It’s easy to convince yourself that you don’t have time to take a break when you have a lot of tasks on your to-do list.

A break can be as long or short as you like. But when half of UK workers don’t take their full annual leave entitlement each year, the reality is that the number of people taking short breaks during the day will be even smaller.

There is real evidence that time spent “doing nothing” actually helps you do a lot more – but we’re conditioned to feel guilty for taking any time off.

I’m determined to change that for you today!

Here’s how taking a break – be it long or short – helps to make you more productive, creative, and happy.

Rest Boosts Creativity

If there’s one thing I want to stress in this article, it’s this: your best work will not be done spending hours in front of your screen.

Research shows that our brain can only fully concentrate for around 25 minutes before needing a break – it’s why deep work methods like the Pomodoro Technique have become popular. Imagine what happens to our creativity and problem-solving capabilities if we don’t switch off for weeks, or even months.

By detaching yourself from your deadlines, even briefly, you gain a fresh point of view. Giving your brain a break opens up your thinking, which is where your most creative ideas will come from.

You need time to think! And this is a challenge when you’re too bogged down in the “doing.” Your mind has much more potential during or after a prolonged period of rest.

If you’re questioning taking that long lunch break or booking that trip away: do it. You will surprise yourself with the brainwaves that strike when you least expect them.

(And if you’d like more evidence on how rest improves creativity, check out this TED talk from designer Stefan Sagmeister on ‘The Power of Taking Time Off’. It’s pretty transformative stuff.)

Squash Your Stress

If you’re dealing with a particularly difficult work issue, sitting and ruminating on it will make things worse and add to your stress. It might sound counterproductive but walking away for a moment will help you to solve the problem faster.

Taking a break helps you to decompress and your stress levels will decrease. Social breaks are particularly good, so grab a colleague, friend, or family member for a coffee or a quick chat.

If you just keep pushing through, eventually you could find yourself struggling with chronic stress or burnout. These issues are much harder to deal with because they are habitual and will impact every aspect of your life. Prevent either one from laying roots with some time out.

Improve Your Health

One of the best ways to take a break is to get moving. But how does this benefit you in the long run?

We all know that exercise gets your blood flowing and releases endorphins. But taking a break for exercise also helps improve your immune system. This reduces unplanned time off for illness, which ultimately makes you more productive.

Even a little movement can help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and depression. And that doesn’t even get into the benefits for your mental health!

Just five minutes at a time can make a huge difference in the long run.

Become More Present

We’re so used to being switched on all the time that it can be hard to slow down and disconnect. Taking a break from both work and technology gives you the opportunity for some impactful mental rest.

Read a book, go for a walk, or simply admire your surroundings. Not only do you get the benefit of some much-needed time for contemplation, but you will also gain a new perspective: the world is so much bigger than work.

Hopefully, this blog has helped you to understand why taking a break makes you more productive.

There are two components to the phrase “work/life balance” – so why do we insist on only focusing on the “work” part? One of the most common things said by people approaching the end of their life is: “I wish I hadn’t worked so much.”

Life is made for living. So, I highly encourage you to take breaks, be it during your working day or for a more prolonged period of rest, play, and making memories.

Make the most of the upcoming Festive Season and come back refreshed and rejuvenated for a brilliant 2023.

Your body and brain will thank you for it.

As the nights get colder, darker, and longer, it can be all too tempting to curl up and stay cosy inside.

Any kind of ‘active travelling’ such as walking or cycling tends to take a back seat on chilly days.

But did you know that staying active in the winter has a heap of health benefits?

So as much as you want to human hibernate, keep reading to find out about the importance of staying active in the winter.

Get Your Daylight In

As the days get shorter, it’s even more important to find pockets of sunshine where you can.

Taking a walk, cycling, or going for a run during daylight hours will give you a much-needed dose of Vitamin D. It will also jump-start your circadian rhythm, which has a huge influence on your health, your mood, and your sleep patterns.

If you’d like to find out more about your circadian rhythm, check out our blog post here.

Boost Your Winter Wellbeing

Gloomy weather can make us feel a bit rubbish, but sometimes it becomes more serious than that.

Low mood can also be a symptom of Seasonal Affective Disorder – more commonly known as SAD.

My advice is to be gentle with yourself, and only do what you can do. Any intensity of exercise can have a huge positive impact on our well-being, so try and get into the habit of going for a wee walk every day. You’ll find you feel just a little better afterwards.

Avoid Winter Bugs

We already know about the benefits that staying active has on our health long-term – it helps us to lose weight and reduce the risk of strokes, Type 2 Diabetes, and even certain cancers.

But really, what this boils down to is that staying active has a positive impact on our immune system. So when those nasty winter colds and flu are doing the rounds, your activity level will help you not only starve off the symptoms but perhaps to avoid them in the first place.

Improve Your Heart Health

As the weather gets colder, your body has to work harder to pump bloody around your body during any kind of exercise – which does wonders for your cardiovascular system. Anything that improves your heart health gets a massive tick in my book!

Generate Your Own Heat

There’s no doubt that staying warm this winter is a thought on everyone’s mind at the moment. So why not create your own heat with an outdoor workout?

Layer up, get yourself outside and start moving. Your blood starts pumping, and your body temperature rises along with it. This internal heatwave lasts long after your workout finishes too, which means you can hold off on turning the heating on for a bit longer.

Hopefully, this blog has given you a lovely introduction to the importance of staying active in the winter. The benefits for your health, heart, and happiness speak for themselves!

If you’re still struggling with motivation to get out and about as the temperatures drop, Club Synergy would love to help.

Our Monday NETwalking Sessions help to kick-start your week with fresh air and good conversation – no matter the weather. You can get all the benefits of staying active in the winter, plus a supportive chat from a fellow business owner and walking buddy at the same time. It’s a win-win!

Get the best of what Club Synergy has to offer with a 14-day free trial here.

Recently I completed my 8th marathon alongside another Club Synergy member, Elizabeth who nailed her first. 

Not long into my 26 miles I knew that this was one run where "Jeffing" would be making an early appearance if I was going to finish.

What is Jeffing?

Jeffing is a structed run/walk strategy named after Olympian, Jeff Galloway who created to coaching technique to help runners tackle longer distances with less strain on the body.  

It usually involves running for 1-2 minutes followed by walking for 1-2 minutes on repeat and it was my saviour for this marathon.

You can read more about jeffing HERE.

You don't have to run the full way to be a marathoner.

There is a tendency for those tackling a race to beat themselves up if they don't run the WHOLE way but by relaxing this attitude you can enable your body to go further and with less chance of hitting the dreaded "wall".  This applies just as much to those entering their first 5 or 10k as for those taking on 26.2 miles.

Your pace doesn't need to suffer.

Perhaps surprisingly, with a balanced set of intervals (I opted for 90 seconds running/90 seconds walking) you can maintain a pace surprisingly close to continuous running.  Assuming that you stride rather than saunter during the walking portion your pace will not suffer significantly.  

Try it when your mind is playing games with you...

It's often said that running is as much of a mental sport as physical, that your body can go on long after your mind wants you to stop. 

Adopting a jeffing strategy quiets the mind in two ways. 

1. It helps you seize back mental control from those mind monkeys that want you to just stop running. Having a walking "reward" built in is often enough to turn down the noise.

2. Focusing on the time to know when to walk and when to run gives you something else to place your attention on. It helps shut out the negative chatter and think only about the interval you are currently completing

Why am I sharing this?

Whether or not you run races, I'm sure the feeling of having your mind gently suggest that it would be much easier to give up on something is familiar.  Motivation is fickle and this is when discipline and repetition comes into play. 

Next time you want to give up on something, think about how jeffing could work in your situation?

• Could you work in 10 minute bursts with a 10 minute rest in between?

• Could you lower the expectations you are carrying about how "perfect" the finished article must be?