In our series, One Fun Thing, we’re collaborating with Anne Browning, PhD, associate dean for Well-Being at the UW School of Medicine, to bring you small, specific and low-effort ways to have more fun, plus a question to help you check in with yourself and others, and well-being resources.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes,” writes author Anne Lamott, “including you.”
Mini-mental holidays can improve productivity and focus, reduce stress, prevent burnout and enhance creativity by giving your mind a chance to rest and recharge. Studies show that regularly detaching from your work tasks can serve as both a prevention and an intervention. Here are ideas for ways throughout your day to help you recover and recenter.
One Fun Thing: Mini-Mental Holidays
Mini-mental holidays can revitalize you in the short term, allowing you to be more resilient when challenges arise. You can even help each other find time for breaks by scheduling meetings to start late or end early.
Taking those breaks outside is even more beneficial. Seeking daylight or getting outside during these long winter days is important to boost not just your mood, but your vitamin D and serotonin — even five minutes helps. If movement is your thing, see Whole U’s mini-fitness sessions or simply stretch at your desk.
Question of the month
A way to check in with each other and ourselves. Use this question to connect with co-workers at your next meeting, to start a conversation around the dinner table or as a journal prompt.
What is one thing you do during your workday to take care of yourself?
Resources
- The Resilience Series offers four sessions on well-being that can be experienced as a standalone workshop or as a series.
- The next session is Feb. 7: Coping with Uncertainty and the Effects of Chronic and Acute Stress on our Well-Being.
- All prior workshop recordings and materials are available for viewing.
