Claim Your Time... By Taking More Breaks

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When asked how I have time to listen and read so many articles, books and podcasts; How I can juggle a coaching practice, workplace consulting, do so many DIY projects, manage a short-term rental, cook nearly every meal, and on most days get a decent night’s sleep. I answer: It is how I use breaks.

Breaks? What? There’s no time to take breaks. Breaks are a luxury only 9-5’rs or school-aged kids have. There’s no way I can take a break when I have so many projects to juggle, so many meetings, everyone keeps distracting me. There are lots of moving parts. I’m needed to do this and that and….

Or at least thoughts like those are what my own “inner critic” wants me to think. It’s a story loop that is hard to break because it is familiar and comforting in a strange kind of way. I bought into that loop for so long that it made me believe it’s the way the world is, the way everyone works.  But, if that’s the way everyone works, how in the world are people making time for what’s important? I realized that to scale up my business, and the business of life, something in my way of working and thinking about work would need to change.

So, I started to make small shifts in my schedule. Here are the some of the changes I made that have helped to make a significant difference in what I get done:

  • I started using a scheduling app to book meetings. 90% of my meetings are booked via Calendly. The result? I waste very little time coordinating meetings, which also means a significant reduction of email distractions.

  • Speaking of distractions... I’ve turned off all non-essential notifications. No more Trello, Slack, email, social media. How does this help me with breaks? I don’t waste them away with non-priority tasks or busy work.

  • I take 15 minutes between each session/meeting to help me task switch more effectively. Why? Because up to 40% of productive work is lost to task switching.

  • During those 15 minutes, I reflect intentionally on the previous session and set reminders for any action items, stretch and move around and prepare for my next meeting or priority. Even if that is…

  • Having a lunch break. I insisted on blocking out 12-1pm every weekday about 18 months ago. Turns out, lunch could be the most important meal of the day, according to Daniel Pink’s latest research in When, The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. I make time to listen to a podcast, zone out for a moment while making my lunch and reset my internal batteries to prepare for the afternoon’s events and priorities.

  • At the end of the day, I set aside 5 minutes to close my day. I make an effort to do short reflection focusing on what I got done, what I feel proud of, and what I’ve learned to work smarter tomorrow. Then I write what I’m going to do tomorrow and switch to another post-work priority (like DIY projects and my short-term rental) with usually, energy to spare!

On average, I spend about 2 hours engaging in “break like” behaviours every given work day. And the results have been staggering.

  • I am less distracted.

  • My to-do list is full of meaningful tasks that move business, and me forward in the direction of my goals.

  • I complete tasks more efficiently.

  • Deep work happens more often.

  • I don’t feel rushed or overwhelmed.

Up for some reflection of your own? Think about your day. Where would some breathing room help you? What could you do to give yourself and your career some breaks?