Take a break

From "Why all-work Jill is a dull girl", as seen in the 10/31/2007 issue of Toronto's Globe & Mail:

Chill time

People who take time out during the workday for "respite" activities perform better after than colleagues who work on through, or use break times for chores, says John Trougakos...

To be a true respite, this activity must be enjoyable -- but this varies from person to person...

An introvert, say, might not find lunch with a large, noisy group of colleagues relaxing...

So which activities offer a real break?

RESPITES

• Napping or resting -- someplace free of interruption
• Socializing with colleagues over coffee
• Having lunch with a friend
• Getting lost in a good book
• Going for a walk
• Playing video games, foozball

For those of us who are not quite ready to give ourselves permission to chill it out, it might be helpful to set up an Outlook meeting over lunch that protects that time from meetings being pushed onto it. Even something as simple as a walk around the block -- which can take as little as five minutes -- can be energizing.

Once you get better at being good to yourself, at owning your personal pipes, you'll be aware of your own crankiness and be more in tune with how much personal time you need during the workday to perform optimally.