Can You Pause Your Way to a Better Work Life?

Because, sure, you might be able to pop on a podcast while doing the dishes. But try to write an email and present the quarterly figures at the same time and you’ll get more twisted up than a pocket full of headphone cables.

No, just like bees with flowers, we buzz between tasks at work — doing what’s known as cognitive switching. Only instead of pollen, we carry the residual weight of those other tasks with us as we go.

We spoke to Jennifer H. Hanson, PCC, CPQC, Leadership Coach at EZRA and LHH, to find out what the impact is and what we can do about it.

The toll of task switching

“Our brains can only process so much at once,” Jennifer tells us.

A limit we regularly seem to test in the name of ‘productivity’. Turns out that’s just counterproductive.

“Studies suggest productivity can drop by up to 40% when we multitask or frequently switch,” she says.

All that constant switching leaves us feeling overworked too. And while that may well be true in some cases, what many of us also most certainly are, is chronically under-paused.

Enter the pause

“Pauses help shift from a fight-or-flight state to a calmer, more regulated one,” says Jennifer.

Because they engage the parasympathetic nervous system, pauses move us out of stressful “fight-or-flight” and into relaxing “rest-and-digest”.

That allows us to, “…reduce mental clutter and allow attention to reset,” Jennfier tells us.

So not only are short breaks good for our well-being; they’re crucial for maintaining performance too.

Let’s be clear, though. Short breaks don’t mean five minutes of cat memes crowbarred here and there. What we need are intentional pauses—seamlessly incorporated into our daily routines.

5 pausing techniques that really work

A pause-powered workday doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul. Even small adjustments create big impacts.

Build in micro-pauses (30–60 seconds)

“Before starting a new task, take a few slow breaths, relax your shoulders, and set a clear intention,” Jennifer advises.

The focused breathing will act like a massage for a frazzled nervous system.

Use pomodoro breaks (every 25–50 minutes)

No matter how keen we are to succeed with our new pausing regime, we all need some help staying on course.

“Use a timer, work in focused bursts, then take 3–5 minutes away from your desk to stretch, hydrate, or move,” Jennifer suggests.

Ensure screen-free lunches

Get up. Stare at a small screen on the way to stare at a medium screen for the day. Then round that off with a nice evening of staring at a large screen to wind down. It’s all too easy to fall into this pattern.

That’s why it’s so important to “Step away from devices to let your brain and eyes rest,” Jennifer says.

Employ meeting buffers

Just because our calendars default to half-hourly time slots doesn’t mean you have to.

“Add 5–10 minutes between meetings for mental decompression and note-taking rather than rushing straight into the next conversation,” Jennfer recommends.

A 16:00-16:25 meeting could give you that bit of leeway you need to keep your day on track.

Make mindful transitions

“At the end of a big task, pause to acknowledge completion before diving into the next thing,” Jennifer suggests.

You could even try saying to yourself, ‘I’m done with X, now I can move onto Y’. It all helps create clear boundaries and stop work morphing into one seemingly endless task.

Implement an end-of-day reset

And when it’s time to call it a day, make sure you leave any baggage at the door.

“Spend the last 5 minutes writing tomorrow’s top three priorities,” Jennifer advises. “This creates mental closure and reduces rumination after hours.”

Have you tried unplugging yourself?

The modern workplace can be stressful. And when you’re in the thick of it, sometimes it feels like there’s no end in sight and, all-of-a-sudden, overwhelm can strike.

So, it pays to remember what American novelist Anne Lamott once said:

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

Take this with us into our day-to-day work lives, and we’ll all be better for it.