Seven tips for your work-life balance

How to get the right time out

The question of how we can find calm moments in everyday life is one that occupies us again and again - what does it take to be able to face the challenges of daily life as calmly as possible? How can we slow down the pressure we naturally experience and find relaxation? And where is the best place to start, especially when the schedule usually looks quite full?

Finding ease is not always easy. We often get lost in the whirlpool of many tasks and responsibilities, and sometimes lose focus on the big picture. Because a happy, relaxed life requires more than just coping with long to-do lists. Study by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. regular breaks in everyday life are among the most important factors for effective work, a stress-free life and a positive mood. So it takes moments in which we turn our gaze inwards, do things that bring us joy and gain experiences that help us to let go a little. With each additional time out we take, we learn more and more to focus on ourselves at regular intervals, because we know: Only with a clear mind are we ready to function. And with a strong mental centre, we are affirmed above all in our health, which in turn gets us through the daily madness.

If you are now wondering how this is supposed to work or you have not yet been kissed by the muse, here are seven tips on how you can consciously create your breaks:

1. la dolce farniente - the sweet idleness

Believe it or not, doing nothing can help you relax! A fast-paced society challenges us in many places, so if you regularly take a break from everyday stress for a short period of time, you promote your own conscious deceleration and can start the day with new energy. Just lie down and do nothing - doesn't sound so bad.

2. short breaks at work

According to the Techniker Krankenkasse, it is recommended to take a five-minute break after every hour. This way you can gain new energy for efficient work and you can also counteract the onset of tiredness - without any coffee. How you spend your break is up to you. Examples would be a short autogenic training session to relax, a short walk in the fresh air or a short chat with colleagues.

Drinks Tea Coffee Orange

3. digital detox

According to some studies, mobile devices such as smartphones, laptops and co. keep us awake longer in an unpleasant way due to their blue light - they also share responsibility for nervous sensations due to constant accessibility. Especially in the evening, it is worthwhile to consciously put the mobile phone away in order to be temporarily unavailable for anyone and to focus completely on your own inner self.

4. read books

Books are not only good for general knowledge, they can make an immense contribution to taking time out. When we indulge in an exciting story and read, we transport our consciousness away from the mundane and into our own imagination. The best place to come to rest and occupy ourselves with other things. A nice fact on the side: reading books has been proven to increase IQ: whether fiction, science fiction or non-fiction - every book is beneficial.

5. the power of the power nap

Power naps are by no means just a short-lived trend, because a well-taken nap can be worth its weight in gold! Researchers at the University Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité found that not only does fatigue become a foreign concept, but it is also associated with lower stress levels. The ideal time for this is ten to 20 minutes. Even if you find it difficult to fall asleep at first, however, switching off and preparing for sleep helps you feel regenerated.

Woman sleeping on couch Physiotherm

6 Food makes you happy!

It's nothing new that food makes us feel perky, but did you know that certain foods relax us physically because of their nutrients? For example, bananas contain important B vitamins, magnesium and potassium, which have been shown to benefit the nervous system. Mix the tasty fruit into your morning oatmeal; the vitamins B1 and B3 it contains contribute to a healthy energy metabolism. The cereal also contains the amino acid tryptophan - this causes serotonin, the well-known happiness hormone, to be produced in our body. Delicious!

7. a round of sport in the morning...

..drives away sorrow and worries! As hard as it sometimes is for us to set the alarm clock a little earlier, we know how good we feel after a round of early morning exercise. Our brain does have some resources at its disposal, but not in excess: during sport (however it turns out in quality or quantity), brain activity is shifted from the prefrontal cortex to the motor cortex, which controls our movements. This shift of resources automatically reduces stress, which has a positive effect on the mind. Makes you want to go for a little spin, doesn't it?

Hopefully this little list can serve as a source of inspiration for more. Whatever you decide and whatever you can integrate into your individual circumstances, the message at the end is: not to forget yourself and to create occasional quiet moments of relaxation - for yourself.