PausesA 4-minute read
A workday can pass without a single real pause: one meeting runs into the next, lunch happens at the keyboard, and you stand up for the first time at 5pm. Short breaks are the easiest way to slow down without leaving work, and public health guidance supports making them active. Here is how to fit them in.
Why small breaks count
The CDC’s message for adults is move more, sit less. It says some physical activity is better than none, and that adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate or vigorous activity gain some health benefits. The full recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, but the CDC is explicit that you do not have to do it all at once: you can spread activity through the week and break it into smaller chunks.
| Break pattern | Daily total | Weekly total (5 workdays) |
|---|---|---|
| One 10-minute walk | 10 minutes | 50 minutes |
| Two 10-minute walks | 20 minutes | 100 minutes |
| Three 10-minute walks | 30 minutes | 150 minutes |
Three brisk 10-minute walks on each workday reach the CDC’s 150-minute weekly target on their own, without touching your evenings or weekends.
Four kinds of short break
- Walking break: around the block, up and down the stairs, or to a farther water fountain. Brisk walking is the CDC’s example of moderate-intensity activity.
- Breathing break: a few minutes of slow, deep breathing, which NCCIH describes as a relaxation technique; see Breathing Exercises for Stress: What They Are, How to Do Them and What the Research Shows.
- Strength break: squats, wall push-ups or stair climbs. The CDC recommends muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week.
- Outdoor break: a few minutes outside, if only to look at trees. The EPA estimates Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors.
Moderate or vigorous?
The CDC gives three ways to reach the weekly goal. One is 150 minutes of moderate activity such as brisk walking. Another is 75 minutes, 1 hour and 15 minutes, of vigorous activity such as jogging or running. The third is an equivalent mix of the two. All three come with muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. Going beyond those amounts, the CDC says, brings even more health benefits. A brisk 10-minute walk is the CDC’s moderate kind of activity, so workday walks fit the first option best, and they can be combined with the other two.
Take breaks between tasks, not in the middle
When you break matters. The American Psychological Association summarizes research showing that people lose time every time they switch tasks, and that real-life multitasking adds the burden of remembering where you left off in the task you return to. A break taken at a natural stopping point avoids that cost. Finish the paragraph, send the email, close the file, then stand up.
Tip: Write one line before you stand up: the very next step of the task you are leaving. When you sit back down, you start with that line instead of rebuilding where you were.
Make the breaks screen-free
A break spent scrolling a phone is still a screen session and another context switch. The APA research summary notes that even switch costs of a few tenths of a second add up when people switch back and forth repeatedly. Leave the phone on the desk during a walk, or put it in a pocket on silent. Ideas for wider phone limits are in Taking a Phone Break: Simple Rules for the Car, the Bedroom and the Workday.
A sample day
| Time | Break |
|---|---|
| 10:30 | 10-minute walk outside |
| 12:30 | Lunch away from the desk |
| 14:30 | 3 minutes of slow breathing, then 10-minute walk |
| 16:00 | Stairs or a strength set |
| 17:30 | 10-minute walk to close the day |
Adjust the times to your meetings. The goal is not a perfect schedule but a day that does not run eight hours without a pause.
Working from home
At home there may be no commute or office walk to break up the day, so it helps to plan breaks. Some ideas:
- Take calls that do not need a screen while walking.
- Keep the laptop closed at lunch.
- End the workday with a walk around the block to mark the switch from work to home.
When breaks are not enough
If stress at work stays high despite pauses, the National Institute of Mental Health suggests learning what triggers your stress, trying coping techniques such as relaxation exercises and mindfulness, and reaching out to friends and family. If symptoms will not go away, it may be time to talk to a professional. For the broader picture, read How to Slow Down in a Busy Life: Small Changes Backed by Public Health Guidance and Single-Tasking Instead of Multitasking: What the Research on Switching Costs Shows.