Happy Saturday!
On July 4th, I flew out to Colorado to visit my nephews. It was a jam-packed week of bowling, table tennis, top golf, swimming, and just hanging out and catching up.
I love my nephews so much and wish I lived closer so that I could spend more time watching them grow up. The eldest has already surpassed me in height.
From July 4th to July 9th, I spent as much time as I could creating memories, living in the present moment, dedicated to making the most out of my time with them, which meant I did not work on my business at all.
And you know what, that is okay.
Life is not all about the hustle. It is an ebb and flow of working hard to create your dream life and a better life for your family while also enjoying every moment of it and living life to the fullest.
So, if you need a reminder that it is okay to take a break and fill your cup, this is that reminder.
In fact, taking breaks can really help you to fill your cup and increase your productivity!
Have you ever been working so much you felt stuck? Then went outside took a walk came back and the ideas started flowing?
Taking breaks allow you to prevent burnout, don’t believe me then google it, there are countless scientific articles.
One from the Harvard Business Review states that “Taking periodic work breaks throughout the day can boost well-being and performance.”
If you’re your own boss, balancing productivity with well-being can be a challenge. It’s easy to fall into the trap of working nonstop. I know I often do this.
However, effective breaks can make a significant difference in your efficiency and overall health.
Here are the top three things you need to know about taking breaks to boost your productivity:
- The Importance of Timing and Duration
- Micro-Breaks: Even if you’re working alone, short breaks throughout your day can work wonders. Spend a couple of minutes every hour doing activities like stretching, snacking, or even just looking out the window. These micro-breaks can help prevent exhaustion and keep your productivity levels high.
- Optimal Timing: Research suggests that shorter breaks are more effective in the morning, while longer breaks can be more beneficial in the late afternoon when your energy levels naturally decline. Take account of your energy levels throughout the day and take longer breaks when your energy starts to decline. This can give you the push to keep working!
- Action Plan: Schedule regular, brief breaks every hour in the morning and consider taking a longer break in the late afternoon. This approach will help you recharge and maintain productivity throughout the day.
- Enhance Your Breaks with the Right Location
- Outdoor Advantage: Stepping outside to a natural setting for your break can provide significantly better recovery than staying at your workspace. If you have access to a park or any green space, use it to refresh your mind and reduce stress.
- Home Office Adjustment: If leaving to go outside is not an option then create a break-friendly environment within your home. Designate a cozy corner or set up a small indoor garden where you can relax or get a fish tank and sit and watch the tranquil underwater world.
- Select the Best Break Activities
- Physical Activity: Engaging in physical exercise during your break can boost both your well-being and productivity. Activities like a quick walk, light stretching, or even a short workout can be very effective, especially if your work is mentally demanding.
- Mindful Choices: While browsing social media is a common break activity, it can lead to emotional exhaustion rather than rejuvenation. Instead, opt for activities that genuinely relax and refresh you.
- Personalized Breaks: Experiment with different activities to find what works best for you. It could be playing with a pet, practicing mindfulness, or simply enjoying a cup of tea in a quiet spot.
By incorporating these strategies into your workday, you can improve your well-being and maintain high productivity levels even when working for yourself.
So this week, I just wanted you to get to know me better and me to get to know you better. What fills your cup? What activities do you do that refresh you? Get you unstuck? Motivate you to continue on when things get hard? Do you currently take breaks through the day? If so, what activities do you like to do?
Comment below, I would love to know.
And if you are just working, working, working feeling tired, overwhwelmend, behind, starting to shift from a growth mindset to a downward spiral then I invite you to do something that fills your cup.
Whether it’s a yoga class, going to the movies, your favorite restaurant, taking a walk outside, or in my case, playing with the kittie, this is self-care, and self-care is not selfish; it’s necessary and helps fil your cup so you can continue to give it your all.
As we ride from rookie to riches, we are going to face many challenges, have days where we just cannot sit down and get to work, have events to go to, time to spend with family, and life to live. Just because we don’t have a traditional 9 to 5 business with affiliate marketing doesn’t mean you can’t set up time to work, rest, and play. What’s so great about affiliate marketing is once you are set it up, it’s easy to take breaks, and your business can run itself while your off on these adventures!
Just starting out and want to learn more about what affiliate marketing has to offer and how to get started? Then click here and snag my 5-step checklist!
And don’t forget to comment below, I would love to know an activity that fills your cup and gets your head back in the game!
To our success,
Alison Blaire
11 Responses
This is a very important topic – taking breaks! And I like your Top Three list for boosting productivity in this regard.
I spend a lot of time at my computer and I know to get up and walk around once every hour. I’ll even step out on the balcony (our garden) to breathe in some fresh air before getting back at it.
And usually about noon – if I am not heading out to workout – I am taking about an hour’s break walking around the neighbourhood which includes a park of green green grass and more. These are the things that gets my head back in the game. Now – it’s about time I get started on that walk, eh.
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Hi Alison – First, let me say you have a beautiful family! Thank you for sharing your time with them with those of us reading this great blog post. I could not agree more! Taking a break mentally, physically and all other words that end in “lly” is so important. To answer your question from the post, yes, I do take breaks often and have learned to appreciate them. I used to feel guilty when I walked away but now I feel good as I get reenergized and refocused when I take these breaks. Now, the challenge is to know when to come back from these short micro brakes. Have a fantastic week, my friend!
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This is such a great post Alison,
Being of the “older” generation that believed (yeah, right) in the hustle and bustle of everyday work until you literally passed out, I can definitely relate.
While working at the bank, we had a supervisor in another department that didn’t believe in burnouts and touted his pipe that supervisors didn’t take breaks or extended medical leaves and worked 12 hour shifts and got the job done.
That’s until he had to take a medical break. He was burnt out, worked himself to the point of physical and mental exhaustion.
Taking the time to reenergize is so important. Thank you for the reminder.
Hi Alison,
Sounds like you had a fantastic trip to Colorado with your nephews! It’s so important to take time off and cherish moments with family. I completely agree that life isn’t just about the hustle, we all need breaks to recharge. Your tips on the importance of breaks, timing, and choosing the right activities are great. They really help prevent burnout and keep us productive. I’d love to hear more about what activities help others recharge. Thanks for the great reminder that self-care is essential!
Meredith
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Happy Weekend, Alison!
It sounds like you had an amazing time creating memories with your nephews in Colorado! Taking that break to focus on family and recharge is so important. You’re absolutely right—life isn’t just about hustle; it’s about enjoying those special moments and building memories to treasure forever!
I appreciate your insights on the benefits of taking breaks. They’re not just a luxury but essential for keeping up productivity and overall well-being. Whether it’s a quick stretch, a walk outside, or just a moment to relax, those breaks can make a difference.
Personally, my favorite is stepping outside into nature. There’s something about being surrounded by trees and birds that clears my head and makes me calm for the tasks ahead.
Thanks for inviting us to reflect on how we balance work and self-care. It’s a great reminder for all of us in affiliate marketing to take those moments to recharge and keep pushing toward our goals, especially since it’s so easy to sit in front of the computer for hours on end, losing track of time.
Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures both in business and in fun!
To our success,
Nakina
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Your trip to Colorado sounds like an absolute blast! Bowling, table tennis, top golf, and swimming—sounds like a perfect way to spend time with your nephews. It’s so important to make those memories and live in the moment. And you’re so right—taking a break from work is not only okay but necessary. Life is all about balance, and those breaks can really recharge your batteries and boost productivity.
What fills my cup? Honestly, a good walk outside or just chilling with a book. Taking those breaks really helps me stay motivated and lets me breathe!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reminding us all that self-care is crucial. I find when you take a break, its only then you realise actually how much you needed it!
Hi Alison,
I’m very glad that you are taking a well-earned break after doing so much work, starting a new job, this affiliate marketing and blog as well as your other online work!!
It is great that you chose to write about it in your blog and how much it meant to your well-being to spend time with family, creating memories, and living in the moment.
I think in your early posts you also shared teaching yoga and using outdoor spaces, so you are already very much in touch with mind and body stretching and synchronicity.
I am also mindful of the toll on the mind, body, and spirit particularly when working online, the temptation to be at the computer for hours at a time without breaks, and as much as I do know I still am tempted to do just that when I feel I’ve fallen behind or when I have taken time off to try to make up for it!
So am happy to see and make note of the three top tips about taking breaks to boost productivity.
My favorite is the micro breaks! I love spending a couple of minutes every hour that I remember to do activities like stretching, eating, or going for a short walk and taking short breaks for a cup of tea!
I’ve made note of the more specific advice such as Optimal Timing, and the Action Plan to schedule breaks
Thank you for this great post.
Alison thanks for sharing your information about the importance of taking breaks. I do agree that the afternoons are more important for taking longer breaks as when I don’t I feel more exhausted when I get home. It’s nice to see you having so much fun with your nephews I’m sure your presence with them will be remembered for a long time. My niece often remembers the times I spent with her chasing lizards in the back yard. All the Best!
It sounds like you had a great time with your nephews. Lots of new memories to keep for ever. I love the advice about taking breaks; I wish my employer had encouraged us to take more breaks. But now I’m free to take as many as I like – probably too many as it turns out. LOL
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Loved reading about your trip to Colorado and the fun-filled week with your nephews! It’s so important to cherish those moments with family, and it sounds like you made the most of it. Balancing work and personal life really resonates. It’s a great reminder that taking breaks not only rejuvenates us but also boosts our productivity. Thanks for sharing such valuable insights and for the reminder that self-care is essential. Looking forward to more of your posts!
Hi Alison,
I really enjoy reading your blog posts!
This is a great post and so important as we can so easily get so wrapped up with work and only realize when it’s to late that we are burnt out 🙁 However, you’ve shared some awesome tips and ideas of what we can do to get that area back in balance. While working it’s not hard for me to suddenly get sleepy and I found what works best for me. I have two screens I work with and on 1/2 of the big screen I have on my right I play a movie or sitcom. Some thing it’s a distraction, but I play something I’ve seen a hundred times but still love. This way I don’t have to stare at it but I can play and know in my mind what’s happening. Believe it or not, this helps me. Sometimes I even put on something old school like Carol Burnette show 🙂 I’m a horror fan also… as I write this I have Scream playing in the background today 😮
Thanks a gain for another great post!
Denny
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