Why you Need to Take Regular Breaks
Resources and links mentioned:
Register for my free mini-masterclass, 3 Steps to Beautifully Banish Burnout here: https://www.wholeassistant.com/3-steps-to-beautifully-banish-burnout-registration
Connect with me on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-croner
Join our FB Community, Assistants Who Self-Care, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WholeAssistant
Check out the video transcript:
Did you know that taking regular breaks actually increases our productivity? In today's episode, I'm going to break down why it is we neglect to take breaks and how to move past it. Assistants, if you would like more self-care and productivity strategies geared towards you, please hit the subscribe button below and the bell to be notified when my weekly videos go live. I'm Annie of wholeassistant.com. And if you've ever found yourself staring blankly at a computer screen, eyes glaze over, you're likely not taking the proper number of breaks throughout your day. In this episode of the Whole Assistant show, we're going to delve into why we're not taking the optimal number of breaks and what to do about it.
One of the main reasons we don't take breaks throughout our day is because we are overly concerned with what our executives and coworkers may think of us. We are so concerned with looking like a hard worker and being a hard worker that we don't stop to consider how this mentality affects our actual productivity and what is being produced in our productive outputs. Another reason that we don't often take breaks is that we end up thinking that we're somehow the exception to the rule. You know breaks are important. You've heard it said time and again, and you're on board with it, but when it actually comes time to take a break, you don't do it. And this is not honoring yourself and your self-care.
And also, guys, I hate to break it to you, but you're human. We're all human. And I fall into the same trap. My break time comes and I don't take it because I just want to get this thing done. But then I find that it takes me double the time to actually produce that thing or get it done and off my plate, which leads me to my pro-self-care tip for this episode. Honor yourself by honoring your breaks. Give your brain a rest and you will thank yourself later.
Do you know why you struggle taking breaks? If so, please share it in the comment section below. So how do we move past this pitfall and take a break? The first step is self-awareness. Ask yourself why it is you have a problem taking regular breaks. This is going to require us to take a step back from ourselves and to observe our own thoughts and to write them down and to actually look at them on paper. Every morning, I do a thought download to get thoughts out of my brain and actually look at them. It's incredible the thoughts we think, and then our thoughts will create our actions, which will create our results. So just be aware of your thoughts and bring some awareness as to why it is you aren't willing or unable to take breaks.
One helpful method for me when it comes to taking regular breaks is to actually schedule them. I'll set a timer on my phone. And once the timer is up, say 45 minutes, I'll take a five to 15-minute break. Or if I know I'm going to be working on a large project, I'll actually schedule breaks in on my calendar throughout the day. And setting this intention for myself is helpful for a couple of reasons. First of all, it prepares my brain for the break that's coming up ahead. It also allows me to focus on my work knowing that a break is coming as well.
Hopefully, this video has brought some clarity as to why you aren't taking regular breaks as well as how to take regular breaks. If so, I want to hear about it. Please feel free to email me at [email protected] or leave a comment below. Assistants, if you're interested in increasing your productivity without losing your mind, click the link below to grab your copy of my peak productivity roadmap, where I'll walk you through the nine steps of a more productive day. To continue this discussion and receive support from your fellow assistants and administrative professionals, please hop on over to facebook.com/groups/wholeassistant to join our assistants only community. If you liked this episode, please let me know by hitting the like button below, and be sure to subscribe and share it with your fellow assistants and administrative professionals. And last but not least, if this video has helped you in any way, I want to know about it so please leave a comment below sharing how.
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