How to "Take a Break" from Working at Home

Working from home can be challenging, especially for those who've never done it before.  You're "at home", in that safe and familiar refuge where you normally take a break from work... but now your work has crept into that place too, so you're feeling pressure to be productive instead of relaxing, and that's a little unnerving.  :)  We can try to shake that feeling by stepping away for 5 minutes and doing something else to give our brains a moment to reset, but careful where you choose to step!  Breaks can become habits... some are good, some are bad.

Grabbing a snack from the fridge is an activity that can "accumulate" over time, watering the houseplants is best avoided unless they're already aquatic, and don't start composing a grand symphony as you won't finish that in 5 minutes.   Here are some sensible tips to keep "cabin fever" at bay in a sensible way :

• Step outside, take a breath of fresh-air and look at something far away to give your eyes a break.
• Talk with a family member.
• Give the family pet a bit of love and attention, it's good for both of you!
• Start a load of laundry, or fold some until your 5 min is up.
• Pull some weeds in the back yard, re-pot a houseplant, or just take a moment to admire your green-space.
• Take a camera or phone and snap a few photos... try to improve your technique.
• Grab a broom and give the floor a sweep.
• Take some soap and a brush and give the bathroom sink and faucet handles a scrub.

... or choose some other brief, real-world task that you can finish in 5 minutes, and then make it happen.  They can all give your mind a moment to "chill", and help get you back in the groove so that you can sit down and focus again.