The Surprising Benefits of Incorporating Active Breaks into Your Routine

At Cargobot, we have busy days every day. With this rhythm, it's easy to get caught up in the tasks at hand and forget to take a moment to recharge. However, taking regular breaks throughout the day can improve our productivity and overall well-being.

An easy way to do this is incorporating "active pauses" into our daily routine to help us stay focused and energized.

But, what is an active pause or active break?

An active pause is a brief break from work (no longer than 10 minutes) that disconnects you from screens, also having a component of physical movement. The best time to take them is when you start to lose focus easily or start feeling blocked. This break could be as simple as standing up and stretching, taking a short walk, doing a quick yoga routine, or even taking a few deep breaths. The idea is to get our bodies moving and our blood flowing, which can boost your energy to power through the rest of your work.

But, don´t take my word for it, here are 3 scientifically proven benefits (both of well-being and productivity) of taking small but effective active breaks during the day.

1. They increased Focus and Creativity: Taking breaks can help us avoid burnout and stay fresh throughout the day. Even brief periods of physical activity during the day (stretching or walking a pet) have been shown to increase creativity and focus on the tasks at hand.

2. It will help you with your mental fatigue: Taking small periods to stretch or move around can stop your mind from racing and give you some mental rest. Read our last blog entry (click here to go to it) to learn about other rest types you might be craving without knowing.

3. Improved Physical Health: Sitting for prolonged periods has been linked to several health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Taking active breaks throughout the day can help combat these negative effects and improve our overall physical health.

How to Take an Active Pause:

1. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes, depending on your schedule.

2. Choose an activity that you enjoy and that gets your heart rate up slightly. This could be anything from a quick walk outside to a few sets of jumping jacks or a yoga routine. Standing up and caring for your plant or plants used in the growth challenge can be a good afternoon active break. Or, to stretch, here is a video for a chair Yoga routine that is great for an active break.

3. Focus on your breathing and allow yourself to clear your mind of work-related thoughts. You can use the 4:6 breathing exercise which is helpful to bring your thoughts to breathing and can center your attention on the present moment. Here is a video that can help you with relaxing breathing using the 4:6 technique.

4. When your timer goes off, return to your work with renewed focus and energy.

Example of How Not to Take an Active Pause

While taking an active pause can be highly beneficial, it's important to avoid some common pitfalls. For example, scrolling through social media or browsing the web may feel like a break, but it doesn't give your brain a chance to rest. Instead, they might increase our anxiety and might result in more than 10 minutes wasted. Try and focus on an activity that is valuable for your well-being, like a small walk for a glass of water, caring for your plants, a stretching exercise, or any of the activities mentioned above.

In conclusion, incorporating regular active pauses into your workday can help improve your focus, creativity, and overall well-being if you implement them correctly. Try setting aside a few minutes each hour to get up, move around, and see how it affects your mood and productivity!