How many times have you gotten to the end of a school day only to find yourself exhausted! You don’t even remember sitting down or eating lunch. Unfortunately, this feeling occurs for too many of us, and too often. While we think this non-stop, get-everything-done mentality is helping us survive, the reality is we are running ourselves ragged, As a result we are often LESS productive!
Take Five
Research has shown that taking a break from work for even a few minutes can benefit mental and physical health, prevent “decision fatigue,” restore motivation, increase productivity and creativity, and improve learning. Yet so few of us take advantage of this! We continue to push until we have nothing left. (How Do Work Breaks Help Your Brain?)
Daniel Pink, the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, found significant research supporting the benefits of taking breaks throughout the day. Pink found the following:
- Taking even a short break beats taking no break
- Moving during your break is better than staying stationary
- Taking a break with others is more restorative than being alone
- An outdoor break will replenish you more than an indoor break
- A fully detached break – not checking email or text messages – is the most beneficial
With that said, find five minutes, or three minutes, or even one minute, to stop and reset. Your mind will thank you, and your students will thank you!
“Mindfulness is a way of being, a practice we can engage in. It’s not an abstract state; it’s a kind, curious, non-judgmental awareness that we try to bring to each moment.”
MEENA SRINIVASAN
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