Dr David Posen -Stress Management Keynote Speaker and Author

Work-Life Balance

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Even VCRs have a pause button

Do you feel you have a good balance between work and life?

During my internship in 1967, I was assisting at a late-morning gall bladder operation. Near the end, when the surgeon and resident didn't need me anymore, I said I was going to have lunch. They started to laugh and needle me. Unknowingly, I broke the protocol that demands that everyone stay until the operation was over. But, I was hungry and tired, we were starting outpatient clinic at 1:00 and I just needed a break, so I left. That story followed me for the rest of the year. (Mind you, given the number of doctors who skip lunch or inhale their food on the run, maybe I wasn't setting such a bad example!)

This story is as much about pacing as it is about eating. It's about taking breaks to increase efficiency and productivity--and to reduce stress.

Time-outs are built into every sport, from halftime in football to changing sides in tennis. Physical labourers take time-outs and everyone understands their need to rest muscles and regain energy. But most of us today are knowledge-workers, and too many people think nothing of working from eight a.m. to six p.m. without even stopping for lunch. This is a bad idea. Like physical labour, mental work is also tiring. We fool ourselves if we think we can do it well without taking time-outs. In my work-life balance seminars I often ask how many participants can listen to a two-hour lecture without once losing focus, or read work-related material for two hours and retain total attention? I've yet to see a hand go up.

The need for periodic breaks is also supported by science. Dr. Ernest Rossi, in his excellent book, The 20-Minute Break (Tarcher/Putnam 1991) explains that we have two-hour cycles throughout the day wherein our energy and activity level rise, peak, come down and finally our bodies go into a state of physiological rest for about 20 minutes. (See diagram)

Dr. Rossi calls these "ultradian" cycles and advocates taking "ultradian healing breaks."

He suggests that, because our productivity is reduced anyway, we should use these 20 minutes for rest and recovery. My own productivity has been enhanced considerably by this kind of pacing.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU NEED A BREAK?

Our bodies give us signals when they need a rest. The most obvious sign is fatigue. Others include loss of concentration, indecisiveness, making mistakes, or feeling restless and needing to stretch or move around. Most people ignore these signals and keep soldiering on. But actually, it's better to pay attention and take a 20-minute break - and if you can't take 20, take 10 (or even 5).

Realistically, you can't always take a break when the mood hits you. After all, if you're sitting in a meeting it would be hard to say, "Oops, I just got a signal from my body that it's time for a breather. See you later." Just do your best to take breaks on a timely basis.

HOW TO TAKE A BREAK

A friend of mine calls these "snapshot vacations."

Any of the following will help:

Power nap (5-20 minutes)
Meditation or relaxation exercise
Daydreaming
Nutrition break
Walk or other form of physical activity
Social break (phone a friend or visit a colleague down the hall - of course your "intermission" might be their "interruption" ...)
Music break (radio or Walkman)
Bathroom break - (perhaps the only place where people will leave you alone for a few minutes)
Humour break (book of cartoons or comedy tape)
Hobby break (a crossword puzzle or solitaire)
Reading break (magazine article or book)
Sunshine break - go outside for some rays and fresh air
Low concentration tasks (sometimes a change is as good as a rest): Sort through your mail, do some photocopying, return a phone call

You may be wondering "How can I take a 20-minute break every two hours when I'm already overloaded with work?" The ironic thing is that periodic breaks actually increase your productivity and pay you back for the time taken. It's a smart investment. And it's not that big a deal. The traditional schedule of morning and afternoon "coffee" breaks plus time for lunch divides the day into ultradian cycles.

The benefits of time-outs are not restricted to restoring energy. They're also important for reducing stress, and for stepping back to reflect on your work--contemplation time to get perspective on tough problems. When I do counselling I need a break between sessions to clear my head and get ready for the next patient. It's also a more enjoyable way to spend the day.

So whether you're playing sports, performing physical work or doing mental tasks, time-outs are an important way of pacing yourself. Walt Disney understood this 70 years ago when he said to his animators, "I don't care if you're loafing. Everybody gets tired. If you feel stale, get some fresh air. But don't let me catch you jumping back to your desks." Humans are not built to work non-stop. Neither are animals nor machines. After all, even VCRs have a pause button. So take a tip from technology and give yourself a break.