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Abstract

dea is you work for 45, 60, or 90 minutes, and then take a quick two to five minute break. Walk around, go to the restroom, get water, or just go outside for a couple of minutes. Then, jump back into your work. Sounded simple, but why does this help?</p><h1 id="928a">What I Learned About Breaking Up Our Work</h1><h2 id="db02">Ultradian Rhythm</h2><p id="89cc">I was already working, why would taking time away from work help? What I found, was something called the ‘Ultradian Rhythm.’ This cycle is apparently present in both our sleep and our waking moments. The Ultradian Rhythm is as follows:</p><blockquote id="07fd"><p>“Our brains can focus for 90–120 minutes at a time, and then need rest. The longer you go, the more rest you need. The shorter the time, the shorter the rest.”</p></blockquote><p id="e184">We need to take breaks to allow our brains to rest. When our brains are rested, we can operate at a higher level of focus, creativity, and critical-thinking. Others have found similar patters.</p><h2 id="e46a">Pomodoro Technique</h2><p id="a08c">Another one of these patterns which developed a system for working productively was created by Francisco Cirillo in the 1980’s. His technique focuses on breaking down work activity into 25 minute work intervals and taking short breaks until you have completed work.</p><p id="8ef8">We can only work at a high level for so long. After this time, we start to slow down and have errors in our work. When we break, we allow our brains to catch back up to where we were minutes before.</p><h1 id="189a">Making it Work</h1><p id="ffe9">While most jobs won’t allow you to take a break every 25 minutes, I have found our days naturally breakdown in to 60–90 minute intervals. For example, if I arrive to my office at 8:30am, I can complete my workday set up and morning routine in the first hour.</p><p id="b26a">Then at 9:30am I take a quick break, five minutes or so, to grab water and use the restroom. Then I jump back in at my difficult tasks to complete before lunch. I work on those until 11am. At this point, there is a option to break for lunch, or work another 60 minutes interval. At 12:15pm, I am ready for lunch.</p><p id="aa07">If I take an hour at lunch, it is a good time to recharge my batteries, maybe read or do something else.</p><p id="818b">1:15pm comes around and it is time to hop back into work for 90 minutes. Work until 2:45pm, take a break and work another 60 minutes. At that point I make it to 3:50pm, and can go another 60 minutes. Boom, the day is over.</p><p id="e1d0">Looking back at this day, I worked seven hours, with an hour lunch, and only took an ad

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ditional 20 minutes of breaks. If you need to work through lunch, make sure you step away from your desk or work station for 30 minutes.</p><h1 id="f447">Does it Work?</h1><p id="d652">After making this part of my work productivity for the last four months, I have found I am able to complete more tasks more thoroughly with a few more little breaks in the day. And even though our workdays might have more work than we can complete, there was another huge benefit.</p><p id="7e17">More often than not, I am able to go home without having to take work with me, and my mind is better rested for my family. This has been a huge plus. Because I don’t only want to me productive at work, I want to create margin for home.</p><p id="5ec3">Try this out, set timers on your phone next week and trial run it for the week. I will guarantee you will find success and new strides in the quality and efficiency of your work habits.</p><h1 id="caa7">Keep Up</h1><p id="8cb3">Have you been keeping up on this series on productivity? If not, check out the series below:</p><div id="c483" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/21-productivity-tips-you-can-use-now-172c77bd49bf"> <div> <div> <h2>21 Productivity Tips You Can Use Now</h2> <div><h3>3 AM, Saturday</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*[email protected])"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="793f">If you missed my last post, check it out here:</p><div id="f43d" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/do-the-difficult-tasks-before-lunch-to-be-more-productive-506cb3aa2086"> <div> <div> <h2>Do the Difficult Tasks Before Lunch to be More Productive</h2> <div><h3>Looking up at the clock, I saw it was only 3 PM. With only two items left in my company software to complete, I figured…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*DcTEUZ5fbxgjMrDO8IEttg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h1 id="32e4">Respond</h1><p id="50ea"><b>If you are skeptical, share your concerns in the responses below. If this is something you do, share your experience. This is one area we can all learn more about.</b></p></article></body>

Breaking Up Your Work Will Build Up Your Productivity

Why You Need to Step Away and How It Helps Your Improve

At my day job, there are people who come in at 8am. They will work through lunch, and leave at 5pm. Whenever I happen to walk by their cubicle, they are always plowing through work. For the tenured worker, I have noticed they tend to be very efficient with their work. For the newer employee, they seem to really struggle, even though they are working so hard.

I was part of the latter group.

Working from the time I got to the office until the time I left took a toll on my body and my soul. Even though I would get up to get food or use the restroom, I basically worked non-stop.

And I was always behind, struggling to catch up, bringing work home and working until I was exhausted.

It was not good.

Back to My 3AM Wake Up Call

Waking up in a nightmare panic over the stress I was experiencing from work caused me to look into my work world. I finally realized I needed to change something and started down the road to this series of productivity tips.

21 Ways that Make You More Productive and Create Massive Margin

Over the last month, can you think back to what your work hours have been? Have you been settling into the traditional…

medium.com

One of the tips and tricks I was finding over and over again was this one:

“Break Your Work Up into 45–90 Minute Intervals”

This seemed strange to me. What a wide gap for focused work. The idea is you work for 45, 60, or 90 minutes, and then take a quick two to five minute break. Walk around, go to the restroom, get water, or just go outside for a couple of minutes. Then, jump back into your work. Sounded simple, but why does this help?

What I Learned About Breaking Up Our Work

Ultradian Rhythm

I was already working, why would taking time away from work help? What I found, was something called the ‘Ultradian Rhythm.’ This cycle is apparently present in both our sleep and our waking moments. The Ultradian Rhythm is as follows:

“Our brains can focus for 90–120 minutes at a time, and then need rest. The longer you go, the more rest you need. The shorter the time, the shorter the rest.”

We need to take breaks to allow our brains to rest. When our brains are rested, we can operate at a higher level of focus, creativity, and critical-thinking. Others have found similar patters.

Pomodoro Technique

Another one of these patterns which developed a system for working productively was created by Francisco Cirillo in the 1980’s. His technique focuses on breaking down work activity into 25 minute work intervals and taking short breaks until you have completed work.

We can only work at a high level for so long. After this time, we start to slow down and have errors in our work. When we break, we allow our brains to catch back up to where we were minutes before.

Making it Work

While most jobs won’t allow you to take a break every 25 minutes, I have found our days naturally breakdown in to 60–90 minute intervals. For example, if I arrive to my office at 8:30am, I can complete my workday set up and morning routine in the first hour.

Then at 9:30am I take a quick break, five minutes or so, to grab water and use the restroom. Then I jump back in at my difficult tasks to complete before lunch. I work on those until 11am. At this point, there is a option to break for lunch, or work another 60 minutes interval. At 12:15pm, I am ready for lunch.

If I take an hour at lunch, it is a good time to recharge my batteries, maybe read or do something else.

1:15pm comes around and it is time to hop back into work for 90 minutes. Work until 2:45pm, take a break and work another 60 minutes. At that point I make it to 3:50pm, and can go another 60 minutes. Boom, the day is over.

Looking back at this day, I worked seven hours, with an hour lunch, and only took an additional 20 minutes of breaks. If you need to work through lunch, make sure you step away from your desk or work station for 30 minutes.

Does it Work?

After making this part of my work productivity for the last four months, I have found I am able to complete more tasks more thoroughly with a few more little breaks in the day. And even though our workdays might have more work than we can complete, there was another huge benefit.

More often than not, I am able to go home without having to take work with me, and my mind is better rested for my family. This has been a huge plus. Because I don’t only want to me productive at work, I want to create margin for home.

Try this out, set timers on your phone next week and trial run it for the week. I will guarantee you will find success and new strides in the quality and efficiency of your work habits.

Keep Up

Have you been keeping up on this series on productivity? If not, check out the series below:

21 Productivity Tips You Can Use Now

3 AM, Saturday

medium.com

If you missed my last post, check it out here:

Do the Difficult Tasks Before Lunch to be More Productive

Looking up at the clock, I saw it was only 3 PM. With only two items left in my company software to complete, I figured…

medium.com

Respond

If you are skeptical, share your concerns in the responses below. If this is something you do, share your experience. This is one area we can all learn more about.