I love the Anne Lamott quote “almost everything will work if you unplug it for a few minutes…including you.” It’s a humorous take on a serious point: it is so important for physical and mental health to take regular and refreshing breaks from work.

In my coaching practice, I am concerned by the number of clients I am seeing who are “overwhelmed”, who are in back-to-back meetings during the day with barely time to go to the loo let alone eat or get out into daylight and fresh air, or who are working evenings and weekends to keep on top of their workloads. This is good for no-one: for the individual, their family, their team or the organisation. The scientific evidence for the importance of taking breaks from work is overwhelming; there’s a reason rest is a key part of any athlete’s training!

So if you are reading this as a leader, make this part of your organisational culture. Simple things make a difference:
· Schedule meetings to last for 45 minutes so attendees have 15 minutes in every hour to refresh;
· Set an example by stepping out of the office at lunchtime for a walk in the park, schedule time in your diary for reflection, leave the office on time;
· Encourage everyone to use their holiday allowance, spread throughout the year: even long weekends can make a difference in reducing work-related stress.

If you’re not a leader, do these things for yourself – your mind and body will thank you!

I’d love to hear in the comments what you do to take care of yourself. As you can see in the photo I have a pal who makes sure I’m out in the fresh air every day 🙂

Posted in Articles, Four pieces of advice, drawn from my own experience and my coaching work