How To Maximize Creativity And Productivity With Celebration

Work Hard. Play Hard

You’ve likely heard the term “Party like a Rockstar,” and we’re not talking about massive amounts of substances and debauchery.

As business owners and employees, we could actually learn quite a bit from rockstars in this area. They give it their all when they’re on stage or in a practice session, but in between, they know how to take it easy and have fun.

If you’re working 7-days a week, keep your smartphone tucked under your pillow at night, and haven’t been on vacation since Led Zeppelin broke up, it’s time to relax!

The Benefits of Down Time

Employees are an organization’s greatest asset. Unfortunately, they aren’t always treated that way. Long hours, minuscule breaks, and little vacation time lead to stressed, resentful employees who get sick more often and eventually run screaming to another company.

Stepping away from work whether it’s for a few minutes or a few days will help with:

Improved focus – chronic stress contributes to memory problems and makes it difficult to focus on tasks. Taking a break helps lower stress and improves your ability to think clearly.

Better physical health – constant stress contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. It also lowers your immune system making you more susceptible to illness. People who take regular vacations are less likely to suffer from heart disease.

Better mental health – scientists have discovered that constant stress alters your brain structure and chemistry and leads to anxiety and depression. Time away from the office (both physically and mentally) can combat that stress.

Fewer sick days – when employees are healthier, they take fewer sick days for illnesses. When they are happier, they take fewer “mental health” days.

Higher Employee Satisfaction – healthy employees are happy employees. Stepping away from work every so often helps to improve how they feel about their position.

Lower turnover – employees that are satisfied with their jobs and happy with the role they play, their coworkers and management, and the organization as a whole, are less likely to look for work elsewhere.

What Are Rhythms In Business?

Tips for Taking a Break at Work

Not everyone has vacation time coming to them and the ability to whisk away to a tropical locale for 3 weeks. Even if you’re just stepping away from your computer for a few minutes, there are ways to maximize your benefits.

1. Actually, take a break. Too many people work through their lunch hour, skip breaks, and then work late. No matter what task you’re working on, stepping away for a few minutes will help you return better than when you left. Every 52 minutes is ideal. At the end of the day, stop working instead of taking your work home with you.
2. Leave your phone behind. Okay, this isn’t possible for everyone, but if you’re still “on-call” answering text messages and emails while you’re on break, you’re not soaking up the benefits. You need to step away from your job mentally and emotionally as well as physically. Put it on airplane mode, turn off notifications, and whenever possible, just leave it behind.
3. Get some physical exercise (bonus points if you do that in nature). Moving your body will help refresh your mind, improve your emotions, and done regularly, improve your physical health. If you have the ability to go for a walk outside and enjoy some fresh air, that’s even better.
4. Breathe deeply. If you think we’re all experts at breathing since we’ve been doing it since birth, you’re wrong. Most humans actually breathe incorrectly (allowing their stomach to deflate instead of inflating during inhalation), and many of us forget to breathe entirely when we are under extreme stress. The body will force us to breathe just enough to survive. It’s up to us to consciously breathe deeply to thrive.
5. Do nothing. If your idea of a break from work is getting lost on social media, you’re not doing yourself any favors. True downtime means giving your brain a rest. You’ll be surprised how creative you can be when you aren’t constantly bombarding your mind with stimulation.

It’s time that we stop wearing our busyness like a badge of honor and making ourselves available 24/7.  Our bodies and minds need time to reset, and just like rockstars, it’s not healthy to be “on” all the time. Enjoy your downtime and know that you’ll be a better employee for having taken it.

PS: Energy is a necessity in your business and your life. Rock stars have known for years that the only way to give an unforgettable performance, one that has the crowd pumping their fists in excitement, is to tap into the energy. If you need assistance building the energy in your business meetings and teams; Orlando Motivational Speaker Marvelless Mark can help.

Contact us today to find out how Marvelless Mark can motivate your business at your next event.