How Our Team Takes Breaks
With the official arrival of summer, it’s hard not to have vacation on the brain (I may or not be currently signing off with “HAGS*” in my diary entries). We picture sunny breezes blowing through our eyelashes, frozen beverages in (both of) our hands, and laptops closed so tightly we expect to find fully formed pearls when we crack them open in the fall.
But alas, we at WOTW do not take a summer break (and we’re guessing you don’t, either), which means we’ve found our own ways to recharge throughout the year. Maybe you, reader, are seeking inspiration for recharging your personal solar panel, so I’ve queried the team in order to shine some of their ideas upon you.
Stop, then Pokémon GO!
Yes, you read that right: Samantha is still strolling the streets trying to catch ‘em all. It can be tempting to maintain constant availability (AKA staying at the computer ready to respond to anything that comes her way), but she’s a self-described “sucker for streaks,” turning her outdoor adventures into a welcome habit in the middle of the day, and creating an opportunity to re-prioritize her thoughts and tasks.
Be Bored, Baby
In a world where options for distraction and dissociation abound, co-founder Mal preaches forced boredom. Limited screen time, music, and time in nature leave room for play and levity. This 15-year-strong, tried-and-true practice is a bimonthly two-day process, with day one for unwinding and day two for refilling.
Gas Up and Grass Up
Just because we can eat at our computers does not mean we should (I’m looking at you, Cheez-it crumbs in my mousepad corners). Al makes sure to cook herself a delicious daily lunch, taking a mid-day break to enjoy the shift in creative thinking that comes with a tangible task. And everyone (with the exception of Justin, who plugs in and chugs through his day) mentioned getting the heck outside to breathe fresh air and move their bodies. Screens can sap our energy, so taking a walk around the block (or lap around the apartment/office) will get the blood pumping, maybe even carrying a great idea up from your toes to your brain.
Don’t let your work day become an infinite scroll, pick a break, any break, and take it!
*HAGS = Have a good summer. For you fresh, young, digital darlings: HAGS is a phrase people would inscribe at the end of the school year into peoples’ yearbooks** so that they would indeed have a good summer.
**Yearbook = essentially, a physical F*cebook friends list of everyone at your school that year. Do they make these anymore? If not, let me know, and I’ll show you mine. I wore a cat collar to school for picture day one year.
