The Essential Tips to Create a Break Area in Your Garden Office
Working from a garden office offers numerous benefits for professionals who want to work remotely. Indeed, it can save you considerable time on commuting while still offering a physical commuting break between your home and your office. Additionally, garden offices, despite being a high upfront investment, can also reduce work-related costs in the long run while maximizing your productivity.
Yet, if you have designed your very own garden office, there is an essential factor that you still need to consider, namely a dedicated break area. Many remote workers assume that a garden office doesn’t require a break area due to its quiet location. Unfortunately, this is a mistake. Studies suggest that taking regular breaks while working, regardless of where your office is, contributes to overall well-being and productivity. So, it becomes crucial to explore your options when it comes to break areas.
What is a break area?
This may seem like a silly question but a lot of professionals only know break rooms within an office environment. This means they tend to associate entertainment and luxury catering alternatives with the break room, such as a sofa, tv, a fancy coffee machine, or even a foosball for the team to play. As such, they may not realize they can create a break area even if they don’t have the investment capital of a full-sized business.
A break area is a designated space that focuses on promoting relaxation. It serves as a mini retreat from work-related tasks during the day and allows you to unwind, recharge, and refresh your mind. As such, any space that is not connected to your work has the potential to become a break area. The break area needs to create a boundary between work and leisure time, allowing you to alleviate stress.
What do you need in your garden office break area?
While it may be tempting to use your office space for breaks, it is essential for your well-being to have a separate area dedicated solely to relaxation. Mixing work and breaks in the same space can blur the lines between the two and make it harder to detach from work mentally.
But this distinctive area doesn’t need to be a brand new location. You could take a walk in your garden for a few minutes. Indeed, spending time in nature can help you feel refreshed and release serotonin.
Alternatively, you could also incorporate consumables into your break area. For instance, CBD products, such as gummies or smoking CBD, can promote relaxation and reduce stress levels. It has been known to have calming effects on the mind and body. So, keeping a doob tube in there could turn most spaces into a break room. Similarly, you could also brew yourself a fresh cup of tea. The ritual of making tea combined with its comforting properties can provide a sense of satisfaction and calmness.
How often should you take breaks?
There is no clear answer to the question as how often you should step away from your desk during the day depends entirely on individual needs. However, as a rule of thumb, experts recommend a movement break of 6 minutes every hour to counteract the negative effects of sitting. This could be walking to the garden or going to the kitchen to make a warm drink, for example.
Hopefully, these few tips can help you improve your garden office routine and boost your well-being. Break areas are an essential part of every office setting.
