Take a Break!

There is an interesting post at zenhabits about taking breaks from your work to make yourself more productive. It makes sense to me.

My dad worked long hours as a food service manager in a hotel. He had the use of a small room in the hotel where he would go for a nap every afternoon. He could be reached by phone if there was an emergency and he usually left a message to call him if he was not back by a certain time. But it was rarely necessary to call him. If he planned on a 30 minute nap, he woke up after 30 minutes. That always amazed me. He continued to take what we now call "power naps" even after he retired.

For myself, I take work breaks when I am working here at the computer for another reason. I can lose all track of time, especially if I am doing graphics work. Several hours can pass before I know it. These days, if I sit that long, I can hardly walk when I do finally get up.

I set the stove timer for 45 minutes. The timer is very annoying, so I will at least walk to the kitchen to reset it. Most often I reset it for 15 minutes and try to do something active to limber up the muscles and joints: vacuum, load the washer, clean off the porches, etc. You can really get a lot done in 15 minutes. Then I start the 45/15 minute cycle again.

I do sometimes take 30 minute power naps. Unlike my dad, I have to set the alarm. Otherwise, I am going to sleep two or three hours before I wake up. I do try not to take long naps because I get myself on a cycle of staying up too late. If I sleep in the next morning, I never really get going and drag around all day. If I am going to accomplish anything during the day, I need to get an early start.