Effective in the home office through proper breaks and massages

We probably all have days when we don't know where our heads are and when the projects, tasks and appointments are literally piling up. Activities that we put off forever and those that we don't even get around to because we simply have to take time for them separately and without being disturbed, which we simply don't feel like we have.

These diverse challenges in everyday work not only cause stress, but can also mean that we never really get to work effectively. It's no longer a secret that proper and truly relaxing breaks are an essential factor for performance and concentration.

This is even more true when we work from home, where there are many other distractions lurking, but the line between work and leisure time is also increasingly at risk of becoming blurred. Do you know this situation? Then today we would like to give you some tips on how you can properly organize breaks in your home office and how massages can play a central role.

Reading tip: From head to toe: This is how massages help

Top priority: breaks in the home office

Breaks are inevitably linked to effectiveness and performance. We know it from the sports and training sector, where regular breaks can enhance training effects and accelerate regeneration. But we also see it in cultural circles in which power naps during working hours are not only accepted but also encouraged and we actually all grow up with them, because we also know from our school days that breaks are an essential means of promoting our ability to concentrate.

So what does the perfect break look like and what can you pay particular attention to?

The length of breaks in the home office

Even if you work from home, the statutory break regulations apply. 30 minutes of time off for work hours of six to nine hours should therefore be strictly adhered to. But sitting in front of the screen for several hours at a time is detrimental to concentration, creativity and health. You should definitely take advantage of additional relaxation phases, such as those specified in Section 5 of the Screen Ordinance. This means you can take a 5-minute break for every screen hour. These short periods of rest in particular have a strong preventive effect against burnout, stress and a severe decline in performance. So don't wait until you're exhausted, but treat yourself to time off in good time.

Activities during the break

During the short breaks, you should allow your thoughts to wander, protect your eyes and, ideally, temporarily change the room. A look into the distance, out the window in the fresh air for a few minutes can work wonders. Screens are taboo, so avoid smartphones, TVs or other monitors - your eye muscles also want to relax.

While the shorter periods of rest have a positive effect on your ability to concentrate and ensure that you don't go into your free time at the end of the day feeling exhausted and with racing thoughts, the longer time out also helps you relax physically.

Especially when working from home, we are often confronted with restrictions that mean we barely move throughout the day. In everyday office life, you often move to colleagues' tables, to other floors, perhaps even to lunch outside or to the toilet 50 meters away.

Ergonomically designed office workstations are also often missing at home. In the long term, this becomes noticeable both physically and mentally, because when we feel unwell, concentration and performance also decrease.

Reading tip: We have Five expert tips put together to combat desk tension.

So what can you do to offer your body relaxation and variety?

In order to really relax, it is important that you plan your time off and then stick to it. Your thoughts should be able to completely detach from work topics; music helps many people to switch off. Let fresh air in and consciously breathe deeply. Even if it sounds strange, relaxing is not that easy for many people these days and certainly not at the push of a button.

So forbid yourself to think about work, leave your smartphone and the like aside and simply not be available. Be sure to plan a little time for exercise. A walk in the fresh air with a view of the sky and the distance also works wonders here. You can always incorporate stretching and stretching exercises.

Anyone who talks about relaxation cannot avoid the topic of massages. They are now part of more and more companies Employer offer and count as a corporate benefit. The alternative in the home office - but also in the office as a rental device for employers - would be, among other things, a massage chair for in-between treatments. The positive effects of a massage are very diverse. On the one hand, they promote blood circulation and thus the supply of oxygen. This leads to more relaxation and better concentration. Massages reduce stress, so you can always keep your thoughts on the currently important topics.

The point of nutrition should also not go unmentioned. Everyone knows the feeling of having to sleep for an hour after lunch. This is because hearty food that is difficult to digest puts so much strain on the digestive organs that the rest of the body is initially supplied with less blood and oxygen. So the pizza with a cheese crust might not be the ideal lunch when working from home.

So we summarize what the ingredients for your relaxing break in the home office could look like:

● Fresh air
● Digital time out (no smartphone, no screens)
● Exercise, as well as stretching and stretching exercises
● A relaxing massage
● Easily digestible food
● No work topics

Improve your performance with relaxing breaks

Many studies have long since confirmed the positive effect of relaxing breaks during working hours, which has also been communicated to employers. In recent decades, they have adapted workplaces and created appropriate offerings to create a productive environment. Due to the rapid switch to working from home, this aspect of our working world may have been somewhat disrupted, which is why we now have to actively take care of our own well-being. Not only to be more effective employees, but also to take care of our health. Lack of exercise and sedentary activities demand a lot from us not only physically but also mentally, which ultimately affects concentration and performance. Make a short relaxation session your daily goal and feel its long-term positive impact on many other areas of your life outside of your work.