Relax!

Take a breather to take on the world.

Recently, I went on a weeklong camping trip in the wilderness of New England with my family. We had sporadic cell service, and even had to pull over and break out an ATLAS to find our way around. It was a nice escape from being available 24/7. It is no secret that taking time off can make you more productive. There is scientific evidence to prove it!

The more we try to keep up, the more trapped we become in the proverbial hamster wheel. The notion of accomplishing more by doing less seems absurd. A new and growing body of research across multiple disciplines shows that planned breaks – including daytime exercise, naps, longer sleep hours and more time away from the office can re-energize you; boosting productivity, creativity and job performance. I guess the boss was right all along in making us eat lunch away from our desks and encouraging walks outside on nice days.

In many work environments, downtime is considered wasted time. We rely on time to get things accomplished, but there is only a finite amount. We can’t make more hours in the day, but we can increase our energy. Energy also has a limit but, unlike time, it is renewable. Humans are not designed to burn continuous energy. We need periods of recovery to function. Our bodies are great at telling us when we need to recharge, but warning signs are often hidden by caffeine, sugar and stress hormones (adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol; respectively).

Working in 90-minute intervals with short breaks in between is a step in the right direction. Go outside: nature is more affordable than therapy. So is spending time doing things that matter. Taking the time for self-renewal can help you to be excellent at anything.