day 382: Break Time

Many times those of us who have grown up as Managers in companies don't like or don't understand work rules that come from the government or collective bargaining agreements. We become conditioned to think it is unproductive or wasteful to have prescribed break or meal times. A few years ago, the Governor of California sought the removing of break times for government workers. While the numbers on a piece of paper can certainly reinforce that we can remove these and save money, no one pushes back on the fact that with a little break one can come back to the job and be more productive. That is because those of us who are in management don't allow ourselves to take formal breaks but if the truth be told there is plenty of time throughout the day on the phone for personal reasons, checking Facebook, rolling back in the chair and staring out the window, or shooting the breeze with someone else about something that has nothing to do with work. Breaks are just part of the way we work, whether prescribed or not, because that is human nature that we all must be refreshed to keep up our energy level and have the stamina to complete the day or the job at hand. The Bible tells us how to be and stay refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 says; "The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." In our work what this can say to us is that when we go on break, don't go on break for ourselves, but go on break for others. Find the person in the office who is most down that day and seek them out and offer to go for a walk, have a cup of coffee, or just sit and talk for a few minutes. When you are sure that they are refreshed then go back to the office and see how you feel. Do this a few times and you will know what it feels likes to have a break time that produces real results.

Reference: Proverbs 11:25 (New Living Testament)