It's been proven that incorporating regular and mindful breaks into the workday helps to boost productivity and prevent burnout.
Not sure where to get started? When establishing a new self-care routine into your workday, it's important to start small. Focus on realistic strategies that align with your personal preferences and lifestyle.
Scheduling your day can help you feel less overwhelmed.
Set a schedule
The key to not feeling overwhelmed is by creating a daily schedule for yourself that is not only achievable but realistic. Start the day by allocating time to prioritise and plan tasks, including scheduled breaks for mindfulness, meals and movement.
You can split your to-do list into priority and less time-sensitive tasks. Try and 'eat the frog' by tackling the tasks you've been putting off before doing anything else. The idea is to identify one challenging task (the frog) and complete the task first thing in the morning (eating it). Once you've done this, you can move on to less demanding tasks – thus avoiding procrastination.
To get the day off on the right foot, schedule in buffer time between the start of the work day and your first meeting. By easing into the day, you start on a positive note, rather than fuelling yourself with stress.
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Create a dedicated workspace
If you work from home, maintaining a tidy workspace that is separate from the rest of your living space can help establish clear boundaries between home life and work. Even a closed door can go a long way in creating physical separation.
You should also dedicate a space away from your desk where you can take breaks, free from screens and the pressure of emails. Make everywhere that isn't your desk a work-free zone - that means, no working from your sofa or kitchen table in the evening or at weekends.
Creating boundaries is important.
Communicate your boundaries
To create a healthy work-life balance, it’s essential to be clear and consistent in communicating your boundaries to your colleagues. This could be by not replying to emails or calls after your contractual working hours, or by taking your lunch break away from your desk (both in the office and at home).
You can also do this by being honest about your workload and capacity to take on additional work. It's important to remember that people are often unaware of your daily workload, so you have to be direct, rather than hoping they'll notice and ease off.
If your workload is becoming unbearable, be prepared to talk to your line manager about it and work together to find a solution that is fair - whatever you do, don't suffer in silence.
Get outside
Getting out of the house or office for a short walk during your workday can be highly beneficial for a number of reasons. Not only does it allow you to refresh your mind, but it helps to physically distance you from your desk and establish a clear distinction between breaks and working hours.
Walking is also a brilliant form of stress relief and can help you to calm yourself before or after stressful meetings. Mindful walking - that is, walking whilst focusing your attention on the sensory experience of walking and being outside - is a form of meditation that you can do on your lunch break.
You can even schedule walking meetings with your colleagues - much more refreshing than a stuffy meeting room!
Going for a walk will help to clear your head.
Take your full lunch break
No matter how much extra work you can get done by working through lunch, it’s crucial to remember that everyone deserves a dedicated lunch break. Taking time away from your desk will help you to decompress and recalibrate - essential for maintaining well-being during the work day.
Remember, even if you're having a bad day, your lunch break is an opportunity to regroup and return with fresh eyes and a renewed perspective.
The beginning and end of lunch provide ideal moments to take five minutes for mindfulness exercises, such as breath work or meditation. You could also try some at-desk stretches to ease neck and shoulder tension.
Try this: Progressive muscle relaxation exercise
- Find a comfortable seat or standing position.
- Take a few deep, slow breaths.
- Tense your forehead by raising your eyebrows, hold for a moment, and release, allowing the muscles in your head and face to relax completely.
- Tense all the muscles in your face, hold for a moment, and then release.
- Repeat this process with your mouth and jaw by forcing a smile and clenching your jaw.
- Moving down your body, repeat this process with your neck and shoulders, chest, stomach, arms, hands, thighs, lower legs, and feet.
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