We are sure you must have heard your colleagues say “I need a break yaar….” umpteenth number
of times. All of us need rest to
recover our energy. But many a
times we take breaks just out of
sheer laziness. So, where do you
draw the line between constructive
rest and laziness?
Every corporate high-flier has
a high quitting point. They seem
to draw upon their reserves of
extra energy, when most people
would give up. But at the same
time, there’s no point in trying to
work non-stop when your mind
and body are not up to it.
Here are a few signs that signal
the need for a break:
On completing a big project:
You have just finished a major
task. Don’t take breaks inbetween
if you feel that you end
up squandering time recovering
your concentration. Once, you
have finished a big task like —
writing a report, filing documents,
etc... give yourself a break.
Take stock of your productivity:
Analyse whether you have actually
been working hard or not. See
whether the past few days have
been productive or not. Taking
rest after accomplishing nearly
nothing, will only encourage procrastinating.
Continue with the flow: Don’t
take a break when you are in the
thick of things. It interrupts your
natural thinking. Look for logical
breaks in your work to plan out
quick breaks.
A productive rest
The more decided you are on your
resting strategy, the more you
stick to it. This automatically
helps you stay focussed. Here are a
few pointers to make it work:
Plan daily and weekly goals: Set
a time table about the tasks you
want to accomplish. Rest only
when you are done with them.
Stay focussed: Put in 100 percent
to your work when you
allocate time for it. You can use
the spare time as you wish. This
keeps you guilt-free during rest
periods and reduces the urge to
procrastinate during work hours.
Keep a varied lifestyle: You can
work with full concentration on a
task only for a short while.
However, having diversified interests
can keep your emotions and
energy levels high. If work is your
only interest then it’s easy to
burnout. Hobbies, social activities
and interests can refresh your
mind and keep it ticking.
Have lazy days: Have at least
one lazy day in office, when you do
things really slowly or just chill. It
will balance out your otherwise
tiring week and help you stay
focused on your priorities.
The 20 per cent rule: This rule
can help you build self discipline
or overcome your fears. This
funda says that whenever you feel
a strong urge to give up or procrastinate
on an issue, commit
yourself to pursue it 20 per cent
further. This controls your temporary
feelings of laziness.
Boost your motivation levels:
Rejections, disappointments or
errors can lower your motivation
levels and thereby your energy
levels. Have a day or even a few
minutes in a day when you rework
your goals, pep up your motivation
levels or indulge in a hobby to
refresh and recharge your drive.
Avoid substance abuse: Don’t
rely on substances like coffee or
cigarettes to stimulate your energy
levels. Your body can’t
maintain an artificial source of
energy, and over a period of time
you lose the capacity to understand
your natural energy levels.
Set productive benchmarks:
Monitor the quantity of work you
do over an average day, week or
month. Thereby, you can set a
productive benchmark that lets
you decide where to set your
weekly or monthly goals. By fulfilling
your quota for a designated
period with a productive benchmark,
you can avoid feeling guilty
about taking breaks when you
really need one.
