You deserve a break

A 7-step approach to taking your work breaks very seriously

A great many years ago, I spent a summer working at Fazoli’s Italian restaurant. In a scheduled 8.5 hour shift, we would get two 15-minute breaks (generally referred to as “smoke breaks” — smoking not required) and one 30-minute lunch. When you are on your feet all day, dealing with customers, those breaks became precious time indeed!

These days, my job is a lot more cushy (and features a lot less garlic butter) but it remains true that it is impossible to work for long hours straight and maintain peak productivity. Indeed, I believe that everyone takes breaks of some form or another — they’re just not always intentional. Maybe you just finished a work project and decided to check your email…and here you are.

If so, welcome. Read on for seven steps you can take to turn your work breaks into a secret weapon for getting more done and enjoying your job more.