Take a Break, You Deserve It.
Imagine this: You are just starting your first big code project. Your fingers dance on the keyboard as you migrate over tables, declare variables, and start building out the core of your app. You get into a real groove, convince yourself you might be able to talk to computers, but then disaster strikes. A big. Fat. Error. “No problem,” you think to yourself. You’ve seen thousands of errors before, you can handle it.
First, you pour over your code. Surely you misplaced a comma or overlooked an “end”. Nope. Next, you turn to your partner. Another set of eyes might be able to crack it. Unfortunately, he’s as dumbfounded as you are. Finally, you head to Google. In the vast sum of all human knowledge, someone has to have a quick fix for your problem, right? Wrong still nothing. You look at your watch; you’ve been stuck for the better part of an hour! All work has ground to a halt, your confidence has disappeared, and morale shattered. But fear not dear reader, because I have a solution: just take a break.
My name is Patrick Tuszakowski. About a month ago, I started Flatiron School Software Engineering Bootcamp, and it has been a deeply challenging and enriching experience. One of these challenges was to develop a CLI (Command Line Interface) app and midway through I hit a wall. No matter what I tried, that error was going away. So I closed the laptop, packed my things, and took walk. When I returned, I braced myself for a long night of StackOverflow and rigorous debugging, but to my surprise the first solution I came up with worked!
How could this be? How could one short break give me the enlightenment I needed to tackle the problem? It turns out, taking frequent breaks improves not just your mood, but increases the overall quality of your work. According to studies, breaks can help you stay motivated and increase your overall creativity. Short rests improve memory and help with the retention of new ideas! Breaks can also help combat the number one killer of productivity: stress.
Stress is the bane of any productive person. When you are stressed out you can’t seem to focus, you become aggravated, and you don’t feel like yourself. There’s a reason for that. When you are stressed your body makes a hormone called cortisol. Studies have shown that high levels of cortisol can lead to shrinkage of brain mass, changes to the brain structure, and even the death of brain cells! But it doesn’t stop there, stress can cause a number of physical issues. Migraines, headaches, stiff neck, and eye fatigue are all symptoms of stress.
At this point, you might be thinking “My day is so jam-packed, I can’t possibly take valuable time away from work,” but that’s where you are wrong! Breaks can be as long or as short as you need them to be. Try to get a break in for every hour of continuous work, your body and mind will thank you! Here are some fun ideas to get the ball rolling:
- ake a walk or do some yoga. Exercise is can clear your head and give you a boost to creativity.
- Call or text a friend. Humans are social animals, we crave human interactions! Taking with close friends can release endorphins and are a great way to destress.
- Grab a snack. A healthy snack can bump your glucose levels and can help get over a hump!
- Meditate. Give your mind some much-needed relaxation.
- Breath. Deliberately take a series of deep breaths from your diaphragm. This sends a signal to your brain to calm down and reduces stress.
- Switch your task. It might sound counter-intuitive, but switching work tasks can feel like a break. Going from coding your website to working on the design and layout are using different parts of your brain.
- Change your work environment. If you’re working from home try working in a different room. You’ll be taking a “break” from your ordinary workspace and it could stimulate your brain.
