I’m currently putting together a PowerPoint presentation for a staff in-service at work. I've been sitting in front of my computer for hours gathering and organizing the information and playing with PowerPoint formating and animation.

Sometimes when I have a task to accomplish, I will bury myself in the project until it’s done.

I say this is good and bad.

The good is obvious: I will get the task done! The bad, however: I will work through lunch hours which leaves me wide open to a sweet tooth attack later in the day. I will sit (although fidgeting constantly!) for long periods of time in front of a computer screen which leads to the Heavy Eyes Numb Bum Syndrome.

And like the Law of Diminishing Returns from Economics 101, the longer I sit, the less productive I am.

I have recently started realizing the power of “The Break.”

In some respects I don't think I've been used to taking breaks on the job! Kind of funny, isn't it? I used to work on an inpatient unit for many years where "The Break" was a fantasy, like Santa Claus! (You... all... don't still believe in Santa... right???)

Now I’m in a completely different work environment where "The Break" is real, available, and plentiful! Yet I almost feel guilty if I stop working for a while to enjoy it!

This week I’ve started making myself take breaks throughout the day. I even - heaven forbid - leave the hospital during my lunch break! And I like it! What a rebel I am!

I find that my total productivity increases with breaks, even though technically I'm working less. Plus, breaks seem to make the work day go by quicker (big, cheesy grin)!

You may be thinking, "Yeah, I already knew all of this!" But apparently I have not been well versed in the power of "The Break."

I have every confidence, though, that I'll be quite a master of it... and very soon!

Related Posts

• Beating the Sugar Addiction - My Journey Funny how things suddenly become clear to you, as though a fog has lifted. I've been in a fog of sorts for quite some time, a sugar fog.  Only recently has this dense, gray world begun to disappear. I've finally come to a place where I feel confident I can......
• Breakfast - The First Step to Breaking a Sugar Addiction If you're a sugar sensitive individual, you're more prone to becoming addicted to the white stuff (sugar and refined foods). If you know you're physically dependent on sugar and you truly want to end the addiction, there is hope. I'm reading Potatoes, Not Prozac, and in it, seven steps to breaking......
• Avoiding the M&Ms A large basket of candy sits on a table right next to my boss’s door. This attractive looking basket (Longaberger, no doubt) is joined by a glass candy dish filled with shiny, colored plain M&Ms. The M&Ms taunt me. Every time I walk past my boss’s office (which I......
• My Daily Jaunts Earlier this week I created a goal of sorts, to be active throughout the day instead of focusing solely on the standard 30-minute exercise session. So, I've been making an effort to take the occasional walking break.  I took a 10-minute break at work to walk outside the building.  I......
• Reducing Allergies in Your Home Many folks I know are suffering from allergies right now. You know the culprits: itchy, stuffy, scratchy, teary, wheezy, sneezes, and phlegm - a parade of annoying allergy symptoms that similiar to the names given to certain crotchety, little, old men who befriend innocent damsels in distress. Thankfully, my body doesn't......

Related Websites

• In this economy, when you are looking for work, is it bad to accept a position & only keep it for a few months? I am a recent college grad and have been actively looking for a job for some time now (about 5 months). My plan out of college was to find a full time job with benefits and see if it was going to provide room for growth AND I also applied......
• 3 Reasons Why Couples Break Up Men and women are different, that is a given.  We cannot live with each other and we cannot live without each other, creating the balance we need to survive.  Physical and emotional desires make romantic encounters alluring.  What happens after the physical and chemical attraction?  Unfortunately, couples do not succeed......
• To Make Money Online, You Must Commit! Are you completely overwhelmed by all of the money making websites and emails that you are bombarded with every day? I know that I am. Did you know that this is why most people will never succeed with an online business? This is what I call information overload! Internet Marketers......
• Would it be appropriate for me to work shirtless in my law office after hours? I work pretty hard to maintain a ripped and muscular physique, and I like to let the world know it. I am an attorney, but I only see clients from 10am to 4pm. If I work until 6:30 or something, that leaves more than 2 hours where I can walk......
• Comparing The Cost Of Moving - Do It Yourself Or Hire Movers? So, in 10 days the movers are coming to take all of our stuff to New Mexico, leaving us with only some clothes, some food, an air mattress, 2 sleeping bags, 2 folding chairs, and one 14 year old cat to move ourselves. And once they are gone, we......

Online Stores

• Lunch Boxes John Deere Agriculture Advertising Collectibles
• Work Womens Shoes

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

News, The Workplace

Tags:

Fitness, health and wellness, stress, workplace