Productive Breaks Improve Performance

Do you know the different ways to take a productive break?
Do you need a break to regenerate your batteries?
Are you curious how to take an effective power nap?

During the past two weeks I have had a couple of clients complete enormous projects… yay! for them. They have been producing at very high levels 🙂 And then, or I should say now, they aren’t! So I was reflecting about this as I recently took on a couple of projects which have really required me to perform at my optimal as well. Yes, I too create insane opportunities to create productive breaks (so I can practice balance again)…

Let’s spend the few moments on how Burn-Out impacts your performance. Wow, this really will be an over-simplifcation won’t it? Working at a pace where you are pushing yourself isn’t a bad thing at all – matter in fact it may reveal the awesomeness you are! Sometimes pushes are good for us – as long we build productive breaks into the push. Yet, when you are constantly pushing it for more than a couple of days it really begins to impact your performance negatively. This phenomena has a name: The Law of Diminishing Returns (is when you work harder at something and become less effective).  Productive breaks can help when you have a push on. Should we find some beneficial solutions so we do this to ourselves less often?

Productive Breaks Improve YOUR Performance

I know, it really does sound like an oxymoron doesn’t it… productive breaks? When we begin to have too much in our head or too many demands, our body starts to stress out. I’m sure you are saying, “no duh!”… but it’s the stress that’s burning you out or at least exhausts you and keeps you from performing effectively and efficiently. And that’s why you get tired, have a fried out brain, become an emotional mess, or even have your body put you on notice with aches, pains, or illness. Have you ever experienced any of these because of stress? Yep, we all have at some time. What you do next is the key to you regenerating your batteries (personal energy level).

Different Ways to Create Productive Breaks

• Remove yourself and take a short walk
• Drink a glass of water
• Go stand outside and take a couple of deep breathes
• Ponder over a flower’s beauty
• Gaze upon any view of nature
• Close your eyes
• Turn off your phone and/or email
• Eat something healthy
• Dance
• Sings
• Pray/Meditate/Chant
• Stretch
• Exercise
• Smile
• Draw
• Call someone you enjoy speaking with
• Clear clutter
• Garden
• Watch a funny movie
• Get more sleep
• Take a 20 minute power nap

A power nap is one of the productive breaks you can take pretty quickly and totally restores your energy levels. The proper power nap is taken ONLY for 20 minutes. Why? During the first 20 minutes of sleep your brain isn’t in a deep state of sleep and you can wake-up feeling refreshed and ready to go. BUT if you sleep longer than 20 minutes you begin to move into a deeper state of sleep, and if awaken you will be irritable, groggy and need to go back to sleep to feel refreshed! So, the magic moment is 20 Minutes to capture the “power” of the power nap.

As you can see from the list above, there are many ways to create productive breaks to improve your performance regardless of where you are! Have some fun applying the variety of this list 🙂

PLEASE HELP BUILD THE LIST AND ADD YOUR PREFERRED PRODUCTIVE BREAKS WITH US IN THE COMMENT SECTION 🙂

It can be all different this year…
if you plan to deliver different results in 2013!

If you or your business needs rescuing on this particular topic
or any other Business Strategies we have been discussing,
please reach out to Maggie (262) 716.7750   FYI: I’m in the Central Time Zone

Blessings of Success to YOU ~
Maggie Mongan, Founder
Brilliant Breakthroughs, Inc.