Ultimate Day Step 6: Set Your Breaks
“Taking breaks during the day keeps your energy level high. These are periods of recovery and regeneration. They keep your body loose and your mind nimble.”
We live in a go-go world where we’re expected to be in beta mode all the time. We’re supposed to cut back on sleep to get more done. We’re supposed to eat at our desks to so we can answer all those emails. We’re supposed to be on our phones at night and on weekends to respond to work items.
That all-hustle-all-the-time mode is making us sick. We’re exhausted. Our mental health is suffering. Our important relationships are getting short shrift.
That’s why I’m pressing you to get your sleep sorted, get your exercise on track, understand your most productive work periods, and use the best possible nutrition to fuel your days.
That’s also why I want you to take breaks.
We’re not at our best when we’re chained to our desks all day long. We’re not more productive when we have brain fog. We’re not clear and capable when our bodies tighten from never getting our butts out of our seats.
Taking breaks during the day keeps your energy level high. These are periods of recovery and regeneration. They keep your body loose and your mind nimble. Forgoing breaks is like asking a drowning man to hang on for a few more hours before throwing a lifejacket. You need a few lifejackets throughout the day to keep yourself not just afloat but swimming strongly along.
As you design the timeline of your ultimate day, add in some movement and some nutrition if you get hungry. We know that walking sparks brain performance and increases creativity. So if you can, get out of the house for quick walks – five or ten minutes. If you’ve got a park nearby, head in that direction. Or you can do stretching, stair climbing, a bit of yoga, whatever works for you. Just schedule some movement.
Remember the difference between priority management and time management: health, wellness and mental sharpness are priorities. So your schedule needs to reflect that. Put movement and maybe snacks between your power work periods.
Today’s Exercise: Set your Breaks
Fill in Step 6: Set Your Breaks on page 20 in the Ultimate Day Workbook.
This one is easy, though perhaps it will take time for you to accept the importance of breaks or get into a routine.
Good luck!
Today’s Bonus Podcast
Check out this podcast Here with Graham Brown, director of manufacturing for Lush Cosmetics, where he and Greg discuss employee happiness, well-being, and passion, among other topics.
The information and advice provided in this program is intended to assist you with improving your performance, as well as your general health. It is not intended and should not be used in place of advice from your own physician or for treatment or diagnosis of any specific health issue. By participating in this program you acknowledge that undertaking any new health, diet and/or exercise regime involves certain inherent risks, that you assume such risks, and that you release Wells Performance Inc. from any responsibility or claim relating to such participation.