It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed and drained in your day-to-day life isn’t it?
Inundated by email, voicemail and texts for starters, there’s an unspoken assumption that you should be available 24/7. And that’s before taking into account your kids, spouse or partner!
24/7 . . .
Do you really want to be that available?
I felt my energy drain just writing that!
The truth is everything in life is either giving you energy or draining it. The best way to combat the energy drain is to be at your most resourceful by building up and replenishing your energy throughout the day.
This is an opportunity to get creative and proactive about your self-care – a very good thing to take on during this month-long Homage to Self-Care
With a little attention, you can integrate these breaks into your life and with practice, develop new habits that top up your energy leaving you feeling better than ever.
(psst. . .notice they’re all verbs, and that means they require action!)
Here are 25 Breaks to Energize You:
The art of the mini break – 5 minutes or less.
1. Breathe: Take a deep breath. Hold for 3 counts, then breathe out slowly. Repeat 3 times.
2. Visualize: Picture something that makes you happy and remember what you love about it.
3. Stretch: Stand up and stretch your hands high above your head. Drop them and reach down to the floor.
4. Hydrate: Keep your glass full.
5. Feel: Scan your body for any aches and pains. Breathe into them.
These chunks of time will surprise you – 10 minutes or less.
6. Sing: Put on a favourite song and sing your heart out!
7. Dance: Turn up our favourite dance tune and move your body.
8. Brew: Make yourself a soothing cup of tea.
9. Play: Got toys? Use them throughout the day, ie: slinky, ball, yo-yo.
10. Connect: Call someone up to say a quick hello.
These may take planning, but still easy to fit in – 30 minutes or less.
11. Move: If you’ve only got 10 – 15 minutes, do the Daily Invigorator; otherwise take a stroll around the block to energize and impact your day.
12. Eat: Make a healthy snack or lunch, then take a break and nourish yourself.
13. Read: Grab a magazine, book or click on your favourite blog.
14. Write: Send someone a note or card of appreciation. Then walk to the mail box to post it!
15. Plan: Pull together a surprise for your partner, a friend or even a colleague.
This set definitely requires scheduling – up to 2 hours.
16. Explore: Check out a new neighbourhood, visit an art gallery, ride the bus or go for a bike ride.
17. Learn: Sign up for a class – creative writing, yoga, sushi making – learning something new will give you energy.
18. View: Go to a movie, or settle in with an inspiring DVD.
19. Gather: Meet your friends for lunch (a personal favourite!)
20. Soak: Take a bubble bath and let the stress drain out of you.
21. Meditate: Light a candle and let your thoughts go.
22. Pamper: Almost any bodywork will relieve tension.
23. Rest: Settle in for a nap.
24, Socialize: Use your networks, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to connect with others.
25. Unplug: Move away from your desk, turn off all bells and whistles and just be.
Over to you:
Leave a comment below and tell me which two breaks you’ll take on today!
So important to know that stress comes and you are responsible to manage it. I know this, but rarely do it! I get absorbed with things that I’m doing and burn out without realizing it.
Knowing it’s up to us to manage and actually doing so are very different! I wrote this list as much for myself as for readers. We have to start choosing more consciously!
Hi Sandi!
This is wonderful! The one that caught my eye most was playing with a toy! I guess that’s why I love crochetting or knitting – it’s playing for me! It’s so much fun when I have a new project on the go, something to pick up with my noon tea or in the evening when I stop working!
This post is a super resource!
Lori
Thanks Lori! I never thought of crocheting or knitting as playing before, but it sure fits the bill! I think anything tactile that gets us out of our heads and into the present moment would work! I should share a photo of all the fun things I keep in my office 😉
I’ve been knitting Teensy-Beensy socks for a few months. They start at the top with 8 stitches, so there are very few stitches though they are tiny and a bit hard to count. Definitely fun and toy-like!
Love this list! I’m going to pin a copy to the corkboard next to my computer screen 🙂
Today my breaks are pretty easy to plan: I will be working out in a group personal training session (which will be both exercise and something social). This afternoon when I am near the beach for an appointment with a print shop I will take some time on the way home to commune with my camera 🙂
A camera could be considered a toy, right? 😉
Oh I so needed to read this today, thank you for sharing this, Sandi!
Hey Jen,
Thanks so much for popping in. Happy to hear the post was timely 🙂
So intuitive! I have felt like this all. week. long. And it’s only Wed!! Family, planning events and working full time really does take a toll! I plan on unplugging tonight, since it’s my last night by myself. Hydrating will always be factored in and , stretching, breathing and singing! Thanks Sandi! You always hit it, right where it’s needed. <3
I like that you’ve got singing in there! Sing it sista!
Sandi,
Great list!
My two breaks were napping and meditating.
Also, I went exercising for an hour. That is another great way to relax – even if you are sweating 🙂
Cheers,
Timo
Your comment made me remember times when I used to dance till I sweat! Nothing like it to energize me!
Thanks for all the great energizing breaks. I didn’t have to sprain my brain and think of them myself — energizing in and of itself, right? Just realized this morning that I haven’t been drinking enough water for the last several days (could explain the headache I wake up with every morning). So hydrate is my first choice for a break.
And my tummy is doing a legitimate hunger growl — not a pretend “I’m going to make you think you’re hungry when you really aren’t” growl. So I’m going to go make myself a turkey sandwich from the turkey dinner I fixed this past weekend — break #12.
P.S. I know it was just Thanksgiving in Canada. Do Canadians celebrate with turkey the way those of us in the States do? (Inquiring minds wants to know . . .)
Yes, we do celebrate with turkey and Mark cooked his first this past weekend! He and his mom and I energized by cooking dinner together. It was lovely 🙂
I cooked my first turkey in a long time (like 10 years?) this past weekend. I like the idea that you and Mark and his Mom were doing the same thing I was. Makes me feel like we were all connected in a way.
And now come the leftovers — turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, turkey divan, turkey tettrazini, turkey . . . . you get the idea. Think I might turn into a turkey. Gobble, gobble.
Sandi these are such GREAT ideas! Totally sharing with my clients + doing some myself! Thanks!
Yay! Coming from someone who energizes people for a living, your comment makes me very happy!
I recently bought a jigsaw, it’s amazing what lessons it teaches me! Patience, breaking away, seeing the big picture, getting into minute detail and it all stops my mind chattering! I also walk, it takes me a while to stop thinking, maybe at least 100 steps, and yes, I count them!
Thank you for all the other fab ideas I can use 🙂
That explains why puzzles drive me crazy 😉
Kidding aside, toys take us out of our thinking, and that’s usually a good thing! I’ve got a slinky, a ball and a stuffed dog near at hand to remind me not to get too serious.
Sandi – I’m following your lead and taking a break! I can’t stand getting burnt out and I never let myself take a break! Going for a ride on my bike! I’ll be back later with full power! 😛
– Laur
Three cheers for breaks and returning with full power!!!
This is wonderful, Sandi! Thank you so much for sharing this and reminding me that there are simple things I can do throughout the day to look after myself.
Self-care is much simpler than we think…and it takes some work and commitment. Isn’t it funny how we complicate things?
Ahhhh….I feel more energized just reading this! Time for a snack 😉
I love how sometimes just reading something with a new perspective is energizing 🙂
I have given up answering the phone from noon to 5pm every day. It felt awful at first but it’s starting to feel freeing. Friends will wait, and Doctors offices can leave messages to remind me of appointments without my voice on the other end. It’s amazing how many calls just end without a message. All good.
This is a great list. My favorite breaks during my work day are making myself a nice hot drink or poking around in the yard, seeing how the garden is doing, looking for birds, or just lying in the grass soaking up sun.
To go back to the intro to this article, I’d also like to pose the question, where exactly did the unspoken assumption that we’ll be available 24/7 come from? I think, in most cases, it comes from within ourselves. Just because someone writes to us at 2 a.m., for example, doesn’t mean they expect us to respond then. It’s so easy to succumb to this pressure, but I really think it’s something we’ve invented!
I don’t know where the assumption came from, but I’ve never liked it! As I replied to Lynn, when I’m done my work with clients I simply do not answer the phone anymore. It’s the one area I feel that I have some control over. I turn the ringer off and let it go to voicemail so that I can respond the next day.
Next step is to do something similar with email!