Effective in the home office through proper breaks and massages

We probably all know days when we don't know where our heads are and when projects, tasks and deadlines really pile up. Activities that we put off forever and those that we don't even get to because we simply need to take time for them separately and undisturbed, which we simply don't feel we have.

These diverse challenges in our daily work routine not only cause stress, but can also mean that we never really get to work effectively. It's no longer a secret that a key factor in performance and concentration is restful breaks.

This is even more true when we work from home, where many more distracting factors lurk, but also where the line between work and free time threatens to become increasingly blurred. Do you know this situation? Then we would like to give you some tips today on how to properly organize breaks in the home office and how massages can also play a central role in this.

Reading tip: From head to toe: This is how massages help

Top priority: breaks in the home office

Breaks are inevitably associated with effectiveness and performance. We know it from sports and training, where regular breaks can enhance training effects and accelerate recovery. But we also see it in cultural circles where power naps during working hours are not only accepted, but also encouraged, and we actually all grow up with it, because even from our school days, breaks are known to us as an essential means to boost our ability to concentrate.

So what does the perfect break look like and what can you pay special attention to?

The length of breaks in the home office

Even if you work from home, the statutory break regulations apply. It is therefore essential to take a 30-minute break when working six to nine hours a day. However, sitting in front of a screen for several hours at a stretch is detrimental to concentration, creativity and health. You should definitely make use of additional relaxation phases, such as those prescribed by the §5 Bildschirmverordnung (German Display Screen Ordinance). Accordingly, you can take a break of 5 minutes for every hour you spend at a computer screen. Especially these short rest periods have a strong preventive effect against burnout, stress and a strong drop in performance. Therefore, don't wait until you are exhausted, but allow yourself time off in good time.

Activities during the break

In the short breaks, you should allow your thoughts to wander, take care of your eyes and, in the best case, temporarily change the room. A view into the distance, out of the window with fresh air for a few minutes can work wonders. Screens are taboo, so also avoid smartphones, TVs or other monitors - your eye muscles want to relax, too.

While the shorter rest periods have a positive effect on your ability to concentrate and ensure that you don't go into your free time at the end of the day drained and with racing thoughts, the longer time out also serves your physical relaxation.

Especially in the home office, we are often confronted with restrictions that mean we hardly move throughout the day. In everyday office life, we frequently move to colleagues' desks, to other floors, maybe even to lunch out or to the restroom 50 meters away.

Ergonomically adjusted office workstations are also frequently absent at home. In the long run, this affects us both physically and mentally, because when we feel unwell, our concentration and performance drop. So what can you do to offer your body relaxation and variety?

To be able to relax properly, it is important that you schedule your time out and then stick to it. Your thoughts should be able to completely detach from work issues, music helps many to switch off. Let fresh air in and consciously take a deep breath. Even if it sounds strange, relaxing is not that easy for many people and certainly not at the push of a button.

So forbid yourself to think about work, leave your smartphone and the like aside and simply be unavailable. Be sure to schedule some time for exercise as well. A walk with a view of the sky and the distance in the fresh air also works wonders here. You can always incorporate stretching exercises.

When you talk about relaxation, you can't avoid the topic of massages. In more and more companies, they are now part of the employer's offer and count as a corporate benefit. The alternative in the home office would be, among other things, a massage chair for the treatment in between. The positive effects of a massage are very diverse. On the one hand, they promote blood circulation and thus the supply of oxygen. This leads to more relaxation and better concentration. Massages reduce stress, which allows you to keep your mind on the important issues at hand.

Also the point nutrition should not remain unmentioned. Everyone knows the feeling of having to sleep for an hour after lunch. This is due to the fact that hard-to-digest, hearty food puts so much strain on the digestive organs that the rest of the body is supplied with less blood and oxygen. So maybe that pizza with cheese crust isn't the ideal home office lunch after all.

So let's summarize what the ingredients for your relaxing break at the home office might look like:

● Fresh air
● Digital time-out (no smartphone, no screens)
● Exercise, as well as stretching
● A restorative massage
● Easy-to-tolerate food
● No work topics

With restful breaks to more efficiency

Many studies have long since confirmed the positive effect of restful breaks during working hours, and this has also filtered through to employers. Over the past few decades, they have adapted workplaces and created appropriate offerings to create a productive environment. With the rapid shift to home offices, this aspect of our working lives may have fallen by the wayside, which is why we now need to actively look after our own well-being. Not only to be more effective employees, but also to do our health justice. A lack of exercise and sedentary activities take a toll on us not only physically, but also mentally, which ultimately affects concentration and performance. Make a short relaxation your daily goal and feel its long-term positive effect on many other areas of life apart from your work.