Mental breaks at work

January 2, 2022 8:11 AM

How do you take mental breaks at work? Non smoker, non coffee drinker. Introvert, so chatting with people is more tiring than restful. Checking the internet/social media makes it too easy to sucked into wasting a lot of time. Any suggestions?
posted by roaring beast to Work & Money (29 answers total)

When I worked in an office, I used to get up every hour or so to walk a lap around the inside of the building.

Now that I work from home, I take breaks to unload the dishwasher, throw in a load of clothes, start dinner, etc. Even though it is still work, it is still a nice break from whatever I was doing. Maybe you could switch to a different type of task for a while?
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 8:16 AM on January 2, 2022 [18 favorites]

When I was at the office and working full days, for my longer lunch break, I would put on podcasts and walk around the building twice outside, or read a book at my desk. For a shorter break, I would go to the bathroom that was on the next floor / furthest away from my company's office, which would give me a few minute break from my desk.

At home, and now that I am working halftime, I stare out the window at the squirrels in the backyard for a few minutes while I refill my water. If I increase my hours at all, I'll probably add a walk around the block at lunchtime.
posted by chiefthe at 8:19 AM on January 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

When I was in the office, I'd only put about 2" of water in my water bottle so that I'd have to refill it fairly frequently - usually once an hour or so. So that was my excuse to get up, wander to the breakroom, wave hello at whoever was there, get more water, and wander back to my desk. This took anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes, depending.

If I really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, I'd leave my headphones on (big noise-cancelling ones) which was the universal signal in the office for "I'm not here to chat, just ignore me..."

Now that I'm fully remote, I make it a point to go and look out a window for a few minutes every time I get up to get more water. If I'm up making tea, I spend the entire time it takes to make tea away from my desk. So for the time it takes to boil the water, measure out the tea (loose leaf), and steep the tea, I stay in the kitchen or wander to the front room and look out the window. I don't go back to my desk until my tea has steeped and is ready to drink. This usually takes about 10 minutes, especially if I add in some extra time to pet the dog and give her a treat.

The hard part for me is not feeling guilty about this. I spent 15 years in restaurant kitchens, where you are go go go from the time you walk in until the time you leave, and then 10 years working tech support and system admin where you are also go go go the entire time. I've been a tech writer for about 14 years now, and it's only been in the past few years that I've been able to actually, you know, take a break and not feel like I'm doing something bad.
posted by ralan at 8:26 AM on January 2, 2022 [13 favorites]

another work walker here. I wear a Fitbit that nags me for 250 steps every hour so it'll alert me at 9:50am. I'll usually try to take a 10 minute walk around 9:55 to hit both 9am and 10am steps.
posted by noloveforned at 8:27 AM on January 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

Having a book that is especially for breaks; I like information type books on culture, language, art. Get up from your desk and take the book somewhere else and read for a few minutes, think about it, how would you describe it to someone else.
Similar, having a couple songs to listen to, as you go for a little walk, up or down stairs if possible, to look outside a window or at another view than the one you see each day. Again, think about how you'd describe the view, is the song acting as a soundtrack or not.
Agree with all of the above, take the time to just stop working and do something else for 10-15 mins, get a different view, fresh air. If I was a knitter I'd work on a piece, or perhaps have a small notebook and draw something I see.
posted by winesong at 8:31 AM on January 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

I water/take dead leaves off/otherwise mess with the office plants. Nobody else will!
posted by 8603 at 8:44 AM on January 2, 2022 [6 favorites]

I'm glad you asked this question. I've been thinking about this, and I need more ideas.

When I did a digital detox, I bought this wooden puzzle for work breaks. There are lots of similar brain-teaser type things. For me, a physical puzzle doesn't pull me in for long periods of time like something online does. If you have friends who are interested in this, you could trade them so you don't get bored.

I also bought juggling balls with the intention of learning to juggle. I haven't put this into practice yet, but I still think it's a good idea. There are tons of youtube videos. I took a lesson at a juggling festival once, and they had you start with just one ball (this seems silly, but it's really the way to go). You could set a timer to make sure you don't go on too long. (It sounds like you're in an office, so this may not be feasible as the balls tend to go all over the place when you're starting. Some people learn with light scarves.)

I tried learning simple magic tricks too, but gave up in frustration. That seems to require more coordination than I have.
posted by FencingGal at 8:44 AM on January 2, 2022 [5 favorites]

You can take smoke breaks even if you are a non smoker. Go outside, look at trees or people or whatever is outside. Breathe deeply and smell the air and think about what a jerk your office mate is, or what to have for lunch or how nice it is to not smell like cigarettes all the time. Bonus - in bad weather you don’t *have* to go outside to smoke. Why should smokers get privileges you don’t?
posted by Vatnesine at 8:49 AM on January 2, 2022 [8 favorites]

In the office, I drink a ton of tea water and visit restrooms on other floors. For longer breaks I take 15-20 mins to go for a walk outside, usually to a pocket park.

At home (during work from home) I pick something to clean or tidy that I would usually ignore (wash a window! Windex a mirror).
posted by larthegreat at 8:51 AM on January 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

Running the stairs is the one thing I miss about the office.
posted by sageleaf at 8:59 AM on January 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

I WFH. I've got a bird feeder set up outside my home office window and a pair of field glasses at the ready. I get up about once an hour to stare at it (or stare into the trees, wondering where the birds are). It makes for 50 minute work cycles/ 10 minutes of rest, which is about the max my brain can do now anyway.
posted by missmobtown at 9:00 AM on January 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

Go outside, sit on a bench (or stroll around the building if it's too cold for sitting, or even huddle in a doorway if it's raining), and eat an apple or banana. I used to do it whenever my coworkers had a smoke break.

Go to another floor or your closest coffee chain restaurant to use the restroom.

Make a little photo series: take the same walk around the building and take a photo. You could take a photo of the same tree/plant every day to track seasonal changes or challenge yourself to notice a different part of the plant. Or find your reflection in a different place every day. Or try to find something red every day, or collect shots of random coa rainbow, or do a found alphabet series. If you're into clothing you could document your work clothing. Or take a photo of a bird every day. These kinds of exercises are nice because you get a little secret album and also they really entice your brain away from your desk by making you think in a visual creative way.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:01 AM on January 2, 2022 [4 favorites]

* or collect shots of random colorful items to make a rainbow
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:06 AM on January 2, 2022

As a contractor at a big tech firm, I would do the tea thing, the water thing, the walk-outside-around-the-building thing (at lunch) and also check for empty conference rooms. If I found one, I would get down on the carpet and do a little bit of child's pose and 2 or 3 other yoga or stretching things to help my body wake up from the hours of sitting I was forced to do. Good luck!
posted by Bella Donna at 9:08 AM on January 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

Same boat although a government facility but nevertheless I'd occasionally go into the dark conference room and lie down under the table. Never relaxing enough to actually fall asleep and once somebody came in and snapped on the lights and I had to emerge, mumbling something about my back.

When I worked in an office, I used to get up every hour or so to walk a lap around the inside of the building.

Same here, nice big building but with generally good enough weather to walk around the outside. And everybody knew my 10AM break was longer because that's when I'd eat the fruit I'd brought in that day (usually a banana but when in season, a peach or an orange).
posted by Rash at 9:23 AM on January 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

And I'm aware this is really difficult for some, sometimes it's hard to stop working on a task but it'll be waiting for you when you come back. Also the concern about your supervisor and co-workers' reaction but you've gotta do this for your own well-being; don't worry, they'll get used to it.
posted by Rash at 9:27 AM on January 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

I don't smoke. When I worked in an office, all the smokers would get up together and go outside to smoke for about 20 minutes, morning and afternoon. After a while, I started getting up and going with them only instead of smoking I would walk around the parking lot or the building. I think my supervisor wanted to say something but couldn't work out how to ask me not to take a break that was being given to other people with similar responsibilities. I didn't hurt that I usually got back to my desk a good five minutes before the smokers. After a while, there are seven or eight of us taking twice-daily walking breaks.
posted by ruddlehead at 9:38 AM on January 2, 2022 [16 favorites]

I think my supervisor wanted to say something but couldn't work out how to ask me not to take a break that was being given to other people with similar responsibilities.

I've run into this a few times. The concept of a "smoke break" seems to be almost sacred, but if a non-smoker wants to assert their right to the same paid break time a lot of people get up in arms. I think that can lead to non-smokers, like OP, not taking breaks when they should. I know I've had to work through this mental hurdle in the past, and finally just said "screw it, they get a break, I get a break..." and just made myself do it.
posted by ralan at 9:57 AM on January 2, 2022 [8 favorites]

I have walked outside my building, and came back more refreshed and ready to work creatively.
posted by nickggully at 10:08 AM on January 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

If you can get outside, give your eyes a rest by looking up at the sky for a while.
posted by Rash at 10:15 AM on January 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

Make yourself a playlist of work break exercises and either do one at your desk or take your phone somewhere more private to do one.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:21 AM on January 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

The concept of a "smoke break" seems to be almost sacred

It's a right that's been won only by having been endlessly and implacably asserted. If non-smokers want the same right, they simply need to do likewise and brook no opposition.
posted by flabdablet at 10:32 AM on January 2, 2022 [2 favorites]

Stretching is good. People are also apt not to speak to you when they see you in a yoga pose with your eyes closed. You don't have to actually do much other than hold the stretch, which is good for your brain as it will drop down to a less frantic rev if you are not trying to think or receiving visual stimulus. You can easily do this once an hour at many office jobs, holding your pose for two minutes or five depending on how much they want you back at your terminal. It's good for you the same way walking is, but doesn't require you to move through areas with other people in them, or find your jacket and deal with temperature changes. It's also a really good way to undo some of the damage that happens when you spend almost all the day in a sitting position.
posted by Jane the Brown at 10:45 AM on January 2, 2022

In my office days, I did a lot of colouring books and origami for short breaks. Reading these replies, something that requires leaving my desk/some sort of movement would probably have been better though.
posted by sohalt at 11:49 AM on January 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

When I worked in an office next to a park, I would leave the office at least once a day (usually around 2.30-3pm when the alternative energy booster was probably to eat chocolate) to walk around the lake. Now that I work from home, I leave the cryptic crossword on the kitchen table and work on it at lunch or in short breaks. The paper only comes on Saturdays so I lean in to taking all week to do it.
posted by happyfrog at 2:18 PM on January 2, 2022

Getting other people coffee was definitely not part of my last job, but I used to frequently offer to do so, and sometimes just bring it for those who wanted it, regardless. If I didn't get coffee for myself on these outings, I'd get tea or even cocoa. The point was to run an errand that sent me up and down the stairs once or twice a day to get the blood moving, occasionally buy a snack or bask in the sun. In the process, I'd have the odd little chat, or if I didn't want to, nod pleasantly and keep going. It made me feel so much healthier, it gave the day so much more texture and no one minded because they all were getting something out of it.
posted by Violet Blue at 5:49 PM on January 2, 2022

When mindfulness colouring was the in thing, someone put a bunch of coloured pencils and mindfulness colouring pages on a shared table (year level office, at a school) - it was quite calming to sit down with a few others at the end of a stressful teaching day and destress for 10-20 minutes, usually not talking very much.
posted by freethefeet at 9:55 PM on January 2, 2022

I move to the couch and do a crossword with a cup of tea. Sometimes I’ll have cat or baby play time instead. If you work from home, the huge advantage is doing all sorts of minor household tasks as breaks in between work tasks so by evening you are dooooonnne.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:38 AM on January 3, 2022

This time a year I make it a point to get out and watch the sunset every night.
posted by panama joe at 9:55 PM on January 3, 2022