Inspiring Workplaces: The Restorative Power of Mini-Breaks

Published: Wed, 02/12/20

Humor at Work

ISSUE 809 - Feb. 12, 2020


			The Restorative Power of Mini-Breaks

	We know from a mountain of research that when it comes to being more productive, resilient, and creative at work, "mini-breaks" can play an invaluable role. Research from DeskTime, found that the top-10% of productive workers all worked an average of 52 minutes before taking about a 17-minute break. Other experts suggest focused work sprints of 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break is the key to greater productivity. Whatever you do, the key is to break...before you break. And if you have workaholic tendencies (like yours truly) that can be easier said that done. The idea that productivity will improve if people commit to regular breaks is still a hard sell in many workplaces, though surprisingly, with a lot of my clients, it's not the managers that need convincing, it's the employees who have formed bad habits that they find hard to, well, break. Here are a few ideas to help encourage more mini-breaks in your workplace: One of my clients has a "silly hour" ritual everyday at 3:00 pm. And no, it's not an hour, but they do take a 15-minute "recess" at 3 pm every day to do something playful to re-energize themselves. One Microsoft office has the "Play of the Day" where, on a rotating basis, a coworker chooses one song to play in the office that everyone is invited to get up and dance along to. Use a computer app or smart phone alarm to remind yourself to get up, stretch, or walk around the office at regular intervals. Loads of research trumpets the benefit of getting some natural light and fresh air, so even if it's for just five minutes, commit to getting fresh air twice a day. Taking part in a quick game or exercise that requires a bit of mental focus can serve as a forced distraction from your work, or conversely... Practice mini-meditations. Even 60-seconds of mindful breathing can do wonders. Finally, commit to detaching from work after work hours. More and more companies are creating policies around the use of work email during off hours, but if your company isn't there yet, at least have a conversation with your team about expectations so you don't feel emotionally tethered to work 24/7!

		Mike's Fun at Work Tip

Tomorrow is official Get a Different Name Day, so for a simple meeting icebreaker have everyone introduce themselves with their alter ego name of choice, or, have everyone wear a "Hello My Name is..." tag for the day identifying themselves with their alter ego name of choice.
		Quote of the Week

"Dozens of top companies are finding that employees who laugh together, stay together, produce more, invent more; and work more cohesively as a team." Bradford Swift
		It's a Wacky World

After an incident involving a policeman clocking in at work in his underwear, an Italian court ruled that getting dressed in the morning is part of an employee's official duties. Wow, talk about sticklers for small details! (And yup, that's definitely one more benefit of working out of your home.)

Cost-Savings to Bring Mike in to Energize Your Workplace!
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Stress-Busting Reading The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses are Laughing All the Way to the Bank is one of 7 books referenced in this Forbes list: Laugh It Off With These 7 Business Books

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