The start of 2019 is a great time to look back at 2018 and consider how you can improve your work and your business in the next year. And, if the end of your year was anything like ours, you were probably busy during the holiday season. If the holiday rush left you feeling harried, you might want to consider this idea for a New Year’s resolution: taking more breaks.
Why Take More Breaks?
It can be hard to justify taking a break, especially when you’re feeling overloaded, but breaks really do help you work better! In a 2013 article, the New York Times wrote that a strategic break in your day “boosts productivity, job performance and, of course, health.” If you spend too long on one task without giving yourself time to refresh, on the other hand, you might find your energy and your focus flagging.
When Should You Be Taking Breaks? Consider Scheduling them Ahead of Time
If you’re having trouble taking breaks, you probably want to get the most out of the breaks you take. A number of different sources have weighed in on how often you should take a break and how long in order to get the most out of it:
- One University of Illinois study suggests taking a break once every hour.
- Magazine suggests taking a break every hour to hour-and-a-half.
- Desktime, a time-tracking app, says that it’s most effective to take a 17-minute break every 52 minutes.
- Robert Pozen of the MIT Sloan School of Management suggests taking a break every 75 to 90 minutes
- The popular Pomodoro Technique is based on taking a short break every 25 minutes and a longer break every 90 minutes or so.
So which of these recommendations should you use? That depends on you and what works best for your business. You could try out each option for a day or two to see which one makes you most productive, you could pick the one that works best with your work load for the day, or create a system of breaks that is entirely your own.
And, once you’ve got a system in place, be sure to follow it. Make those breaks a part of your schedule so that you have time set aside every day to recharge. Put them on your calendar, and, if you have to, set a timer.
Can’t Take A Break from Work? Take A Break From Your Current Task
If you feel guilty about taking a break, you’re not alone. According to one study, most people just “power through” their work day. And sometimes you genuinely can’t get away from your work on a busy day. So what should you do then? Consider taking a break from your current task by changing your focus to another one. You might not be taking off for a walk or a run to a local café, but the change in topic will still give your brain a chance to recharge before you get back to it.
Is taking more breaks on your New Year’s resolution list? We’d love to see your resolutions in the comments below! And be sure to check back next week for another of our New Year’s resolutions that you might want to consider adding to your list.
Have you taken a look at the 2019 Navitor catalog yet? If you haven’t, you might have missed that we have a wide variety of different promotional products joining our offering! Because so many new promotional products are joining our catalog, we wanted to take a moment to introduce you to all those new options. Take Note with NewPens Writing utensils are one of the most effective promotional products, and we are proud to bring two new pens to our offering. If your customer wants a pen that does double duty as a highlighter, the new Fusion Highlight Twist Pen features a built-in highlighter in their choice of four different colors. And if they want something really eye-catching, the Luminate Prism Stylus Pen features illuminated laser engraving and a stylus on a metallic pen for a high-tech look and feel. Raise a Glass to NewDrinkware If your customer wants to go big with their accent mugs, they have two new,larger-volume mug options that are sure to please. The Digital 15 oz. Accent Mug is printed in full color and features a colored interior and handle that can be chosen to coordinate with your customer’s design. The 16 oz. Black Accent Flare Mug is a stylishly shaped black mug with your customer’s choice of five interior colors and printed with a striking single-color design. Is your customer looking for a good way to keep things cool?We’re delivering that, too. The Digital 16 oz. Acrylic Tumbler with Straw pairs a lidded tumbler style that is perfect for picnics and other outdoor events with full color print! And for health-conscious customers, the 20 oz. Aluminum Sports Bottle and 26 oz. Groove Grip Plastic Water Bottle are new water bottle styles that their employees or clients will love. And we have new drinkware accessories, too! For those water bottles, we now have water bottle bags that make them portable and will keep their contents cool. We’re also adding the Slim Fit Pocket Can Cooler to our selection of can coolers, and it is ready-made for the slimmer cans that have recently become popular. Promote with NewOptions Alongside these popular promotional options, we’re bringing you a selection of brand new options for 2019. The Luminate Flashlight Key Fob is a miniature flashlight personalized with illuminated laser engraving. Business Card Sized Mint Dispensers feature sugar free peppermints in a convenient dispenser shaped like a credit card. Lip balm in a variety of flavors is also joining our offering—and it’s made in the USA.If you want to know more or are looking to place an order, take a look at the Promotional Products section of the 2019 Navitor Catalog. And we’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.Which of these new promotional products is your favorite?