Give Yourself a Break
It may sound like a paradox, but working remotely can actually make us more tethered to our jobs. This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as “remote work guilt,” is common. While you may think that being supremely devoted to your job, at the expense of everything else, is a sign of loyalty and determination, it’s only going to hurt you. Study after study has shown that taking breaks is essential in helping maintain productivity and a high quality of work. Not to mention the fact that if you never stop working, your personal life in mental health will suffer. Taking occasional breaks throughout the day is no less than essential.
So how do you go about making breaks part of your work-from-home lifestyle? It starts with accepting that it’s okay to take a break. You didn’t spend your entire professional existence with your nose to the grindstone in the office and you shouldn’t be expected to remotely. If you’re in leadership, it’s important to set the standard that it’s okay to step away. If you’re taking a short break (10 minutes or less), you probably don’t need to alert other people that you’re doing so. For longer breaks, say an hour for lunch, update your calendar to let coworkers know you’re on break. Simply being communicative and transparent will quell much of your anxiety about taking time to step away.
Once you’ve overcome the mental hurdle of accepting that breaks are beneficial, you should regiment them into your daily routine. If you’re not inclined to take breaks naturally, start with a classic hour lunch. Mark off your calendar, get away, and stick to it. Unless you have something truly, truly urgent going on, don’t respond to Slack or email while on break. I promise you, the message will be waiting when you get back. If you catch yourself cheating on breaks, you may have to adopt a stricter approach by putting your computer away and hiding your phone for a bit. Eventually, you’ll grow accustomed to not scurrying to respond and won’t need such hardline tactics. Like any habit, taking breaks is one you’ll have to build up.
In addition to regularly scheduled breaks, you should take shorter intermittent ones. These breaks don’t necessarily need to be penciled into your day, but instead can occur on more of an ad hoc basis. Get up, stretch your legs, drink some water, have a healthy snack: You don’t need permission to do any of these tasks. If you’re in the middle of a conversation with somebody, let them know you’re taking a quick five. Otherwise, just do it. Being courteous with other people’s time doesn’t have to come at the expense of your own. With a little practice, you’ll strike the right balance between being available and maintaining some autonomy over your day.
As with much of our new work-from-home environment, learning how to take breaks remotely is not something you’ve gotten a guidebook on. As such, it’s natural to defer to a fewer-is-better approach. However, that approach isn’t going to benefit you or your company in the long run. Learn how to take breaks in a healthy and respectful fashion, and you’ll find your remote-work life to be a lot less frantic.
Back in the olden days when we spent most of our work lives in offices, we separated our days with countless little breaks. We went on walks, ate snacks in the break room, had conversations with our fellow team members, and more—and we never thought twice about it. Now, most of us aren’t working from offices, and you may be feeling self-conscious anytime you can’t be glued to your screen. Even though you’re working from home, you may find those breaks being fewer and further between. If you are suffering from this problem, you need to give yourself a break.
