9 Ways To Take Micro-Breaks At Work For Better Balance and Well-Being

One of the biggest challenges that working moms face is finding the right balance between work, family, and our own personal needs. If our jobs are highly demanding, we might miss out on time at home or feel like we just don’t have the emotional bandwidth to be present with our families at the end of the workday.

Most of us probably want nothing more than to kick our feet up after a hard day at work and decompress. But for working moms, that’s far from reality. Once we leave our jobs, we go straight into mom-mode. If we’re overly drained from work, we might not have the emotional or physical energy to handle family responsibilities and be present, engaged moms. That doesn’t feel too good. So what can we do about it?

One strategy is to take micro-breaks throughout the workday. Seems simple, but it can actually have big results. Let’s talk about how incorporating small regular breaks at work can lead to positive changes on our well-being and personal lives.

The Benefits Of Taking Micro-Breaks At Work

The practice of micro-wellness, or small moments of self-care lasting between 5-10 minutes, has become popular among our busy, always-on generation. It’s a simple solution to a very modern problem – we just don’t have the time! If we apply the same idea to the workplace, taking micro-breaks at work means seizing small opportunities when you can – 10 minutes or less here and there – to temporarily detach from work and reset your mind.

For working moms who rarely have chunks of time for self-care, taking micro-breaks can be especially helpful. For some of us, especially those with young kids, it might even be an opportunity for wellness that we don’t get at home – you probably know that it’s pretty tough trying to meditate with a toddler at your heels.

Research supports the idea that taking micro-breaks at work can improve well-being and limit fatigue. Here are some of the ways it can be helpful, particularly for working moms:

Improved focus, concentration, and productivity at work

Taking micro-breaks throughout the day helps to improve our focus and concentration at work, making us more likely to finish tasks within work hours. That increased productivity boost we get means we can actually get our work done at work, and not have to spend personal time finishing tasks off the clock.

Reduced mental fatigue and better emotional well-being

Mental fatigue occurs when we are focusing on one thing for an extended period of time without taking a break. Our brains get tired of constant high-level work, which can potentially lead to emotional fatigue. By taking micro-breaks, we give our brains a chance to rest and recuperate. As a result, we have more mental and emotional energy when the workday is done.

Reduced muscle fatigue and better physical well-being

Sitting for long periods of time may increase the risk of overuse, muscle fatigue, and posture-related injuries. Taking micro-breaks helps prevent that by encouraging us to move our bodies and change positions often, allowing us to maintain our physical well-being.

Improved resilience and tolerance to work stress

Taking micro-breaks builds our tolerance to handling stress at work, which can make us more emotionally resilient. That means the bad days at work can stay at work – the negative emotions we encounter don’t have to follow us home, affecting our interactions with our kids and families.

Improved occupational and overall wellness

When we take regular micro-breaks throughout the day, we can improve our sense of occupational wellness and our satisfaction with work. Better occupational wellness leads to better overall life satisfaction and well-being, which in turn results in more positive interactions in our personal lives.

It’s not always easy, especially in fast-paced or service environments. I work in healthcare, so I see patients back to back from the first work hour to the last. Lunch is the only actual scheduled break in my workday. Still, I find 1-5 minutes every few hours outside of lunch to detach and re-energize. Make the best of your time limitations and circumstances, and incorporate micro-breaks when you can.

9 Ways To Take Micro-Breaks At Work

1. Take A Walk Outside

Fresh air and sunlight can do wonders for the spirit. A short walk puts us in a better mood, reduces the effects of prolonged sitting, and promotes healthy circulation. Even if it’s cold outside, take a walk if you can – it’ll bring you out of the work bubble and into the present moment, giving you some much needed distance and clarity.

2. Do A Breathing Exercise

Did you know that doing breathing exercises and breathwork has positive effects on our mood and stress levels, and also has a physiological impact on our bodies? As little as a few minutes of breathwork can help with managing work-related stress and anxiety, which is key to achieving a healthy work-life balance.

3. Stretch At Your Desk

A few minutes of stretching or light exercise at your desk or workspace is a quick way to help re-energize your body and your mind. Regular stretching also plays a vital role in our physical health by loosening tight muscles, encouraging circulation, and alleviating pain from bad posture or overuse. Here are some examples of exercises to do at your desk:

Roll your shoulders backwards and forwards in circles to loosen up your neck and upper back
Look down to the ground and then back up to the ceiling to stretch your neck
Tilt your neck sideways moving your ear towards your shoulder on one side, then the other to stretch your neck and shoulders
Roll your wrists in circles clockwise and counterclockwise
Lean all the way forward in your chair and let your arms fall down to the floor to stretch your back and hips

4. Practice mindfulness

You’ve probably heard about mindfulness and how practicing it can have beneficial effects on our well-being. What exactly is mindfulness? Mindfulness is all about bringing you into the present moment. It means focusing on what you are doing – in a non-judgmental way – and the sensations and emotions of that moment. You can mindfully wash your hands, mindfully eat your lunch, or mindfully sit outside. Focus only on the things that you are experiencing – the temperature of the water on your hands, the textures and tastes of your lunch, the sounds of nature and the warmth of the sun. Mindfulness is a skill that can be developed over time, and practicing it has been shown to reduce stress and well-being.

5. Listen To A Mindfulness Meditation

If you’re new to mindfulness or are having trouble getting started, try listening to a mindfulness meditation online to help move things along. Sometimes I have a hard time pulling my thoughts back to the present moment, particularly if I’ve had an emotional morning or anticipating a busy evening. It’s easy to find free videos online with a quick search on Google, or you can use an app like Calm or Headspace.

6. Make A List Of Things You Are Grateful For

Gratitude is a powerful emotion that has a positive relationship with our feelings of life satisfaction and well-being. It takes very little time or resources to make a list of 3-5 things you are grateful for, but it can help put things into perspective. When you first start making gratitude lists, it’ll probably include the big things – your family, your kids, your life. But as you continue to reflect on your life and all the positive things in it, you’ll start to notice and be more appreciative of the little things.

7. Listen To White Noise Or Nature Sounds

Certain frequencies of white noise can improve attention and reduce stress, positively affecting our mood and anxiety levels, and listening to the sounds of nature has a positive effect on well-being. Both are easily available online and require basically nothing except a phone or computer and headphones. Listening to nature sounds – the sound of rain on leaves, ocean waves crashing on the shore – is one of my favorite ways to take micro-breaks at work.

8. Color

Coloring isn’t just for kids. Adult coloring can reduce our stress and anxiety levels, ultimately benefiting our overall well-being. When we are coloring, our attention is focused on the activity and in the present moment. It’s another way to promote a mindful, present state of being and detach from work for a short time.

9. Find A Quiet Place

Sometimes I don’t necessarily want to do a wellness or mindfulness activity in my micro-break time, but would rather just find a quiet place to escape for a few minutes and let my mind wander. Maybe I’m thinking about my after work to-do list or something I read last night, or maybe I’m just sipping some tea or water in peace. For moms who are always on, it can feel good to do nothing for once.

Micro-breaks at work can be an opportunity for busy working moms to practice intentional self-care or simply to escape from work stress and manage our emotional health. They promote a better work-life balance by improving our occupational wellness, making work less emotionally draining and leaving us with more energy for our personal lives. The way we parent and our capacity for handling the day-to-day family responsibilities is heavily dependent on our ability to balance our energies between work and personal life. Our happiness, if not our sanity, lies in finding that balance.