How can you take effective breaks when working online?

2 Vary your activities

Breaks are meant to give you a chance to relax, recharge, and refresh your mind. Therefore, you should avoid doing anything that is too similar to your work, such as checking emails, browsing social media, or reading online news. Instead, you should vary your activities and choose something that is enjoyable, stimulating, or rewarding for you. For example, you can do some physical exercise, listen to music, meditate, play a game, or chat with a friend. You can also use your breaks to attend to your personal needs, such as eating, drinking, or stretching.

3 Change your environment

Working online can sometimes make you feel isolated or bored, especially if you work from home or from the same place every day. Changing your environment can help you break the monotony and boost your mood and energy. You can do this by moving to a different room, going outside, or finding a new location to work from, such as a coffee shop, a library, or a coworking space. You can also change your environment by adjusting the lighting, temperature, or noise level, or by adding some plants, art, or aromatherapy to your workspace.

4 Set boundaries

When you work online, you may face some distractions or interruptions from other people or devices. These can disrupt your focus and reduce your efficiency. To prevent this, you need to set boundaries and communicate them clearly to others. You can do this by letting your family, friends, or colleagues know your work hours and break times, and asking them to respect them. You can also turn off or mute your phone, email, or social media notifications, and use tools like Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode to block unwanted calls or messages.

5 Review your progress

Taking breaks can also help you review your progress and evaluate your performance. You can use this time to reflect on what you have done, what you have learned, and what you need to improve. You can also use this time to celebrate your achievements, reward yourself, and acknowledge your efforts. Reviewing your progress can help you stay motivated, confident, and satisfied with your work. You can use tools like journals, trackers, or feedback systems to record and monitor your progress.

6 Be flexible

Finally, you need to be flexible and adaptable when taking breaks. You should not treat breaks as rigid or fixed rules, but as guidelines that can help you optimize your work. You should also listen to your body and mind, and adjust your breaks according to your needs and preferences. For example, you may need more or less breaks depending on your workload, deadlines, or mood. You may also need different types of breaks depending on your goals, interests, or personality. You should experiment and find out what works best for you, and be open to change and improvement.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?