Work-life balance

Three 3-minute exercises for less stress

Your goal: a better work-life balance. But despite yoga sessions and jogging after work, you find it difficult to switch off from work. If at the end of the day you just collapse onto the sofa exhausted, short, well-used breaks can be the first step towards a more balanced working life. Just three times three minutes is enough. Why these nine minutes can improve your work-life balance and how you can take this time during work and make the best use of it? You're reading this here!

You start your working day - but after a short time you notice that you are becoming more and more inattentive? This could be due to the so-called “Basic Rest-Activity Cycle”. The theory behind this term is that your brain constantly goes through 90 to 100 minute rest-activity cycles . And that during the day and at night.

At night, the cycles affect how deeply you sleep and whether you dream. During the day they affect how focused you are. This means that your concentration decreases significantly every 90 to 100 minutes . At the end of a cycle you are less attentive, you become tired and your job performance declines.

How can you counteract it? By taking a break about every hour and a half . So you press the “Reset” button and start the next concentration cycle with new energy. Even breaks that last just a few minutes, so-called “mini breaks,” can have a very positive effect – especially if you use the time actively.

“Mini breaks” in everyday work: advantages and disadvantages

While your stomach grumbles to alert you when it's time for lunch, the brain is different - it doesn't send you clear signals. Nevertheless, your head needs a break every now and then so that you can think clearly and work effectively . Therefore, keep an eye on the following signs.

3 signs you need a break:

• You can no longer concentrate: you have already read a sentence three times, but you cannot convey what it says and you make careless mistakes.
• You're tired in the middle of the day: If you can barely keep your eyes open and you're constantly yawning, your body is clearly telling you that it needs a break.
• You are unmotivated and easily irritable: You actually enjoy your job, but suddenly you don't feel like it anymore? This could be because you've been working too long.

Do you have one or more of these “symptoms”? Then it's high time for a mini break, i.e. a short break or time out where you stop working for a moment.

Little breaks make you...

• more relaxed – because you interrupt stressful phases.
• more alert because you wake up your brain with short exercises.
• more efficient because you then work more concentratedly.

If you work relaxed, fresh and full of power, you can more easily immerse yourself in so-called deep work work phases in which you work with particular focus.

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Mini breaks also have a long-term positive effect on your work-life balance . Because when you are productive, you can complete your tasks faster. This in turn can mean that you can finish work on time and avoid overtime.

In addition, thanks to mini breaks, you consciously deal with the topic of stress during the day - by consciously addressing it. This is also beneficial for you. The reason: If you are mindful while working, you won't carry the work stress with you into the end of the day. This can help you switch off better in your free time.

Despite all the advantages: “Mini breaks” are of course no substitute for the lunch break . After six hours of work at the latest, you need a longer break of at least half an hour. This is the only way to ensure that you remain productive in the long term. This is even stipulated by the Working Hours Act. Nevertheless, it makes sense that you integrate small breaks into your everyday work - and thus specifically prevent the development of stress.

We'll introduce you to three 3-minute exercises that you can easily integrate into your everyday work routine - drop the pen now!

3-Minute Exercise #1: Meditation

Meditation is a popular mindfulness exercise that can sustainably improve your work-life balance.

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The goal of meditation: to calm down . This works by concentrating on the here and now and forgetting for a moment the stress you just had and the to-dos that are still waiting for you. In short: you interrupt the negative emotional cycle - and thereby take the wind out of its sails.

Many people think that meditation means sitting cross-legged for hours, chanting “Om” and thinking about absolutely nothing. That's why they don't give it a chance. But meditation can also look different - for example like this.

Meditate for 3 minutes – this is how it works:

1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes.
2. Notice the space around you: What sounds do you hear, what do you smell, what parts of your body do you touch the chair or floor with?
3. Do a so-called “body scan”. To do this, mentally go through your body from head to toe and notice where you are tense. Just notice it - without judging it or changing your attitude.
4. Now focus on your breathing. Feel your chest and stomach rising and falling. You can also count your breaths if that helps you stay present.
5. Let thoughts and feelings pass. Notice them for a moment and then imagine that they are floating away like a balloon. Don't judge them.
6. Briefly focus on your surroundings again and perceive them with all your senses.
7. Open your eyes slowly and at your own pace.

Do you constantly find yourself drifting off in your thoughts while meditating? Don't worry: This is completely normal - and every beginning is difficult. The more you practice, the better you will be at staying focused. Otherwise, moving meditation can also help. For example, you go for a mindful walk or do targeted yoga exercises that you combine with certain breathing techniques.

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3-minute exercise #2: Stretching

Whether you're working from home or in the office, there's a relatively high chance that you don't move enough during your day-to-day work . You probably often sit crooked or slump. But a lack of exercise and poor posture can quickly lead to muscle tension, back pain, neck pain and headaches as well as concentration problems and fatigue.

What can you do about it? Stretch for a few minutes. This way you can relax your muscles, prevent pain and be more alert again . The result: you can concentrate on your work again. Because through movement you also promote blood circulation - and more oxygen can be transported to the brain again.

So that you can use your 3-minute break as effectively as possible, we have put together a short movement sequence for you.

Stretch for 3 minutes – this is how it works:

1. Stretch your hip flexors with the Couch Stretch . For this exercise you kneel in front of your sofa. Your back is facing the couch. Place your right leg in front of you so that the knee forms a right angle and you are standing stable. Then place your left foot on the sofa. The left knee remains on the floor and forms an acute angle. Now lean your hips forward until you can feel your hip flexors well. After 30 seconds, switch sides.
2. Loosen your entire shoulder girdle . This exercise works both standing and sitting. To do this, slowly pull your shoulders up towards your ears. Hold this position for 60 seconds. Now just let your shoulders fall. This will loosen your shoulders and neck. These are the places where you most often feel psychological stress - namely in physical tension.
3. Stretch your neck . Sit upright and then turn your head to the left. So now you're looking over your left shoulder. Hold this position for three deep breaths. As you inhale, lengthen your spine. To do this, imagine someone pulling you up with a string - like a puppet. As you breathe out, turn your head back a little further. Make sure that your shoulders and upper body do not rotate but remain in the starting position. Slowly come back to the center and then go to the other side.

Our tip : Pay particular attention to your breathing during every exercise. When you breathe in you stretch, when you breathe out you stretch - and imagine how all your stress disappears into thin air.

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3-Minute Exercise #3: Mini Cardio Workout

When children are angry, frustrated, or stressed, they throw themselves on the floor and scream. They just let it all out and then they feel better again. Of course, this is not an option for adults – especially in everyday working life. But what to do with all the pent-up emotions? If you ignore them, it will have a negative impact on both the quality of your work and your well-being. Our tip: Take three minutes for a mini cardio workout .

The happiness hormone is only released after 20 minutes of exercise, but even a three-minute workout is worth it for you: There are now many studies that show that endurance training of less than four minutes can keep up with long training sessions when it comes to improvement your endurance capacity.

Don't have an ergometer or skipping rope at hand? No problem: even a knee lever run in sprint mode will make you sweat in three minutes . Before you get started, it's best to download a so-called "Tabata timer" app . This special stopwatch helps you keep track of the times of each training session. Because it is very sweaty, we recommend this workout especially if you work from home and can take a shower afterwards.

3 minutes of cardio – this is how it works:

1. Set the Tabata timer so that you go full throttle for 20 seconds and then have a 10 second break for active recovery.
2. Once the timer starts, do knee lifts on the spot for 20 seconds. To do this, first pull your right thigh up. The knee is bent. Then you put your leg down again and pull your left thigh up. Keep your body upright and push yourself powerfully off the ground. Alternate lifting your legs as often as you can.
3. When the break gong sounds, it doesn't mean you should stand still. Instead, move from one leg to the other - very leisurely, without much force.
4. Repeat this two-part 30-second interval six times for a high-intensity 3-minute workout.

Our tip : If you have a day when everything at work just goes wrong and your mood is in the basement, try dancing. Put on your favorite song and dance away all the tension and stress.

Of course, this is best done at home in the home office. If you're in the office, go to the toilet for a moment and take your smartphone and headphones with you. Positive side effect: You will automatically have to smile - even if you are actually in a bad mood. And according to studies , this ensures that your brain thinks you are actually happy.

With three 3-minute exercises for work-life balance

Goodbye, concentration problems, stress and overtime – thanks to regular, short breaks. Our three 3-minute exercises will help you work more effectively so that you can then enjoy your free time to the fullest. Take the first step towards work-life balance now. For a more balanced everyday working life!

* Smart mix with high protein content, no added sugar (NATURALLY CONTAINS SUGAR).

Note: A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

SOURCES

Marmolejo-Ramos, F., Murata, A., Sasaki, K., Yamada, Y., Ikeda, A., Hinojosa, JA, Watanabe, K., Parzuchowski, M., Tirado, C., & Ospina, R . (2020). Your face and moves seem happier when I smile: Facial action influences the perception of emotional faces and biological motion stimulates. Experimental Psychology, 67(1), 14–22.

Viana, RB, de Lira, C., Naves, J., Coswig, VS, Del Vecchio, FB, & Gentil, P. (2019). Tabata protocol: a review of its application, variations and outcomes. Clinical physiology and functional imaging, 39(1), 1–8.