Breaks

[susans]

What do you do on your breaks.  I know many may not take official "breaks" but during the day you may get your latte, or take a quick walk around the building, take a smoking break?  What do you do to get away for a few minutes.

[gee4]

Thanks so much for a posting - going out of my mind this morning!!

Anyway breaks...usually I would go with colleagues on their smoke break, just for some fresh air.  I don't tend to do a morning break as such, but def go for a coffee which I bring back to my desk.  When I can (depending on where I am working), I do like to get out at lunchtime and if I can walk into town or even just pop to the local shop, it does help break up the day and refresh you for the afternoon.  I have to say on rainy days I'm rather lazy and while eating lunch at my desk, I would surf the net or email friends.  Again it depends where I am working but not all of my previous companies have had canteen facilities which means at times, your desk is your life for the day.

G

[raindance]

Lunchbreak is generally a sacred time, both for me and Bossie.  I try to get out for a walk after lunch, sometimes go to the bank or do a little shopping, but mostly go for a walk either taking in a couple of the small parks in my area or down by the river (River Thames, that is).  

We don't have official breaks during the day in our offices, but I might trot off to have a quick walk round the building, and maybe visit with a colleague or two.  I think that building and maintaining relationships with colleagues are very important and my company is quite small, so I like to try to find time to talk to people.

Raindance

[countrigal]

When we're not in training, I don't tend to take official breaks too often.  But I will wander by my team-mates desks and say a brief hi, take a moment or 2 to catch up with them.  As we're often helping each other with problems throughout the day, we tend to get plenty of short (brief, brief, brief) moments to do this without slowing any of us down.  When I really need a break away, two or more of us will normally take a break together and walk across the parking lot to the hospital and see what they have in their retail store.

Now my lunch time is my real break away from it all.  I normally do popcorn and sit at my desk, but I don't work or do anything on the PC -- I grab my latest book and lose myself in there for the 30 minutes I get for lunch.  Popcorn lends itself to letting me lose myself in my book while still getting food in me, and when I put the book down, I tend to be very refreshed and ready to be productive once more.  The only problem I ever have with this tradition is when I'm reading one of those books that you just can't seem to put down -- makes it hard to close the book and go back to work, though sitting in "cubbyville" helps with this issue as anyone, including bossie, can see whether I'm still at lunch or not (or if I should be).

Of course, when I'm not doing any of the above, you can find me surfing the forums on DD and checking out what all is happening in y'alls worlds.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[bluefire21]

I tend not to take regular breaks.  I'll step out for lunch about twice a month, but usually I'll just grab something left over from our catering orders and eat at my desk.  I do step away from my desk 3-4 times a day just to take a quick mental break.  I'm never gone more than 5 minutes and usually it's just one or two.


Ellen (I've heard of the "breaks".  Are they any fun?) in TX

[diamondlady]

Breaks, for me are usually stopping in here quite frequently during the day.  Can't help it, addicted!  

Aside from that, I will occasionally go out with a friend while they have their cigarette break, not too often though, I can't stand the smell of cigarettes.  Other times, I will stop by someones office and chat for a few minutes.  I don't usually take official breaks for a set amount of time though.

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

[geminigirl]

For the first time in I can't remember how long I've eaten lunch at my desk today and I cannot believe it's only just 3pm!  

Before I started here, I would take my home-made packed lunch out to a local park and read.  But we have free meals in our staff restaurant as part of the salary package and I've put on about 7lbs in 4 months.  Now, this might or might not be down to lunches as I always have a very healthy option - salads - but I'm going back to my usual routine and trying the home-mades again, except not going out (I have a door I can shut to keep the world away from my desk while lunching).  

It's made the day really long but only 1&1/2 hours to go 'til Quittin' Time... I might have to revise my plan to include getting out of the office even if only for 10 minutes or so.

I'll get up from the desk several times during the day whether it's just to check on post or visit the loo, and sometimes that will turn into a 3 - 5 minute natter ...

And will go online a couple of times a day if it's quiet to check DD and my private email account.

Other than that, there's no official tea or coffee break though the gals upstairs break morning and afternoon and gather in the "fax room" for a hot drink, for maybe 15 minutes or so.  I hate standing around with a hot drink... now, if it was a glass of wine that would be a completely different story.

[itsme_calista]

I dont take "breaks" as such during the morning/afternoon, we can get drinks from the kitchen at any time, my boss  I take it in turns to make each other drinks throughout the day.

I only live two minutes from my office so hubby usually picks me up and we either take a picnic to the park or come home for an hour.

Cali x

[misslynn]

I don't take "breaks", but when I need to step away from my work I will walk up front to talk to the girls up there and see how they're doing.  I come on here and read the forums, sometimes I'll walk outside a bit (there's a door right next to my desk so I'll hop out there for some fresh air).  I should be more diligent about taking real lunches though, I'm terrible about actually stopping working to take lunch.

[saraheliza]

Practically religious about lunch breaks.  I know we've all heard it before but taking a break does make you more productive in the afternoon and is generally healthier.  Eating and working at the same time just leads to digestion problems!!

Also, remember - no-one thanks you, or usually even notices, if you miss your lunch break - they just expect you to be there all the time and make more fuss when you are away from your desk.

[queenbean]

I used to be incredibly bad at taking breaks, even for lunch, but a mystery illness a couple of years ago gave me a bit of a shock and made me much more aware of the importance of taking holidays and breaks.  I still don't usually make it away from my desk at lunch time, but I do divert my phone to voicemail, switch off my screen so that I'm not distracted by incoming email, and make sure I've got some me-time for 20-30 mins every day.

QB

[adminbydesign]

I bring my lunch most days, and we don't have a "break" area or lunchroom, so I end up eating at my desk quite a few days a week.  I use that time to catch up on personal emails, check some web sites, maybe play a little Canasta on Pogo.com (company doesn't mind, as long as we're not streaming anything - the IT guy gave me the okay).

I don't take a morning or afternoon "official" break, but sometimes I'll step out in the foyer and make a personal call on my cell.  On some days, if I get an expense check or need to go to my bank, I'll run out for 20 minutes, and my boss never minds about that.

[spitfire78]

I ALWAYS take a full 1-hour lunch break.  That is a rule that is unbroken for me.  Sometimes it might be really late, but I always take the full hour.  I need that badly.  As far as other breaks, I don't really take a formal break.  I try to check in here twice a day and go on the web and check the news once a day.  Other than that, it's just stopping to chat for a few minutes with someone who comes in the office or passing in the hallway.

[countrigal]

I'm really jealous of all of y'all who get the option, or are simply granted the privilege, of a full hour for lunch.  Standard here is 30 minutes, as it is for most Fed jobs.  That's one of the things that sucks about it.  If I want to take an hour, like I did today, then I have to make up the extra 1/2 hour by staying that 1/2 hour extra at the end of the day, which means today I won't get to leave until 4:30 (came in at 7:30am).

I enjoyed my long lunch hour today, but I guess I'll stick with the earlier off-work time for most days.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[spitfire78]

There's pros and cons to both options, I guess.  I would gladly give up a half-hour of my lunch if I could leave at 4:30 instead of 5:00.  It only takes about 15 minutes to eat, so for me a half-hour would be sufficient.  Unfortunately, we're not given the option, so I'm stuck here until 5:00 every day.