‘I think people expect me too much.’
‘I don’t have any time to rest since working from home.’
‘I am very tired, would you please stop sending me work?’
Well, I have mentioned these sentences many times during my first week as an Account Coordinator. I admit that it is very tiring yet confusing because I do not have any background in Public Relations. Furthermore, I broke down for the first week of working due to my inexperience for working in a fast-paced environment. However, after three weeks of working, I realised that I need to take a step back and reorganise myself to finish the job and step up the game. Besides that, the art of taking time off has helped me to calm myself down and evaluate myself, even if it is just for five minutes. Here are some reasons for you to take a little break from your work:
1. Refocus ourselves
Taking a short break can help you to refocus when you are dealing with multiple projects, tasks that you need to finish. Cornick (2018) said that taking a five-minute break at work can help you to become less robotic and reprioritise your work. Besides that, taking a break can also help you reduce the tension from your work and reconnect with your co-worker. Based on a survey conducted by Tork (cited in Kohll 2018) found that 90% of North American employees claimed that taking a break or lunch break felt refreshed and helped them get back to work. By having a short chit chat with a co-worker or just having me-time, you can refocus and restrategize your work.
2. Increase productivity and creativity
Do you often feel stuck while you are doing your work? Yes, I do. As an introvert, my energy drains easily when I meet many people and as an Account Coordinator, I have a minimum of three meetings per day. Furthermore, since most of my projects force me to think creatively, I found it tiring if I keep doing this every day. Thus, I am easily tired once I have finished my work and for the first few days, I felt like I did not want to go to work or finish any projects. But recently, some people suggested that I need to take a rest, especially during the weekend. I tried to practise that by not activating social media during the weekend and spending more time doing things that I have not been doing for a long time. As a result, I found it very effective as I feel rested and become more active.
Break during the weekend or a five-minute break can help me to increase my creativity and productivity. According to the Park West Gallery survey (cited from Johannson 2015), 61% of all surveyed employees found that taking time-off can improve physical health. Also, 55% of the employees found that time-off can improve mental health. With that practice, our brains can become more active and ready to get back to work.
3. Reevaluate our goals
Settling to your first job is indeed stressful, especially when it comes to a job that is not really your expertise. Furthermore, as a fresh graduate, it takes time to adjust from your university life to working life. I admit that I am not good at handling stress. I often rant to others about my working life. However, during recess time, I talked to the closest people and realised that even though I will finish one project, another project is coming. As a result, for me, it is essential to take a break before letting myself burn out from work.
Friedman from Harvard Business Review (2014) noted that scheduling a 15-minute break can reactivate and reevaluate our goal. Working too much causes us to be easily distracted and slows down your way to absorb the information. Thus, taking a 15-minute intermission can grab your strength and mind to stay mindful of our objectives.
Are you burning out now? Then, you must take a short break now.
REFERENCES
https://medibio.com.au/the-importance-of-taking-a-five-minute-break-at-work/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245740
https://www.huone.events/7-reasons-you-should-make-time-for-breaks-at-your-next-meeting/
https://hbr.org/2014/08/schedule-a-15-minute-break-before-you-burn-out
https://www.lovepanky.com/my-life/reflections/reasons-why-you-feel-relieved-after-breaking-up (Photo)
