How can you take effective breaks to improve your productivity as an entrepreneur?

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” ― Anne Lamott It can be really simple: When you find yourself struggling to get the quality or amount of work done that you know you are capable of, unplug and take a break.

Clarity breaks are a must for me and are built into my calendar. I have to give myself the space to think. That means walking my dog. No phone, no headphones. Not surprising that is when my best ideas come to me because I am "free" to let my mind wander. But the most successful thing I have done is to create a ritual that signals to me the "end" of my day. Now that I work from home I no longer have a commute, which if you think about it, is when we transitioned from work to home. We got a break as we were literally in transit. Now I close the door to my office to signal the work day is done and I light a candle in my kitchen and turn on some fun music to prepare dinner. Small, but effective things that signal it's time to slow down.

Tratando-se do empreendedor que mantém o Radar 24hr ligado, algumas das pausas as vezes são as do próprio trabalho, e é normal! Viagens para feiras, visitas a fornecedores ou mesmo busca de novos cases em viagems locais ou internacionais, revelam a mistura entre a "pausa" do empreendedor que não desliga com o "trabalho e lazer". Organize isso, leve sua família consigo, libere-se 3, 4hr para sua dinâmica nesses momentos, e você encontrará um pouco de pausa e ao mesmo tempo não de culpará! O fuso ajuda visitar o lugar enquanto sua empresa está "desligada ainda".

“Recovery” is the trending term that refers to methods like cold plunges and breathwork. Just as the body needs recovery, the mind does too. Stepping away from your digital world for incremental periods each day is a solution to cope with a lack of creativity and overstimulation. Quiet walks without your phone and simple breathwork techniques are two ways you can recharge your mind. Additionally, taking time to engage in mindful meditation or practicing mindfulness can be highly beneficial for mental recovery.

Pomodoro method. 25 minutes of focus work, then 5-min break. Set a continuous timer. During each break, do 10 push-ups, 10 air squats, 10 sit-ups, bathroom break, water break, whatever break. Do this for 3 full hours. You'll get more done in those hours than you possibly imagine, plus a great workout.

In my experience, you can't plan breaks in advance every time. Entrepreneurship is a never-ending hustle, you have to find sweet spots where you can relax and do something extra to make yourself comfortable. I play guitar, prepare quick meals and learn advanced techniques or listen to quality talks regularly almost every day. There are thousands of things that we can do as entrepreneurs, rest doesn't mean sleeping or sitting idol, our brain and body have endless potential. All we need is a variety of colours and flavours to feed. With this approach, it works like a superhuman and keeps you energised and confident like never before.

Bei mir helfen keine "Pausen-Routinen". Sehe ich auch bei vielen meine Kunden. Verordnete Pausen werden oft gerissen. Wenn ich gerade in einer Tätigkeit stecke, bleibe ich dabei. Und schon ist die Pause verloren. Was bei mir funktioniert: 1 Tag pro Woche ohne Termine. Durch diese Freiheit ist mein Tag plötzlich gespickt von Pausen. Ohne dass ich sie planen musste.

It is good to schedule your breaks like any other obligation or engagement. Regularity will allow a total refresh to be part of the regular routine. Balance.

I created a 2:1 framework for taking breaks. This strategy acts as a “spin cycle” - an intentional wringing out of the heaviness that I picked up (kind of like a dentist visit for life). Here’s how it works: For every 2 hours of hard work, I take a 1 hour break For every 2 weeks of pushing, I have 1 week of space For every 2 months of building, I have 1 month of wellness/fun

All breaks are scheduled in my calendar with added accountability (either a trainer, a walking partner or time with my kids) I also have a daily "commute bath" that helps me transition from work mode to mom mode every day.

Put EVERYTHING on your calendar! Make sure you you communicate with your team and inform them about the times when you are away. As entrepreneurs, we might sometimes feel guilty for taking a break, but there is nothing wrong or bad about it as long as we plan ahead and inform our team or clients about our absence.

Ganze oder halbe Tage einplanen. Nicht kurze Slots planen. Kurze Slots haben zwei Schwierigkeiten: 1. sie sind begrenzt 2. sie sind zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt geplant Beide zuverlässig zu erfüllen, wird dir im Tageswahnsinn fast nicht gelingen...

You can also: - Set a routine using tech, like telling Alexa to remind you to take a break at noon or right before that big long staff meeting each day. "Alexa, tell me a joke and remind me that I need to take a dance break at noon." - Schedule your calendar to add 15 minutes after every meeting so that you have time to stand up, stretch, take a bio break or just simply get away from whatever you are doing.

Eigentlich ganz einfach - schau woanders hin, als den ganzen Rest des Tages: bist du den ganzen Tag in einem fensterlosen Büro -> geh raus schaust du den ganzen Tag in einen Monitor -> schau aus dem Fenster sitzt du den ganzen Tag im Auto -> geh Spazieren

It is important to avoid the temptation of distraction. If you block out time to 'Relax', 'Read a book', 'Walk' or 'Gym' for example, ensure that your phone is on "do not disturb" or away. You don't keep checking your e-mails or notifications on the laptop etc. A time to work is time to work. A time to relax is time to relax and switch off. The e-mail can wait 30 minutes, the world isn't going to collapse. Stop thinking about everything else and laser focus on recovery. That way you can get back into the battle with full strength and a clear mind, allowing you to achieve your goals with maximum efficiency.

Engage in Physical Activity: Light physical activities like stretching, walking, or a quick workout can rejuvenate your body and mind. Exercise increases blood flow, which can enhance cognitive function and creativity. Practice Mindfulness or Meditation: Short mindfulness exercises can help reduce stress and improve concentration. Even a few minutes of deep breathing or guided meditation can be beneficial.

Optimization depends on YOU and YOUR intention.After 30ish mins of focused work-give your eyes & your body the reset they need from sitting in front of your computer,operating machinery or slinging that baby around.Eye exercises are great if you're staring at a screen most of the day.Getting sunshine outside and your bare feet on the sand or grass is a beautiful way to activate cellular activity(look up "Grounding" or "Earthing" or more on this)and of course there's the act of movement-a walk, a run, stretching, jumping, walking the dog...it all counts because our bodies are designed to move!You can also lay out snacks in advance(fruit bowl, nuts, dried fruit, beef jerky...plan ahead and you're more likely to make healthier food choices!)

Am besten funktioniert bei mir: 1) hinsetzen 2) Augen zu und sich erinnern, wo man war 3) Augen auf und los geht's Wichtig ist der Schritt, sich bewusst wieder auf die Arbeit einzustellen. Ich unterstütze das sogar durch einen kleinen Gong.

Calmly review the pile of unaddressed issues and create a drop ready plan to get after the loose ends systematically. You can have a strong start, but the best results come when best prepared.

This is often missed, but if you're working collaboratively or have a team (even if it's just 1 person) - effective delegation and empowerment can be the first step to building an autonomous team and free up valuable time that can be taken to relax or reflect instead of chasing tasks.

Set Boundaries: Make sure your break time is respected. Avoid checking emails or thinking about work tasks during this time. Clear boundaries help in mentally disconnecting and recharging effectively. Be Consistent and Flexible: While consistency in taking breaks is vital, be flexible based on your workload and energy levels. On some days, you might need more frequent breaks; on others, you might work longer stretches without feeling fatigued. Remember, breaks are not a waste of time but a vital part of maintaining long-term productivity and mental health. By regularly disconnecting and recharging, you can return to your work with renewed focus and energy.

One thing that we need to be clear about is what actually is a break. To me, it's doing something that I don't normally do in my work. If I work on a computer all day with the headphones on, listening to a podcast on the same computer with the same headphones may not be a very effective break. Going for a quick walk outside may be. It may help to keep a list of the activities that energize us rather than drain us, but are different from what we normally do. This is important even if--especially--if we love what we do all day long. We need a break even from the activities that we love and enjoy so that they don't become monotonous.