You’re feeling overwhelmed at work. How can you make the most of your breaks?

1 Plan your breaks

Don't wait until you're exhausted or burned out to take a break. Schedule your breaks in advance and stick to them. This way, you can avoid interruptions, distractions, and guilt. You can also use a timer or an app to remind you when to stop and resume your work. Try to take at least one 15-minute break in the morning and one in the afternoon, and a longer lunch break in the middle of the day.

2 Choose your activities

What you do during your breaks can make a big difference in how you feel and perform afterwards. You can choose activities that suit your mood, preferences, and goals in order to boost your blood circulation, energy, and mood. For instance, stretching, walking, or exercising can be beneficial. Meditating, breathing, or listening to music can help calm your mind, reduce stress, and improve focus. Stimulating your brain by reading, learning, or playing a game can enhance creativity and provide some fun. Finally, chatting, calling, or video calling a friend or family member can be a great way to socialize and support each other.

3 Avoid work-related tasks

Taking a break is essential for detaching yourself from your work and giving your mind and body a chance to recover. To make sure you're taking a proper break, avoid activities that remind you of work or add to your workload. This includes checking emails, messages, or notifications from work accounts or devices, reviewing reports, presentations, or spreadsheets that you're working on or have to submit soon, and thinking about deadlines, problems, or challenges that you're facing or have to solve later.

4 Evaluate your breaks

After each break, take a moment to reflect on how you feel and what you've done. Ask yourself if you enjoyed your break, if you did something that aligned with your needs, interests, and values, if you avoided work-related tasks and thoughts and focused on yourself and your well-being, and if you followed your plan and respected your time and boundaries. If the answer is yes to these questions, congratulate yourself and keep up the good work. If not, don't worry or blame yourself; just identify what went wrong and what you can do better next time. Taking breaks is not a luxury or waste of time; it's actually a necessity for health, happiness, and performance in corporate finance. By following these tips, you can make the most of your breaks.