3 Ways Taking a Break Benefits You and Your Business
When the hamster in your head begins running on the wheel, taking a break is the furthest thing from your mind. For some, it’s bad luck to interrupt the workflow. For others, you know if you take a break mid-session, you’re bound to never return to what you were doing.
While taking a break may not be recommended if you’re busting your tail and ideas are shooting out of your fingertips like lightning bolts, a short recess can actually be beneficial for a number of reasons.
They don’t take a short recess in the middle of a court session for no reason, right?
The benefits of taking a break
1. Relieve stress
When the workday begins, your goals are obviously to come up with new ideas and tactics that will successfully help boost sales or clients in your business. An ideal day would consist of inventing a new product or process that would blow the people out of the water, but unfortunately, the infamous creative block can make its way to your brain.
Once the day rolls on, your stress levels start to rise after nothing worthwhile comes to mind and you’re ripping out your hair by lunchtime.
This is not good, for a number of reasons. Not only can long-term stress permanently affect your brain and mental health, making you more susceptible to depression or anxiety, but it can raise your blood pressure and speed up the aging process. In fact, high stress levels can even be the cause of shrinking brain cells and have been linked to lower problem-solving skills.
2. Stimulate new ideas
So you’re experiencing a creative block that has ceased the flow of ideas. Have you ever though that taking a step back may actually cause you to look around for help outside of your personal area? It’s commonly suggested to look at something from the point of view of an outsider, so walking away from a project can help you get out of your own head.
Taking a short walk or trip to the store can subconsciously keep you working while looking at new, outside sources to help push your thinking to the next level. If you’re sitting in your office for eight hours a day, seeing the same family photos and motivational phrases on your walls, how are you supposed to create new ideas?
3. Improve brain function
Relaxation is the key when you’re feeling overwhelmed or unable to focus on a current project. Just like your body, even if you aren’t sleeping, your brain needs rest.
Yes, overworking is actually a real and legitimate thing.
Now, in no way does running your own business or company mean that you don’t work as hard as someone who is an employee at a corporation, but your brain is required to complete a different kind of work. An employee is requested to fulfill an assignment that is already created, and once they are finished, turn it in or tell their supervisor.
Running your own business means you’re creating the assignment, you’re completing it, and you’re proofreading it—that’s a lot of work that your brain has to comprehend.
Giving your brain some rest can not only help boost and refresh your creative flow, but it is just a healthy solution so you’re not putting your mind on overload. Studies have shown that napping can be extremely beneficial for problem solving, memory, and absorbing new information.
Sometimes running your own business or being your own boss can burn you out because you’re consistently loading your brain with information, new and old. Taking a nap can help your brain recover from burnout; allowing you to perform as well as you were at the beginning of the work day.
Another helpful exercise, if napping isn’t an option, is breathing exercises or short stretching exercises. This helps stimulate relaxation in your body rather than allowing your stress levels to rise.
Take time out for you
Even on a busy day, making time for you, whether it’s just reading a magazine or listening to music, can benefit your body in ways that you may not realize.
Remember, your business cannot grow or succeed if you’re not healthy and at your best.
More articles from AllBusiness.com:
