How to Relax and Rejuvenate with Effective Breaks?

Got a test coming up, and riled up with anxiety? Is your workload getting too much to handle? Is your relationship with the significant other or a certain friend draining all your energy?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, then you may be in need of what is called an effective break! And no, you are not being selfish asking for one.

What is an effective break?

The human brain can only accept so much information at a stretch, and needs a break to process that information, otherwise whatever you think you have understood and processed, you really haven't.

“According to a study, the top 10 % most productive people work on average for 52 minutes and then take a break for 17 minutes.”

If the goal is to be productive throughout the day, it's imperative that we take breaks and don't drain ourselves to an extent of exhaustion - which if done consistently, results in a burn out.

There are many of us that take breaks but still feel drained - why?

There is something called a productive break, doing an activity that relaxes your mind and body - something that doesn't stimulate brain activity. So, if you are categorizing watching the news, endless social media browsing, talking to a toxic friend or watching a TV show as a break, chances are you are not going to be feeling your best even after taking that time off work, because your brain did not get any rest.

So instead, indulge in some ways that your body and mind get the break you truly deserve:

• Go for a 15 minute walk

• A quick 10 minute stretch

• 5-10 minutes meditation

• Stand at your window/ balcony sipping your warm beverage

• Read a book/blog

• Take a nap

• Tidy up a part of your room/workspace

• Practice mindful breathing

• Make yourself a snack and eat it!

• Journal your thoughts and emotions

Try and implement at least one or two of these tips in your daily routine or when life seems to overwhelm you, it would really bring about a lot of change if incorporated on a regular basis.

With the pandemic changing everything around us, we have to function quite differently as we did before, and with more companies starting the work from home concept, it can get tougher to take a break because your work and home is the same place. To effectively work from home and be the lady of the house here are some ways to manage your day…

Have a dedicated work corner, set a timer and only concentrate on work, put on headphones and turn on the kind of music that would keep you going, set your phone to “do not disturb” mode and try not to multitask, focusing on one thing at a time gets more done. Every 50 minutes get off your desk and do a chore, check on the kids or simply stretch!

For someone who is studying for an upcoming exam, really give some rest to your eyes along with everything. Do some eye exercises and every twenty minutes, for 20 seconds, look at an object 20 feet away.

Burnout is more frequent now more than ever before, and it essentially results from feeling stuck up and unproductive at your job. Work life balance and how to manage one's day is the only way to get out of it unharmed.

Soul palette embodies the prioritizing of self-care for women and is the flag-bearer of all things self-love. We hope to help you ease your worries and de