“There always seems to be so much to do!”

This is a phrase I often hear from my clients, many of whom work full time, have family to take care of and have a household to run. They show up looking stressed and exhausted.

The first thing I ask them is how often they take a break. All too often the response is “A break, what’s that?”

In fact one client was adamant she did take regular breaks and when I asked her what she did with them she named a list of household chores. That’s not a break!

A break is an activity that allows you to relax, to quieten your mind and to feel calm. It maybe going for a walk, reading a book or maybe just sitting quietly doing nothing.

You see what people fail to realise is a break will leave you feeling refreshed, more productive and help you to focus.

When we are busy and stressed a small part of our brain known as the amygdala goes on to full alert, in turn this shuts down the prefrontal cortex which is the part of the brain that helps us to concentrate and focus.

By taking the time to relax and quieten the amygdala we are allowing ourselves the opportunity to be more productive and the work we produce will be of a better standard.

Gandhi once famously said “I have such a lot to accomplish today, I’m going to have to meditate for twice as long” and how right he was!

So next time you write your to do list schedule in time for breaks, you’ll be amazed at how much you get done!