Get outside!
Taking a bit of time to look back on previous posts I can really see how I’ve let bad habits slip back in recently. In particular, I looked at how I introduced my Winter Hours, working later in the evening to have an extra hour at lunch and that really made a difference to me. Yet only a few weeks later and that routine is a thing of the past, and instead I’m struggling for any break at all during the day.
What’s happened here?! Well a few things I guess. Work got busier, that’s definitely been the main driver. And despite knowing that a break makes me think better in the afternoons I ploughed on, prioritising finishing tasks as soon as possible. I know this will be familiar to many people – we all must do this surely? We know we should take a break but yet we don’t.
When the pressure is on, we feel an increased need to do our best at work. In a survey by Forbes they found that 20% of workers feel that their boss will think poorly of them for taking their lunch break when work is incomplete, and 13% feel they will be judged by co-workers too. Despite a healthy relationship with my company I still relate to this. If my co-workers aren’t taking breaks, then I know I’d feel guilty if I did.
And this may be the most British thing to say, but there’s also the weather. When I think back to the first UK lockdown the beautiful weather we experienced had a part to play in lifting the spirits a little. But recently it’s been a bit grey. None of the magic of a cold, crisp wintery day nor the warmth of the sun to invite me out so it’s been really easy to stay inside to be honest. And before I knew it the habit had set it.
The more I stayed in though, the more my mood changed. On paper I was exercising less but I felt more tired. I was having more conversations (mostly online!) but not feeling very social. I sensed a real change from my usual positive approach to work that I wanted to nip in the bud.
So, I reminded myself of the importance of simply being outdoors. And it really is simple. When we feel stressed at work our bodies produce cortisol, the stress hormone, which I am sure impacted my mood. Getting outside, preferably in nature, is proven to reduce levels of cortisol in the body making us better able to deal with stressful situations. In winter months we typically get less natural sunlight and therefore less vitamin D. All vitamins and minerals have a part to play in keeping us healthy, and vitamin D helps us absorb what we need from our diet to keep our immune system functioning. True to form, as my time indoors increased, I even picked up a bug for the first time in months.
Just these 2 basic facts really add up for me. Whilst feeling compelled to work through my breaks I have ended up increasing my levels of stress and my immune system has taken a knock. When I think about this from a work sense, I know I won’t have been at my best. Surely this is enough to bring back the good habits?
And yet I know that however hard I work to establish a better habit that there will be times I just don’t take the breaks I need. I can try and discipline myself into never doing this, or I can accept it and find other ways to get outdoors and counter the effects of not having a full lunch break.
I’m starting small by making at least one meeting a week a “walk and talk”. Switching off the video functionality and just talking. This means I can do it outside, and there are real benefits to this. Firstly, I really listen. Not distracted by body language or Teams backgrounds instead I focus my full attention on what’s being said. Some of my more meaningful conversations recently have been audio only. Then there’s the impact of new things to see, smell, hear, feel… our senses are awakened outdoors and when I’m thinking of new ideas, I have found myself to be at my most creative when out walking. The sound of the trees, that passing person walking their dog, the smell of the Spring blossom - they all acted as stimulus to get me thinking. Although I might be starting small, the impact has a real ROI!
There are other opportunities too that can just nudge me outside a little more. I do quite a bit of research for the training programmes I run and my go-to has always been articles and books. Switching to podcasts has given me a big back catalogue to catch up on that can be listened to whilst out for a walk/run. Often no more than 30minutes they’re little chances to add a bit of variety and fresh air to the routine.
I’m a big advocate of breaks, and I will try and get back to my good habits, but if like me you know you’ll end up working through perhaps looking for opportunities to get outside whilst working can help when it really doesn’t feel possible.
