🎒 Microlesson

🪞 Reflect

How often do you take a break—a real break, away from your computer—when you work remotely?

💡 Concept

Breaks aren’t just a form of self-care. Taking regular breaks throughout the workday increases productivity, improves cognitive function, and can lead to greater job satisfaction.

Remembering to take breaks can be challenging for remote workers, however. You might have back-to-back Zoom meetings or an overwhelming workload. You might be deeply engrossed in a project, or maybe you just feel guilty about taking a few minutes of downtime. To keep the day getting away from you, schedule some breaks in advance by blocking the time on your calendar or setting alarms that remind you to take a break.

Outside of scheduled breaks, be aware of any signs that indicate you need to step away from your desk as soon as possible:

• A task is taking way longer than it should.

• You’re hungry.

• You can’t seem to concentrate.

To hold yourself accountable, set a goal for yourself and keep track of how many days you are able to take breaks. Try sharing break-time ideas with your team to encourage transparent work and break habits. By openly discussing and exchanging suggestions for taking breaks, team members can support and inspire each other to prioritize self-care and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

🎬 Take Action

• Schedule time in your day to take regular breaks. Fifteen minutes is a good stretch of time for self-care.

• The next time you take a break, try something different than what you normally do. Some ideas:

  • Stretch.

  • Practice deep breathing or meditation.

  • Write in a journal.

  • Take a walk.

  • Step outside.

  • Chat with a friend or family member.

  • Do a mini-workout routine.

  • Prepare and eat a snack.

  • Draw, color, or paint.

  • Work on a puzzle.

  • Listen to music.

  • Dance.

• Set reminders to take breaks at regular intervals.

• Share break ideas with your team.

✅ Check In

🧠 Keep Learning

Learn more about how to structure your workday with the Workplaceless Remote Work Certification.

📰 News

We’ve lowered our prices for many of our self-paced eCourses!

Async at Work: $45 (was $145)

Leadplaceless: $195 (was $495)

Leadplaceless + Hybrid Team Success Toolkit Bundle: $245

See our most up-to-date pricing in our Course Catalog.

🎁 Learn with your team!

Refer our weekly microlessons to your team members to learn as a group! Just follow the instructions in the section below to get started.