Mobile apps can be a way to get into a good everyday routine that includes taking breaks to get up and move and opportunities for recovery. Photo: Anders Berndt.

2021-09-08

Don’t forget your body and brain after your holiday

Back behind your desk after your holiday, it's easy to forget about taking breaks and daily routines for recovery, despite how important these are. If you’re having trouble getting into a good routine, mobile apps can help.

It’s just too easy to work for hours on end in front of a computer immediately after returning from holiday. Who hasn’t got stuck in front of their computer screen and forgotten about the time? But that is probably not the best way to work – not for your body, not for your brain and not for your work. It’s hardly news that it is important to take breaks, to move your body and to allow your brain to occupy itself with something else for a while. But it’s also important to actually do these things, to make it a daily routine.

Reflection important for recovery

In a research study at health centres, researchers could see that opportunities for reflection during the working day were important for recovery – time for your own reflections and also time to reflect with colleagues. Staff who got the chance to recover generally felt better overall when compared to the control group. They experienced better mutual connection with colleagues, and a more open and positive working atmosphere.

Don’t put off taking breaks for recovery

It’s easy to think that you are going to get to rest and have time for exercise later, and so you put these things off until the evening or the weekend. And then you staring longing for long weekends in order to relax. But we all need recovery in different forms during the working day. Just as I am writing this sentence, a reminder comes on my mobile phone that it’s time to get up and move. So why not take the opportunity to get up and have a stretch and look out through the window before you continue reading?

Mobile apps can help

After the summer holidays, it’s a good time now to share all the mobile apps that can help you remember to take breaks. Some of these also suggest different exercises you can easily do at your desk. It might seem a bit absurd to be suggesting using one electronic device to take a break from work another, but during the spring I tried this out and it worked a treat.

Since we are a public authority, we cannot of course recommend any specific mobile app that we have not procured according to all the rules of public procurement. But we can suggest some keywords that will work to help you find these types of mobile apps, many of which are free.

Try searching for “active breaks” or “productivity breaks” to get mobile apps that will remind you to take breaks and might also suggest activities. Another good search word to use is “pomodoro”. This will bring up mobile apps that are based on the Pomodoro technique, which is about working in a focused way for 25 minutes and then taking 5 minute breaks.

Anders Berndt

Tips for recovery during the working day

A change of environment can give you a boost of energy. Try to go out for lunch or coffee.
Take micro breaks during your working day to move your body. Using a mobile app that reminds you to do this can be an excellent idea.
What constitutes recovery for you? Maybe listening to some music for a few minutes or a brisk walk works better for you than sitting down with a coffee? Or maybe just some silence and serenity for a short while?
Take a walk and notice the scents around you.
Schedule time for yourself to reflect on the past week.
Go for a coffee with your colleagues. Sharing thoughts and experiences also aids recovery.
Make time to reflect at meetings.
Discuss with your colleagues what you can do together to promote recovery.
Let your eyes relax by gazing at things that are further away. That will help relax your eye muscles. When you look at the screen, your eye muscles are working all the time.

Tell us how you recover

Got a tip for how to recover effectively? Do you do something that helps you relax, concentrate better or just makes you feel better in general? Have you come up with a good idea for recovery at your unit? If so, the Staff Portal editorial team would love to hear from you so we can add it to the list.

“It takes conscious effort to replace everyday exercise” (Column on the Staff Portal)

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