The notion of toiling away at one’s job is often held in high esteem in modern society. But too much labor without enough balance and relaxation takes a hefty toll in the form of stress and tiredness, which actually lowers productivity. This is because of the negative feedback loop that results.

Taking a break every so often to “reFresh” your mind is really necessary if you want to get the most out of your cognitive abilities and your productivity.

‍The recuperative effects of time off work, such as breaks and holidays

It has been shown over and over again that taking holidays is really useful. 

• Preventing mental and emotional weariness as well as burnout
• Eliminating or Reducing absenteeism
• Increasing employee participation and involvement at work
• Increasing one’s health, sense of well-being, level of life satisfaction, and overall quality of life

Taking frequent pauses also enhances our capacity to concentrate as well as our overall health and should be done in addition to taking holidays. The ability to detach oneself from one’s job, often known as “the right to disconnect,” is necessary in order to reap the restorative advantages of doing so. 

So why don’t we put an emphasis on taking breaks?

The majority of us are under the impression that taking breaks would make us less productive. The following is a list of reasons why individuals are resistant to taking breaks and going on holidays.

1. Having trouble putting their faith in their teams to get the task done; 
2. Being concerned about losing their jobs due to the perception that they are replaceable.
3. Company culture discourages vacations.
4. The inability to disconnect 
5. The practice of saving vacation time for use at a later date
6. The determination to achieve promotion in one’s position of employment
7. The dread of facing a mound of unfinished business when one returns

Therefore, despite the fact that there are a great number of alternative motives, failure to prioritize a reFresh will lead to an increase in stress and, ultimately, burnout.

The “right to disconnect” could become a legal requirement very soon.

The federal government of Canada is considering passing legislation that would provide employees with a “right to disconnect.”

A Right to Disconnect Advisory Committee was formed to give suggestions in favor of the “right to disconnect” for employees who are controlled by the federal government. The conclusions and suggestions are presented in the final report.

Both Ontario and Québec chose to enact their own laws without waiting for federal rules to be passed. The province of Ontario was the first in the country to enact laws requiring workers to take breaks from their jobs. The Canadian province of Québec is currently working on drafting and attempting to adopt comparable laws.

The Way to Start Over

How to maintain your level of energy.

1. Instead of being afraid of missing out, pursue JOMO, often known as the joy of missing out. Let someone else lead a project.
2. Dedicate some time each day of the week to activities that will help you relax and unwind.
3. Take genuine weekends and vacations.
4. Have some fun during your breaks.

If you follow these recommendations, you will feel reinvigorated and ready to take on your task.

What is the most productive use of your downtime? Spend time outside in the fresh air.

Our “right to unplug” is facilitated when we have access to natural environments. According to research, when we spend time outside, our ability to do cognitive activities that require working memory and cognitive flexibility is improved.

There are a number of hypotheses that attempt to explain why engaging with natural surroundings is beneficial to one’s cognitive performance. In particular:

1. The idea of stress reduction proposes that a person may return to a condition in which they are not stressed if they have a pleasant emotional reaction to nature.
2. According to the attention-restoration hypothesis, natural settings have the ability to attract involuntary attention, which then gives directed attention the opportunity to recharge.

‍Interactions with nature, even if they are quick and simple, may create significant improvements in cognitive control. Spending as little as twenty minutes outside in the fresh air each day (or one hour and twenty minutes each week) may deliver a tremendous refresh. 

Should you decide to accept it, here is your task.

You have been provided with the proof; it is time to devise a strategy for your reFresh now that you have it. It needs to resemble anything along these lines:

1. Schedule frequent downtime and actual getaways for yourself.
2. Spend as much time as you can outside in the natural environment.
3. Seek JOMO, often known as the “joy of missing out,” and offer others the opportunity to shine by delegating assignments that are not primary responsibilities.

Naturally, if you don’t have enough people on your team to delegate tasks to while you’re out enjoying the fresh air, we’d be pleased to connect you with one of our many skilled virtual assistants so that you can continue to get things done.