Need Help Taking That Break? 5 Creative Ways to Get Started.
I recently attended a workshop focused on the idea of failing. I know it sounds a bit maudlin, but its purpose was to help you see failing differently and even get crafty about it. The main takeaway for me was realizing that we get to determine how big or small a failure is, and we need to get better at failing small.
It related to me to some health goals. Break my promise and eat sugar? Keep it there. Keep that failure small. Don’t use it as an excuse to fail for the entire day. Just fail in that one small moment.
So many places we need more significant changes have their solution genesis in very small actions. Including how we take breaks. Here are five creative ideas to help inspire you:
1. Sometimes we need a change of pace. Pace is a valuable way to mix things up. We can slow down or perhaps speed up. The break really can be something that surges the adrenalin and be effective. Ask any runner!
2. A change of place can be effective, too, but the place must be something that engages us differently. For example, moving from one chair to another chair may not be enough. However, moving from your desk to a chair outside and taking in fresh air and sunshine makes that a wholly different change.
3. Sometimes we need a change in the people we’re around. For example, if you are always with the same people at work and in your social life, you may want to consider introducing a “break” and engage new and more diverse people.
4. What do you talk about? Even a change in conversation is a nice break. If you always talk about work, make it a point to create opportunities to talk about something else. That’s a break because it engages your brain differently. It can also be a nice break to let the other person guide the conversation. It can be fascinating to see how someone else’s brain works.
5. What are you reading or listening to? This one has proven highly effective for me because I am a voracious reader. I tend to read books primarily about personal development and achievement. I found my appetite waning on that front and realized it was because the menu had gotten too closely aligned only to my work. I missed fiction. I started incorporating great storytelling back into the mix, and now those books are, in fact, a break for me. I immerse myself in the story and come back to my own, ready for the next adventure.
These are just five ideas to consider. There are dozens more. Even thinking about what to do to create your breaks can become part of the mix. Make this fun. Make this about stepping into a moment that washes over you and leaves you refreshed.
Which will you try first?
