Bored of watching your computer screen? Tired from your overload of work? Go ahead and take a break to recharge your brain cells, advises Nikhil Punjabi
Boredom occurs to everyone. We get tired and bored of doing repetitive tasks. At some point, we need to refresh ourselves to get our work done quicker. As a college student, just before starting preparations for the semester exams, the sight of our huge books get us nervous and scared – when will we finish studying this entire thing? We attack the books with zeal, but after a few hours we eventually get bored and take a break. With time and experience, we realize that small breaks at regular intervals indeed help us finish up.
Office work isn’t all that different. That immense workload and pressures of targets make us feel irritated and tired which hinder our efficiency. Even in the office taking small breaks would boost our creativity and morale, and recharge our brain cells to work at their best. Whenever you feel tired or too bored to work, go ahead and take a break.
HAVE A CONVERSATION
Having a conversation with someone doesn’t really mean to sit and gossip or engage in idle chatter. Have a
mentally stimulating conversation with a colleague or a friend over a phone call about common interests like sports, fashion or anything else. Do keep in mind to talk to a person who is free and doesn’t have anything important lined up at the moment. Time spent in conversation can help awake your brain and motivate you to start working.
CATCH A FEW ZZZs
I am by no means telling you that it’s acceptable to slack off at work. What I am saying is that it might be more acceptable to try and take a power nap of 20 minutes or less during a particularly sluggish afternoon. It would help relieve both stress and boredom. Power naps are also known to change your perspective about an issue and even sharpen your thoughts.
GO ON A TEA/COFFEE RUN
Tea and coffee are the most preferred beverages at the workplace as refreshments. Both help you keep your brain alert, owing to their caffeine content (note: coffee contains more caffeine than tea and is an addictive stimulant). Caffeine has been known to ease the pain in the neck, shoulder, forearms and wrists. Some studies have also shown that employees who take coffee breaks in a group are more productive and perform better. Did I mention caffeine is addictive? Moderate your intake. Pro tip: Supercharge your rejuvenation with a caffeine nap. A cup of coffee with a 10-minute snooze charges your brain to a higher extent.
WALK AWAY, LITERALLY
Talking a walk improves blood circulation which ensures more oxygen to the brain which translates into smarter brain cells. A walk can also clear your head and alter your mood. By the end, you will feel more awake and ready to work. Either walk within the office premises or go outdoors.
SHIFT TO A MORE ENJOYABLE TAB (i.e. GAMES)
If you have your work email tab open constantly, there is nothing wrong in replacing it once in a while with a more interesting and fun tab for just a bit. Several websites provide you access to small flash games which are entertaining as well as encouraging of productivity. For starters, try your hand at the games at Miniclip.com. By the way, did you know that you can play Snake while browsing YouTube? Just hit the down arrow key while a video is buffering and the spinning dots will transform into your favourite digital reptile. How high a score can you attain before the video buffers?
GET SOCIAL
There is nothing wrong with browsing YouTube/BuzzFeed/Pinterest/Flickr at work. On the contrary, 10 to 15 minutes of watching people fall over each other or listening to your favourite album’s parody is a fantastic rejuvenation procedure. If you’re flipping through some poorly timed pictures and laughing at them, you’re not thinking about your workload, so when you return to it, you will see it in a new light. Try it!
GET FUNNY
Playing pranks on your colleagues will help you to keep your sanity while slaving away. Click pictures of your colleagues randomly and share it with everyone, or post small notes with a funny message on their worktable. Or maybe send a funny email to your colleagues saying, “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the bathroom.” As long as nobody is offended or has you up on harassment charges it should be just fine and fun for all, especially you.
Like anything else, it’s important that these activities should be applied in moderation. One can’t ignore a phone call of a client or the boss during break time, or go without doing work for hours at a stretch. ‘Work smarter, not harder’ has become quite a clichéd phrase now, but it is pivotal to stick to it. Make a clear distinction between your me-time and your work time. Ensure that you get the opportunity to switch off and relax.
Volume 4 Issue 1
