How Short, Regular Breaks Can Boost Your Self Care Routine

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When people think about a self care routine, they might think of spa days and vacations that help you feel more like yourself again after a busy season. Self care shouldn’t just be a treat. It should be about exactly what the name suggests – taking care of yourself.

Self care needs to be an every day thing, not something that can be “saved up” for the weekend. Yes, those spa days and other self care treats are important. They can be a lot of fun. But what about the everyday routine?

Taking short, regular breaks throughout the workday can do so much for your self care routine and reduce your stress and anxiety. Learn how in this article.

ethnic woman sitting with cup of hot drink on table How Short, Regular Breaks Can Boost Your Self Care Routine

Table of Contents

Prioritize Your Breaks

We all have different lives and different routines. You might be a stay at home parent who manages your household and looks after your children. You might work in an office or at a service-based industry. You might even run your own business from home. These are just a few of the different kinds of routines and workdays. However, they all have one thing in common.

No matter what you do, it’s necessary to take breaks throughout the day. People aren’t machines, we can’t work non-stop without taking any time for ourselves. When we push too hard, we get burnt out, or the quality of our work suffers.

Different people thrive on different types of breaks. For example, the pomodoro technique involves taking a brief break every 25 minutes, then taking a longer break after four cycles. Other techniques suggest a break every 43 minutes or so. Find a routine that works for you and make sure to add these break periods to your schedule. You can use a pomodoro timer to keep on track of these break periods.

photo of person holding ceramic cup How Short, Regular Breaks Can Boost Your Self Care Routine

Tea or Coffee?

One of the best excuses to take a break and get away from the desk is to grab a cup of coffee. This allows you to sit down and relax for a few minutes, while enjoying a brew. However, what you drink might not be the most helpful for your needs.

There’s nothing wrong with drinking coffee, but it is recommended to limit your caffeine intake. If you take a coffee break every hour or so in an 8-hour period, that adds up to a lot more coffee than you should be drinking.

Consider other beverages such as herbal teas with different health benefits. English breakfast tea and other black teas also contain caffeine, but not as much as a cup of coffee. Green tea has even less caffeine in it and some people find it very refreshing. You can also have different herbal and fruit teas, which can help you relax or focus.

The trick is to experiment. Sometimes what you really need is the action of getting up, getting a drink, and then sitting down and thinking about something other than work for a few minutes. The actual drink is secondary.

woman wearing white sleeveless top How Short, Regular Breaks Can Boost Your Self Care Routine

Exercise Your Body

You might think five minutes isn’t enough time to exercise your body, but you’d be surprised. If you’ve been sitting for a while, then do some stretches to loosen your back and other muscles. If you have a window, look outside for a while. Or stare at a fixed point at a medium distance to rest your eyes.

Having a coffee machine or kettle in your office might seem tempting. However, getting up and walking to get your drink can be much better for your health. Staying seated or only going a few steps won’t give your body the movement it craves.

If you have a few more minutes, consider going for a brief walk outside. This exercises your body and rests your mind. Sun, fresh air, and nature scenes can be extremely beneficial for your mental health. You will feel more rested and refreshed.

woman sitting in front of macbook How Short, Regular Breaks Can Boost Your Self Care Routine

Engage Your Mind

While you might think you need to continue thinking about your work to solve a problem, this isn’t the case. Sometimes our brains actually work better when we switch gears, as they continue working on the problem in the background. This is why when you leave an issue for a while and come back to it, an answer sometimes jumps out at you.

So, give your brain a break from work by giving it something else to do. Scrolling through social media might seem relaxing, it’s not helpful. Instead, consider reading an article or part of a book. Get your brain thinking about something else.

Another way to spend a few minutes is to play a short game. Puzzle games or even something like roulette can distract you from your work. You can get through a couple of rounds in a few minutes. This helps your mind stay active and engaged, but you still feel rested.

Another good way to engage your mind is to talk to someone. If you’re in an office, speak to someone else on their break. If you’re at home, speak to a family member or call a friend for a few minutes.

How Short, Regular Breaks Can Boost Your Self Care Routine

Creating a Restful Environment

Another thing to consider is your environment. You can’t always control your surroundings. Depending on the work you have to do, it might be inherently stressful. But if you work at home or in an office environment, there are a few ideas to work more productively and take better breaks.

Indoor plants are great for reducing stress and can even improve the air quality in the room. You can take a short break to water them or even just look at them and appreciate them for a minute.

Natural light is also a great way to feel better while you work. If you work near a window, find a way to let natural light in without interfering with your work. You can also look out of the window and take in the view to relax for a second.