"Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar." Remember that catchy jingle for the popular chocolate bar? I was impressed by this marketing marvel, not only because once you hear the words, they are stuck in your head all day; but also, because of the double entendre - of taking a break by breaking off the pre-perforated candy treat. Kit Kats have long been a favorite of mine, but sadly, my breaks no longer include this calorie-rich, high sugar snack.
Recently, a friend of mine gave me a gift card to a lovely local tea shop. She told me when she gave me the thoughtful gift that her intention was for me to "build in a break." She said, "you are always busy going from appointment to appointment, class to class, at various locations around the community. You need a make a point to build into your schedule some time to take a break." What a fabulous gift as well as much needed words of wisdom from my very sage and thoughtful friend.
Perhaps you have a job that mandates a break time. If you do, then you know the power of even just having 10-15 minutes to yourself. After several hours of working, you have the time to finally go to the bathroom, get some fresh air, return a phone call, refill your drink and/or grab a bite to eat. If break times are not built into your daily work life, then you are like me and you have to make a point to create your own.
You have heard it over and over again recently, "sitting is the new smoking". I love it when I find out that offices have brought in standing desks for their employees. My pastor actually built one for himself when he realized that the massive amount of paperwork he had was requiring him to sit for hours on end. If your job requires a lot of driving, you already know the importance of stopping every few hours to refuel yourself and your car! Workplace studies report that only 1 in every 3 Americans leaves the office at lunchtime. The rest either skip lunch altogether or eat right at their desks. This practice is actually quite counter-productive because even a small break will increase your mental focus and decrease your fatigue.
Breaks are actually more effective if they are taken BEFORE they are needed. I often share a Chinese proverb with my Qi Gong students: "Don't wait until you are dying of thirst to go to the well." If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Even just a two minute break is enough time to stretch your body (which will increase your oxygen flow), look away from your computer screen or your reading material (which will relieve eye strain symptoms), or separate from your students, patients or clients (which will give you a new perspective). Don't wait too long to take your break. By the time you really need it, you have probably pushed past your energy and patience level.
One of the primary reasons that I became a Health Coach and Qi Gong instructor is to help people find balance in their lives, both at home and at work. I am hoping that you get balanced by making it a priority during this very busy month to "build in a break". They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. So that means that if we all start today, then we will enter the next decade with renewed energy, increased focus and less stress. Perhaps we will even run into each other while taking a break at a local tea shop. Let's just hope our break time isn't at the vending machine fighting over the last Kit Kat bar!