The Most Productive 5 Minutes of Your Day
An email arrives. A Slack message pops up. A Teams call comes in. Ping, ping, ping. Welcome to the merry-go-round of modern work culture. We’re expected to focus, but our work day doesn’t lend itself to deep work. Maybe what we really need is a proper tea break.
According to one study, the average worker switches tasks every three minutes. And when we’re interrupted, it takes 23 minutes to get back on track. That’s a problem. We never really get in the zone without getting sidetracked.
So, if focus is so fragile, what helps us get it back?
The power of the pause
Wait, where was I? Sorry, I got distracted. Oh yes – maintaining focus.
It’s human nature to use brute force if we’re not successful the first time. If we don’t get enough done because of interruptions, we try to work harder and longer – hoping that eventually, everyone else will log off and leave us alone. But this risks multiplying the same problem over a longer time span, rather than reaching productivity nirvana.
What if we found productivity not in the busy but in the pauses between? What if we took a few minutes to conquer the overwhelm and come back with a fresh perspective and outlook? What if taking such a break could be seen as a productivity superpower, rather than procrastination?
Taking a pause can be an invaluable way to see the full picture, instead of just tackling the immediate to-do list item. A small break in the middle of a busy day shouldn’t be seen as another distraction to pull us away from doing our work; it should help us to reset.
In the breaks we breathe. We reset. We come back stronger.
Not every cup is a tea break
Tea is everywhere. It is found in every office kitchen. According to the UK Tea & Infusions Association, 29% of office workers drink two cups of tea during working hours, and 24% drink three. That means more than half of office workers drink multiple cups of tea while working. But not every cuppa is the same.
In some instances, workers will quickly dunk a teabag in a cup and get straight back to their desk. Not enough people fall into the other camp, those who take the time to have a real tea break.
At its fastest, tea is a hot drink to grab between tasks. At its best, it’s an invitation to pause. We get the most out of our tea – and our day – when we give it the attention and time it needs. In doing so, we have an opportunity to recharge our batteries, even if it’s just a few percent.
A five-minute reset ritual
In the grand scheme of things, five minutes isn’t a lot. But it can be game-changing if used the right way. Here’s a simple five-minute reset ritual to use during your day.
1. Step away from your desk, and don’t take your work phone with you.
2. Put the kettle on. If you have one of those boiling water taps, lucky you. Congratulate yourself for working in a fancy office.
3. Add the leaves. Yes, loose leaf is best.
4. Wait. This is the important bit, and the most often overlooked.
5. Enjoy the sensory experience. The leaves opening and swirling. The smell of fully steeped tea. The flavour that made it all worthwhile.
6. No pressure. Your tea break doesn’t have to become another multitask. You don’t have to keep mulling over the same thing you’ve been stuck on all morning. Just taking this break could be all you need to get the breakthrough
Permission to pause
Most tea brands give you the tea. Stead gives you the permission to take a tea break. Although tea exists in many forms, we love loose leaf because it is perfect for the moments of calm in the middle of a frantic day. It forces you to wait, and usually you’re better off for it.
The emails will keep coming. Tea can’t stop that happening. But by taking a short time out from the onslaught of tasks, notifications and meetings, you’ll have the headspace to juggle them all when you get back to your desk.