Taking breaks during a pandemic.
And how this changed the way I work.
This article is about my experience of taking breaks and how difficult and sometimes even unnecessary it was, during this lockdown period.
P. S…some interesting anecdotes and inspirations ahead, that changed my views on taking breaks and working around it.
The Hustle
Some of the key milestones in my life happened during this pandemic period,
- I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree (5 Years of Architecture)
- Shifted by career path, twice actually, from Architecture to Visual design to finally, Product Design
- Took this huge 6-month gap to prepare for my new career and shifted successfully
- And completed a 36-day illustration sprint.
One task came after another without many breaks, apart from the multiple days of shaping up my job applications. I really wanted a break, a nice peaceful time-out, to relax and take my mind off everything.
But coming into the pandemic, I was ready to hustle. You see, my college life was quite relaxed and I enjoyed life to the fullest. So at some point, I knew I have to start getting into the groove. That realization happened when I came back home after my college closed.
So what changed my mind?
The Change
I saw a movie, which eventually became one of my all-time-favorite, that changed my perspective about working and breaks, Kiki’s Delivery Service.
A Studio Ghibli fan favorite that is still relevant to all young professionals, especially the ones in the creative field, who venture into unknown territory with a moderate skill set.
In the movie, the titular character, who is a witch, loses her magic after overworking and takes a break. A get-away that helps her press the reset button on her life, reconnect with nature, and thus, getting her powers back. (This is a gross oversimplification of the story. Please do watch the movie if you can )
But the point is, I related to the concept and the character, and took a decision of taking breaks periodically to recharge my so-called creative “magic”.
The Struggle
Someone rightly said, “It’s always easier said than done.” Turns out, it holds true even for breaks.
I had decided to take periodical breaks, but I didn’t quite know how to take one. Yeah, I really forgot how to take breaks.
I tried the trusted google method and listed a few things I liked to do, eg; reading, traveling, nature walking, any mundane work that doesn’t involve much thought.
First I started reading books. I am more of a non-fiction person (yes, we exist) but this genre requires a good amount of commitment and motivation. Also, e-books just never worked for me. Not because I’m an OG bookworm and a sucker for paperbacks, but more like, me being done with screens. “Why not order?”, you may ask. But, thanks to covid, that was a problem too.
Next was something much more mundane, Gardening. But I have a very chronic mosquito allergy which made me stop doing it after a point.
Then, I tried cooking. Not anything fancy, but things as simple as tea. But my mom is very particular about her kitchen (I mean who isn’t). So that was a short-lived stint.
Finally, I treaded down a treacherous path- TV Shows. Watching shows isn’t dangerous. It’s just that when I watch an average show, I regret it a lot and feel like I wasted time on something not worth it. And with binging habits, let’s face it, at some point, shows become a solace to escape our reality.
On the other hand, one good TV show can change one's life; in my case, ‘Star Wars — The Clone Wars. I never thought that there will be a show, that would ever come even remotely close to the level of ‘Avatar- The Last Airbender’. But Clone wars did. (Will delve deeper into this later)
So, you would think this would be the end of my tale, but no. In a rather off-putting manner, I was still quite dissatisfied with the conventional ideas of breaks. So, I tried some of my own ways. I started mapping the things which gave me peace.
The Personalisation
Lettering was a skill that I took interest in and nurtured during my Architecture years, which made me fall in love with typography. I decided to just start lettering on sketchbooks or procreate, just doodling. It turned out to be a great stress buster! Majorly because I had an old-school option at my disposal, to curb screen fatigue- my trusty sketchbooks.
The second would be Meditation- something that was mentioned and recommended, not just by articles online, but also by people around me. But I had an odd aversion towards it, probably because my mind was too “pacy” and wavering to stay still.
But with the help of Headspace, one of my new favorite products, I was able to get into the zone a little better. Slowly I improved the way I mediated and I wouldn’t say it created a magical transformation, but it did give my mind a chance to relax and rejuvenate.
Finally, I tried organizing and rearranging my things and space, which I have been doing since my first year of college. Every time something major or something close to that happens, I clean my desk and rearrange my room setup, giving way for a new chapter in life. But at home, that’s not really the case, and rearranging things isn't quite an option. So I moved on to rearranging my laptop, especially, my works and my insanely huge photographs directory.
The Radical
Just like how every argument has two sides, there was a radical chain of thought- do I really require breaks.
Not always is what I think. Before any of you cone at me, let me explain this unpopular opinion of mine with an example. When I pull all-nighters for any work, I usually feel active for most of the night. But just as it starts to dawn, I become extremely sleepy and pass out. (But this only worsens the situation than we being awake completing and then sleeping)
So, when on a productive streak, I feel breaks, could really “break” that workflow and affect progress. Thus, I avoid taking breaks, even though many around me suggest, sometimes even insist on taking one.
This is an unpopular opinion, as I mentioned. But the ability to realize when to take breaks is also needed because there is only a fine line between taking breaks and being lazy.
The Advice
Breaks are needed to avoid overworking, especially during this work-from-home situation. That’s why I tried to reach a comfortable middle ground-controlled, mini-breaks, and work sprints.
This minuscule change in working style helps quite a bit in the long run. One, I have a quantifiable time for work. It helps me gauge the duration of each task and the placement and duration of breaks accordingly.
A really well-known method that I started using recently, is the Pomodoro method. It is a 25 min work to 5 min break system, which repeats 4 times, followed by a longer, half-hour break. (Have a look at it separately)
Another activity that helped me cope with work and feel energized was listening to some lo-fi beats throughout work. A refreshing change from my age-old playlists, it not just helped me stay sane during work, but also expanded my music horizons and encouraged me to explore new songs.
The End
To conclude, I would just like to reiterate that all these opinions stem from my experiences and observations. I am pretty sure there are many more ways to take breaks or be productive.
But, the goal is to be at peace at the end of the day.
Another activity that really helped me feel relaxed and lighter was talking to people-friends, colleagues, anyone close to you. But given this method involves other people and requires us to consider their state of mind and schedule, I let this option be an honorable mention. Let me know if there any other methods that you found interesting, or some great playlists also.
