Taking a Break

Every now and then, we all have to have our own little getaway from our work. It's true, it can be monotonous and tedious, or challenging and stressful.. but focusing on work for over 8 hours a day is next to impossible.

Breaks have been known to seriously help productivity because it gives your mind a chance to relax and think of something other than work, and almost breathe a little bit before getting back to it.

Of course they are going to vary based on what I am doing, and how busy I am. My breaks also seem to be indirectly proportional to the chattiness of my coworkers (i.e. they are more chatty, I am less likely to take a break so as not to take extraneous blocks out).

Here are a few things I do to set back and relax a little to help recharge the batteries.

     1. In the morning I'll work on the calendar-a-day puzzle

     2. Reading a bit from a magazine or my book. I don't take a super long break to do this, but just a little escape for a few pages or an article.

     3. Work on an ongoing personal spreadsheet I'm trying to develop. Not, per-say,      everyone's favorite side thing to do, but I enjoy challenging myself with a self-assigned      project.

     4. Get up and get some water or do some stretches

     5. Every now and then, if I know the coast is clear, I'll do some sit-ups and push-ups

     6. Read different blogs/ internet surf/ work on this blog



And some other things to possibly help productivity and other breaks to try out

     -Take a doodle break

    -Set up a work timer

     -Take a 15 minute nap (not always possible, but if you can, worth a shot)

     -Create, append and check-off what's on your to-do list


...There are many other things to try too, so give it a shot.

The Best Part of Waking Up...

...is hitting the snooze button! (sung to theme of Folger's Coffee song).


Whoever invented the snooze button was both a genius and against productivity. We all have days that we are unmotivated and get angry at our alarm clock from disturbing our slumber. However, I have noticed a recent trend in my life... If I get up early without hitting the snooze button more than twice, or to work out, my day feels productive and I feel alert. If I hit the snooze button until the last possible moment I have to get up, my day is slightly less productive and I feel like a slug the entire day.

Over the past few months, as I've been training for my half-ironman (this Sunday (October 23)), I will often times do a workout in the morning as well as the afternoon. In the morning, not only does it beat the heat and humidity, but it also seems to jump start the day and lets me know I'm on my way to seize the day. It brings a lot of positive energy to start off the rest of the day. I was able to find an article about waking up early and a bit of the benefits it can have.

It says in the article, "Early morning workouts rev up your metabolism, jump start your energy level and accelerate your ability to burn up calories." From personal experience, I would totally agree with this statement. I mean, not only do I have that personal sense of victory of getting up and being active, but I also have the ability to flaunt the fact that I have already gotten in a great workout and enjoyed a great part of the day all before most people wake up (not that I do that, but I'm just saying the option is there).

Some people do call me crazy for waking up so early, and I might be... but I also think it' been a bit ingrained into my body and head. When I was in college, I was a rower. For a majority of the 4 years, that meant early mornings either in the boat and on the water or on the machines, and always being yelled at by coach. Just when I thought I'd get a break from early mornings, when I did a year of JVC-NW in Gresham, I would get up early with my roommate Gretchen (and sometimes Erin when she would make it) to hit up LA Fitness (and be yelled at if I didn't wake up in time). And right when I thought I was in the clear... I decide to sign up for a half-ironman, and try and cram as much training as possible in and yell at myself when I don't get up.

It turns out, after all the yelling is taken out of the equation, I actually like getting up early and working out. Despite the crazy hours and exhausted feeling in the middle of the day, it sure beats feeling like I'm dragging a 50 lb weight around with my mind and can't figure out what I'm supposed to be doing.

Some advice, if you've tried working out in the morning and hated it... be consistent. Give yourself a few weeks to adjust. Also, don't do it every day... Maybe like Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Expecting to do it every single day is tough, so give yourself some days off too.

Enjoy it if you try, and enjoy being a bit crazy!