Time is money,
and whether it’s yours or someone else’s, it’s valuable. That being
said, you’re not at your most effective when you’re constantly focusing
on tasks without stepping away. It used to be that when we left our
jobs, we were done working, but that’s just not the case anymore.
You may not have the time to unplug, unwind, take a week’s walk
through the Pyrenees or even a two-hour candlelit bath, but if you have
seven minutes, you have enough of a break to make a difference.
-Mini-meditation: sit comfortably, and breathe in
slowly. Hold it for four counts, release it for four counts, and breathe
in again for four counts. As you continue to do this, visualize each
vertebrae and muscle from your tailbone where you sit up through the
crown of your head, unhinging, relaxing, loosening. Seven minutes of
this should have you feeling nice and relaxed.
-Fantasy trip: Spend seven minutes googling (and
oogling) your dream vacation spots. Studies have shown that test
subjects that viewed pleasing images of travel destinations showed lower
pulse and blood pressure. Bonus points for actually planning the trip
[For a list of apps to help you plan that trip in less than 7 minutes,
click here!]
-List-making: some people find this relaxing. You
might see it as an additional task that keeps you tethered to working,
rather than a break. Seeing everything laid out in front of you might
make it easier to prioritize, and take some of the anxiety away. Try
this approach: if you’re overwhelmed, write down everything that needs
to get done. Then write down everything you’d like to do (that you’d
ENJOY doing). I guarantee that within about seven minutes, you can cross
one item off of each side, and that overwhelming sense of
accomplishment just might be relaxing too.
-Get physical: in seven minutes, you could do all but the last sixty seconds of that perennial favorite Eight Minute Abs,
you could take your dog for a walk, you could run up and down the
stairs a few times and really get that heart-rate going, or any number
of brief yet demanding physical activities. Research suggests that any
physical activity that raises the heart rate for minutes at a time can
improve mood, relieve depression, and increase feelings of well-being.
No need to train for a triathlon, just get moving!
It’s daunting to think of walking away from your work, especially if
you’re on your own clock as an entrepreneur, but by taking a step back
and returning refreshed to the task at hand, you’ll be doing yourself
(or your employer!) a favor.
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