Vacations!
Short breaks throughout the day are great, but you need a longer break every now and then. A vacation will give you something to look forward to, which is important for your mental health. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and it doesn't have to be that far away...planning weekend trips can be a great getaway! Find that local place within driving distance, or if you have the resources, plan vacations regularly. Make it an annual thing! Essential Vacations
Vacations provide something to look forward to, and give that needed long-term break from work and stress.
Book your Vacation!
Before you forget, why not book your vacation? You need it.
Sleepy Links
- The Sleep Foundation
- Get tips on what you can do to get more sleep, cure insomnia, and evaluate your sleep here.
- The Guide to Sleep
- Sleeping is important, but what is it? Find out here, as well as find out how much sleep you really need.
- What Bed to Buy
- Learn what factors can affect your sleep quality, as well as what to look for in a good mattress for a better sleep.
Help! I'm in Sleep Debt up to my Eyeballs!
If you think you can make up sleep on the weekends think again! You can't repay sleep, but you can try to correct your sleep habits and start getting the right amount of sleep and the right quality of sleep today.America on the average gets way less sleep than the recommended 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep that they should.
If we don't get sleep, he're's what starts hapenning to your body and mind...
- The mind starts wandering...you think of other things and can't focus. By the time you've realized you are wandering, it's too late!
- You try to compensate for your tiredness by eating and drinking caffeine or energy drinks. This only worsens the problem, creating temporary boosts and then a big crash.
- The body shuts down! Metabolic rates slow down, you burn less calories, and you get more and more tired from your lack of sleep. This makes you gain weight, starting a nasty cycle...
- Mentally, you are not in a good mood and can get testy...ask somebody else if you don't believe us!
What you can do to improve your sleep
Start going to bed at the same time every night. The occasional late night out is okay, but getting to bed at the same time, even on weekends, can be detrimental to your deep REM sleep that is so necessary. Here are some additional tips for a good night's sleep:
What happens when you get the right sleep...
- You are more aware, awake, alert, focused, energetic, and in a better mood.
- You get more done in less time.
- You are healthier overall, and have lower blood pressure and a more "rosy," healthy complexion.
- You're in a good mood for a change!
Here's what you can Start Doing
Most people have a tough time fitting breaks into their lives. Other elements enter their life, things happen, and breaks get pushed aside because they "aren't essential." You can change this by scheduling your breaks. If you have a day planner, which you should, you can schedule your breaks right into your day. Don't feel guilty, you need to do this, for your own health and well-being!Here are some little things you can do throughout the day...
- Stay hydrated. Having enough water in your body is essential to your health. Cold water is even better, and it burns extra calories.
- Kick the caffeine. This is probably one of the hardest on this list, but your health is more important than a cup of coffee! Caffeine gives you an artificial rush that only leaves you crashing and wanting more caffeine...leaving you an addict.
- Wake up early! Start waking up at the same time every day, even on the weekends. The horrible truth of the matter is you cannot "make up" sleep that you lost on prior days. Make a schedule and stick to it, even on the weekends, and you'll be programming your body to start metabolizing at the same time every day, the same way.
- Exercise first thing in the morning! Get moving early to get your blood flowing. You'll need it especially if you're kicking that latte addiction!
- Get outside! There's nothing more refreshing to your mind and body than some fresh air. It's no joke, even in the city! Take a deep breath...
- Now start breathing during the day! Take deeper, longer breaths throughout the day and you'll feel more energized. Sit up straight more often, keep your posture correct, and breathe deeply in through the nose, exhaling through the mouth, and you're likely to see an increase in air circulation and blood flow (and energy!)
- Change that blah screensaver on your PC. It takes just a second! You may not realize how long you stare at that image, but try changing it to something you enjoy, preferably a relaxing, natural scene. Just right click on an image anywhere on the net and save it as your desktop photo (just don't distribute it or use it for commercial interests, that's bad!). It's that easy.
- Get up and get moving. Getting up every 30 minutes will keep your energy levels up throughout the day. Even if you're taking a walk to the water cooler, you'll be circulating your blood and refreshing your mind for a minute.
- Leave the work at home! Make a schedule of when you start working and end. If you have a long day, that's okay, but schedule it in ahead and don't let anything come between you and your essential "me" break time...or life will zoom past you before you know it!
- Get a sense of humor! It's important to have a sense of humor in life and not take things to seriously. If you encounter a problem that you're having a tough time dealing with, sit back and evaluate the problem for a moment and think about whether that problem is really worth this thought, sweat and aggrivation...is there a way you can push this off to someone else? Is this even your job? Is this essential? Is this detrimental to your job or life? Your family? Think long term.
Stay Hydrated!
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Our Other Lenses!
It's only fitting that we showcase our other travel lenses here...take a look! Maybe you'll want to plan a get away to one of these destinations...-
Monument Valley
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Monument Valley is a very remote section of the Southwestern United States on the Arizona/Utah border, close to the Four Corners region. From looking at the pictures, it does not look like a traditional valley at all, and it isn't. Huge, ancient, tow...
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How to Plan a US Road Trip
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There's nothing like taking a road trip across the USA. Going by car gives you a greater appreciation for the vastness and wide array of parks, forests, cities, museums, beaches and cultures the United States has to offer. By taking a cross country r...
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Yellowstone National Park
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First established as a National Park in 1872, Yellowstone remains America's best-known National Park for its geothermal features, array of wildlife and stunning scenery. It covers three states--Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana--however, most of the park l...
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Yosemite National Park
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The Crown Jewel of the Sierra Nevada There are over 3.5 million visitors yearly that come to take in the awe-inspiring panorama of Yosemite National Park. The California National Park of the High Sierras is one of the best places to camp, kayak, sig...
Guestbook
Have some good break-taking habits or techniques you'd like to discuss? Share them here!
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Reply
- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Aug 3, 2009 @ 5:45 am
- Taking a break? Ha, would you believe that hubby was just looking over my shoulder saying that I was already on Squidoo and it isn't even 7am! He thinks I need lessons on How to Take a Break! Need to learn to turn off my brain.
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Reply
- BooBooBear BooBooBear Jan 19, 2009 @ 7:23 am
- I sure could use a nice vacation!
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Reply
- ArtByLinda ArtByLinda Oct 22, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
- Fantastic lens, sometimes we need reminded to take that break. "shh: don't tell anyone but sometimes I need pulled away from Squidoo, it is so addicting!" I think this is a great lens, thank you for lensrolling my "need a coffee break" lens, I'm rolling you right back! Take care, Linda
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Reply
- jacquelinestone jacquelinestone Jun 16, 2008 @ 5:44 pm
- I agree that breaks are so important to our productivity, creativity, health, and happiness.
Welcome to Empowerment & Enlightenment.
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Reply
- LaraineRose LaraineRose May 20, 2008 @ 2:59 am
- After I read your lens about the Snow Owl this lens title caught my eye. When you wrote this lens you must have been thinking along the same lines as I was when I wrote mine. I enjoyed reading yours. 5 stars, favorite, fan and lensrolled to my Staycation lens.
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Links
US Road Trips | Submit your URL to Search Engines! | Snowy Owls | Kiwis | Loggerhead Turtles | French Toast | The Poll Module on Squidoo | Google Base | eBay vs. Amazon | How to Find Deals on eBay | Lensography | I-95 | Where to Find eBay Inventory | Best Chocolate Chip Cookies | Handbag Care | The Perfect eBay Auction Listing | Increase your Squidoo Income | Armadillos | Northern Route | Southern Route | Road Trip Essentials | Easy Backlinks | How to Take a Break! | Key Deer | Endangered Species | Create your Own About Us Page | Also visit The Holiday Store Blog!
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by kiwisoutback
Hello! It's important to take a break, and it's easy to forget! Increase your energy and take more breaks. (more)
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