50 Ways to Take a Five-Minute Break

It seems counterintuitive.

We have a to-do list a mile long, and yet we feel the need for rest.

But if we rest, we won’t apply ourselves to the to-do list.

How do you know if we should rest or not?

1. Listen to your body. It gives signals to share when you are over-tired.  Are you yawning a lot? Feeling clumsy? Mentally scattered?

2. Consider your emotions. Are you irritable or short-tempered today? Are you being snippy with people?

3. Take a 5-minute break. You may not be able to take a nap at your job, but there are lots of ways to take a five-minute break. Consider these ideas, many of which came from one of my “Question of the Day” discussions on my personal Facebook profile:

Step outside, preferably in sunshine, and take several slow deep breaths (and then probably check my Facebook.)
Close my eyes and just breathe.
Sit still and stare into outer space.
Meditate on the Bible or other inspirational material.
Breathe, making a conscientious effort to exhale a little more deeply.
Play ping-pong with a co-worker.
Play a mindless game on my phone/tablet.
Dance.
Find a quiet place to sit, close eyes, and slow down breathing, clearing my mind.
Do part of a crossword puzzle.
Take a quick bike ride.
Sit and watch birds at a feeder.
Turn lights off in the office, close door and put head on desk (hoping not to fall asleep!)
Read part of a book I’m working through.
Do yoga or other forms of stretching.
Turn music up loud and dance/sing.
Walk outside.
Go find a beautiful view nearby.
Walk up and down a flight of stairs.
Stand on tiptoes.
Go out onto deck/patio/lanai.
Lay on floor and stretch, then wrestle with my dog that pounces on me.
Play with my kitten.
Walk 250 steps per hour (reminded by FitBit)
Get coffee.
Call a loved one to say “hi.”
Text or call a friend that I haven’t connected with for a while.
Write a thank-you note.
Make a fun flipbook drawing using a little post-it note pad.
Listen to a podcast.
Take the dog outside.
Refill water bottle.
Take a look at social media.
Play an instrument.
Color.
Have a healthy snack.
Wash a few dishes or do some cleaning.
Fold laundry.
Use the restroom and take time to breathe while there.
Journal.
Read an article/post by a favorite author or blogger.
Read to or play with a kid.
Do some food prep.
Tidy up my desk area.
Look through some inspiring photos.
Do some form of strength training.
Post something uplifting to social media.
Pray.
Do an act of kindness (i.e. give a tip to a service provider such as a security guard, public works/sanitation worker, etc.)
Focus eyes on a distant scene to give them a break.What would you add to this list?

 

Image by silviarita from Pixabay

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