4 Ways to Take a Quick Work Break

A furrowed brow is usually the first sign that Marty Jarrell needs to take a work break. 

When this happens, Jarrell, communications director for Duke Family Connects International, moves away from her desk and opens “Words with Friends” on her smartphone. After about five minutes of playing the Scrabble-like game, she’s ready to return to an assignment a bit more refreshed. 

“When I hit that post-lunch slump, playing Words with Friends is a quick way to get my brain reenergized,” Jarrell said. “It certainly helps in getting me a little boost and nudge to focus.”

Taking a break for five minutes every hour renews energy and increases focus, according to health and productivity experts. 

“It’s important to take a break because it helps us maintain our effectiveness and creativity,” said Dinetta Richardson, assistant director for Duke Learning & Organization Development, a unit within Duke Human Resources. “We can’t continue to be excellent if we’re burning ourselves out by trying to persevere through a task.” 

Check out how some of your Duke colleagues take a work break: 

Reenergize with a stretch

After a string of days in January when Carol Harbers didn’t get away from her desk enough, she decided to do some online research about office yoga. 

“I felt wiped out and guilty I wasn’t taking care of myself,” she said.

Harbers, director of communications for Duke Neurosurgery, tried a few stretches in her office to alleviate tension around her neck, shoulders and lower back. For about 10 minutes, she’ll do back rotations, shoulder rolls and the “eagle pose,” a yoga move in which you balance on one foot while crisscrossing your arms. She’ll also play rain sounds from her computer to add a peaceful ambiance.

“It’s important to make my wellness a priority,” she said. “It makes me feel more energized throughout the day.” 

Walk away stress

Kelly Umstead has an extensive knowledge of flags thanks to his many walks down the main hallway at the Fuqua School of Business. 

Fuqua hangs dozens of flags representing the national identity of every student. Umstead, who takes a walk down the hallway about twice a day, quizzes himself to see if he can match the flag to the country.    

“It’s turned into a nice cognitive exercise,” said Umstead, IT analyst for Fuqua’s Educational Technology Services. “It’s nice to see the how wonderfully diverse Fuqua’s community is.”

Umstead has been taking walks as a break since he started at Duke 25 years ago. His path inside Fuqua is about half a mile, and he usually calls his family to pass the time. 

“It’s nice to step away from the computer and clear my head,” he said. “I get a change of scenery and get to say hello to people around the school I wouldn’t get to see otherwise.” 

Eat a healthy snack

When Esther Granville struggles to keep her energy up, she typically turns to a snack brought from home. 

Granville, manager of nutrition and health coaching programs for LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, recommends grab-and-go items like celery and hummus, fruit and peanut butter, cheese sticks, yogurt or mixed nuts. 

Eating a snack two to three hours after a meal can fight off drowsiness, she said. 

“You want something substantial enough to give you a bit of fuel,” Granville said. “A small snack can keep energy up until your next meal.” 

Other ways to take a break

The Muse, a career services website, also recommends reading a chapter of a book, doing a crossword puzzle or meditating to find relaxation during the work day. 

Share how you take a work break here.