Use Tech To Have A Refreshing Break, Rather Than A Draining One!

We all take ten to fifteen minute breaks from time to time. Whether we’re at work or we’re on a night out with a few friends, we need to step away and take a breather. Around 99% of the time, this also means we pull a phone or a tablet out and start scrolling. 

However, even though we tend to think of spending time using tech as relaxing, if you’re on social media or scrolling through recent news, you’re not going to be taking a break at all! You’re not going to head back to your desk or the table in the restaurant feeling like you’re present and ready to get on with whatever the day brings. 

Indeed, using tech during your break times can be quite draining. If you’re never actually logging on and you always want to know what other people are up to, you won’t be able to take a chance to refresh your mental energy. 

But does this mean you should forget about using tech at all? We don’t think so. Tech can be a lot of fun, as well as energizing, when it’s used in the right way. From gaming to meditating to using music to fade background noise, you can get back to the task at hand with much more energy and focus. 

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Stay Off Social Media

Social media is the worst thing for trying to relax. Every nerve in your body can be on edge when you’re scrolling through apps like Instagram and TikTok, and the idea that you don’t know what will come up next can become quite addictive. 

This is what people find hard to walk away from, but the moment you realize that you’re trapped in this never ending scrolling behavior, the easier it is to close out the app and try something else! 

So, the next time you need to take a break, stay off social media. You should never compromise your need to take a good and refreshing break with the act of ‘doomscrolling’ or searching for the next dopamine hit. 

Instead of using social media, try something else on your phone instead. This could mean using an app or watching something outside of these platforms. All in all, finding ways to use your phone that don’t revolve around this social connection can be very beneficial for these low energy, low focus moments. 

Get Stuck into a Video Essay

If you’re a fan of literally anything, you’ll be able to find one or two video essays on it! Video essays can be very interesting thanks to the way they deep dive into information, which can include talking about the background of a situation or talking about the meta of a narrative. 

Good to both focus on and be used as background noise, a video essay can help you to clear your mind, enjoy your break time, and make you look at the world around you in different ways. You might even find a new community to get involved with, which can be a great way to make this activity a socially fulfilling one as well. 

If you find a creator you like, you can then subscribe to them and keep up with all the video essays they post in the future. This means you’ll always have something quality to dig into the next time you need to go on a refreshing tech break! 

Download a Crossword App

Crosswords are great for both getting your brain going and giving you a chance to relax. If you’ve been staring at a screen all day and had tasks like writing emails and data entry to get through, a good crossword will get you thinking in a different way. It’s a bit creative, it’s a lot of fun, and you can get through the puzzles in around ten minutes. 

There are also quite a few crossword apps and sites, so you can check out any number and find the one that fits your style in the best way. Paid apps can often be a bit friendlier in their content and interface, thanks to a lack of intrusive adverts, but try out a few and see which ones are the most fun. 

If you find you quite like puzzles like these, you can then go on to try out classic games like sudoku and mahjong, and other puzzles like word searches and arrow words. They’ve long been coffee break favorites, and now they can help you on your breaks too. 

Go Through a Guided Meditation

Phones can be a portal into a world of healthy coping mechanisms. One of these is guided meditation, which can allow you to take stock of what you’re doing and how you’re feeling in the moment. 

Meditation is good for helping you to feel grounded, if you’re currently experiencing quite a hard day and you’re not focusing very well on anything. A bit of mindfulness is very good for both the brain and body, and a guided meditation gives you something to focus on while you breathe and feel out your body. 

You can download any number of apps to support you with this, or you can head online and watch a tutorial. Once you’ve got the hang of the meditation you can start doing it on your own and whenever you need to – not just when you’re in the middle of a much needed stress break! 

Listen to a Podcast

Podcasts are a great alternative to listening to music or watching a video. There’s no visual element, you don’t need to manually pay attention, and you can zone out for a little while and just listen to the voices of the presenters. 

Of course, a good podcast can keep your attention, even when it’s just playing in the background and using it to help keep you on task. If you’ve found such a podcast already and you like to use it whenever you need a bit of a brain break, make sure you put it on whenever you’re having trouble with feeling clear and level headed. 

Message a Friend

We talked about social media earlier, but how often do you actually use those apps to directly message your loved ones? If you find you only really use social media platforms to watch funny videos and see what your favorite influencers are saying, this could be a great way to bring that social element back into your life. 

Messaging a friend, even out of the blue, is a good way to feel refreshed and like you’ve got something important to do. Catching up is a great exercise, as it helps us feel warm inside and close to people, and sometimes that’s all you need on a cold, grey day when work has been hell! 

Keeping in touch with those you love is perfect for mini break times like these, so shoot off a few messages and let that good feeling come back to you. 

Take Your Phone Outside

If you take your phone outside, it suddenly becomes only a footnote in what you’re doing. It’s not the main thing you’re focusing on anymore, which means you have the chance to lift your eyes and experience other things when you really need to. Brains need a good bit of stimulation and that’s not always going to come from the same source! 

So, why not take your phone outside the next time you need to take a break? While you’re out there you could play a round of Pokemon Go, which encourages a bit of physical exercise while you’re using tech. Or you could use an app to identify the plants and wildlife you might be able to see, especially if you find going for a walk to be beneficial for you. 

Read a Book

As long as you’ve got a reading app installed on your phone, you can take a book with you wherever you go. On the bus or train, in the staff break room, while you’re waiting for friends to join you at a bar – you can read up on something you’re interested in and make the time feel both fulfilling and useful. 

Reading, even off of a digital screen, is very good for the brain. We all know it’s a great way to increase your knowledge and expand your lexicon, but there are various other benefits for your mental health as well. 

And hey, if you’re a fast reader and you’ve only got about fifteen minutes before you’re needed back at your desk, you should be able to get through a chapter each time you go on a break. 

If you want to take some more refreshing breaks when the occasion calls for it, make sure you’re staying off social media and using your tech in the ways listed above. Do things that help you recharge, have fun, and feel like yourself again before you head back inside. Phones are supposed to be beneficial, so make sure they’re working out for you!