Taking breaks is an essential part of working. It’s because part of working hard is knowing when to stop for a moment. Even if you are working from home, it is still important to take breaks, to feel mentally and physically refreshed and avoid burnout. In fact, studies have shown that people who take regular breaks at work are more content with their job and less likely to look for another work in another place. Therefore, taking regular breaks should be part of your daily schedule, even if you are working at home.
Work and home are two separate places for many people. However, when working from home, the separation is removed, and these two places instantly mix together. It can be trembling, especially if you are new to work from home jobs. But this should not stop you from taking breaks no matter how busy you get.
Why is Taking Breaks Important Even When Working at Home?
Some might think that it’s unnecessary to take breaks when working at home because they did not get tired of preparing, dressing up, and commuting to the office. All they did was prepare a bit and then go to their home office to start their daily tasks. Still, this is not an excuse to not take breaks. Here are some of the reasons why taking breaks is important even for those who work at home:
Breaks can help you separate work and personal time
If your work life and personal life do not have separation, you will feel at work 24/7, which can make you feel pressured and stressed. Feeling stressed all the time has physical and mental side effects. In fact, based on a study, 31% of work from home employees needed to take a day off due to reasons relating to well-being and mental health.
Taking a break is a reminder that work time is limited, and it stops. Therefore, when working at your home office, take 10 minutes coffee break, a 1-hour lunch break, and when your work hours are over, step away and leave your tasks and projects behind. This way, you’ll return to work the next day with a fresh mind.
Taking breaks can help boost productivity
When you are used to working in the office, transitioning to work from home can be challenging, especially when it comes to being productive. When you finally feel that you are working well at home, it’s easy to skip taking breaks to be able to stay in the zone. But that is actually wrong because taking breaks can help you become more productive.
You can experiment with different productivity techniques and set scheduled breaks to find the best one that will meet your needs. This way, you’ll be able to stick to a routine and keep a productive schedule without depriving yourself of needed breaks to maintain your well-being.
Taking breaks can help you make good decisions
When you work from home, it gives you a higher level of autonomy, giving you more decisions that you need to make on your own. And this sometimes leads to decision fatigue or the time when you get overwhelmed with making so many decisions. When this happens, people tend to spend less effort into the process, which results in low-quality choices.
Taking a break at work before making a decision will give you a chance to refocus your mind. Therefore, if you are working from home and you need to make certain decisions, whether about work or about your personal life, it’s better to think it through over a break and not while working.
Best Things to Do When Taking a Break from Your Work at Home
If you are wondering what you can do when taking a break from work at your home office, then here are some ideas that we can share with you:
Connect with nature
If you’ve been spending hours in your home office and in front of your computer, you might want to try going out during your breaks and get into nature. This will provide you a sense of belonging by letting your senses stimulated by nature. You can walk in your garden, admire the trees and flowers outside, and take a few breaths of fresh air. Doing this can also make your mind and body feel calm and relaxed.
Do some stretching and meditation
If you do not want to go out of your office during breaks, you can instead do some meditation and stretching. Doing this can help alleviate your anxiety and boost your focus. Sitting for a long period can make your back hurt, that’s why stretching every once in a while, is also essential. You can create an inviting space at home or in your home office where you can stretch, breathe, and meditate. These activities will give you the supply of dopamine that will surely make you feel good.
Make healthy snacks
It is important to eat fresh and nutritious food, especially when working from home and when dealing with lots of tasks. Therefore, taking some time away from your work desk and learning how to make some healthy snacks is another great way to spend your breaks. Plus, eating clean can also help you think clean.
Enjoy your hobbies
Another great thing that you can do when taking a break from work at your home office is to indulge in your hobbies. You can use your break times to play musical instruments, try a new workout routine, enjoy a relaxing bath, play video games, create art, and more, which can help you feel relaxed and stress-free.
Spend breaks with loved ones
If you are at home with your family, you can spend your work breaks with them. For example, you can all eat lunch together or eat snacks together. You can spend short breaks and play with your kids or watch a movie or series with them. This is great, especially when you are feeling tired and bored with the tasks that you are trying to finish.
These are some of the tips we can give for taking a break from work at your home office. Taking properly scheduled work breaks can help in managing your work and home duties at the same time. If you ever find yourself unable to get proper rest or unable to focus on work, maybe the best thing that you need to do is step back and take a break. We hope that the information we gave will help you understand the importance of taking breaks and how to spend them wisely.