Need a Break from Work? Take a Bathroom Break, Really!
We all know that taking breaks throughout the workday has benefits for workers, but most people often neglect to take them. So, if you want to consider an easy way to unwind, just take a bathroom break.
It can be hard to find a moment to unwind and take a “break”, so what if you could take a break, on your way to the bathroom. I know, novel, but it can really work! Use this break in the action to find a moment to relax.
Meditation doesn’t always look like a cushion, twenty uninterrupted minutes of silence, or listening to 25 monks chant Ohm. Believe it or not, it can be simply walking down the hallway headed to the bathroom. And that’s more than enough. You just need to listen to your breath along the way. Walking to and from the bathroom is a perfect micro-meditation: it happens every day, it requires no extra time, and it asks almost nothing of you, except your breath.
As you start walking, gently bring your attention to breathing. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth or nose—whatever feels natural. Begin counting each full breath cycle. Inhale, sipping in air, counting until your lungs are full, then slowly exhale to the same count. The longer your breath cycle, the greater the calming experience, and your blood pressure and heart rate will decrease as well. Maybe start with an inhale counting to five and the same on the exhale. And then try increasing to a count of six and so on. How high can you go? Another option besides focusing on breath is to just silently say to yourself, “left, right, left, right” as you alternate footsteps.
Don’t worry about distractions or if you mind wanders, and it will, no worries. If you drift off and begin thinking about work, deadlines, etc., just let it go and return to your breath, and counting cycles or footsteps. You don’t need to make this special. Just notice, and just be.
On the way back, repeat the same process. Fresh count. Fresh start.
Science has proven these tiny moments add up. They train your nervous system to pause, and relax. So, the next time you need a break from work, simply take a bathroom break.
Cheers,
Marty