This is the first post in a two part series. Here is the second part.

How long should your break be? Guess what, it depends =).

Photo by Laffy4k from flickr

2-minute breaks

Super short break, just enough time to sit, close your eyes and relax. Here are some examples of when you should take a 2-minute break.

Doing boring repetitive tasks – these tasks doesn’t require a lot of effort but they are really frustrating. Take a short 2-minute break should sort it.

Working against a deadline – You are panicking, you mind is going haywire, all because you only have 3 hours until your deadline, what do you do? Take a 2-minute break. Having a 2-minute break will clear your mind (providing you don’t worry about your deadline during the break) and it is only 2-minutes. Plus by having a clear mind, you will increase your productivity.

Someone who gets distracted a lot – I used to get distracted when I took breaks. During breaks I will probably read a book or go outside. However I found that instead of taking a short break, I end up taking a 30-minute break, so I end up being counter-productive which isn’t the point of having a break. I then found if I limit myself to only 2-minutes of break, I won’t bother to read a book or go outside and I will be right at my desk after the break.

5-minute

I use this type of break the most. I like to see it as the most productivity gained with the least amount of time. Here is some example of when to take a 5-minute break.

Almost Everything – I feel that anything that fit in the other categories can fit in here. Anything that doesn’t fit in other categories can also fit in here. Of course it will be more productive to take the right break during the right time. However, if you’re in doubt, just throw it into the 5-minute break category.

10-minute

Ten minutes is enough for you to take a short nap. Maybe go for a walk. Here are some examples of when you should take a 10-minute break.

Tasks that challenge your brain to the maximum – your head physically hurts. You try to think straight but are fighting a losing battle. Guess what, your brain is telling you to take a break. So step away and rest for ten minutes.

Dangerous tasks – one where failure is not an option. You might not think that you have a lot of dangerous tasks in you day but there are. Like driving the car for a long period of time, or bringing the furniture down the stairs, etc. Take a ten-minute break to lessen the chance for errors.

Someone who is sleep-deprived – so maybe you haven’t slept well last night and you got to do this massive project. You stare at a blank sheet of paper wondering what to do but nothing comes, actually you probably can’t even concentrate on the project, your brain is wondering all over the place. What you need is a break. Take a short ten-minute break, or more specifically take a short ten-minute nap.

Exceptions

This is a general guide. If you feel you work better with a 15-minute break, that’s fine. If you feel you work better with no breaks at all, that’s fine too. Remember this is a general guide. I didn’t even go above 10 minutes because it would complicate things.

Please note, the length of your break is very dependent on the task you are doing. When I am writing, I hardly take any breaks for fear of disturbing the “flow”. When I am studying however, I take frequent breaks.