Smart ways to work breaks into your work day
Archived article. Written for freelance translators in 2020; some details may be out of date.
Now that you’re working for yourself, you can theoretically take breaks whenever you want. So why aren’t you?
I know, I know. You’re too busy. You don’t have the time. You might miss out on the next project because you didn’t check your email. There’s too much email to take a break. There’s not enough email and you need to drum up some business.
But the bottom line is you need to take breaks sometime during the day or you’ll wear yourself out or make mistakes in your work or bungle your invoicing – or all of the above.
If you’re reluctant to take breaks because you feel it’s not productive, try incorporating some productive activities into your time off during the day. Go for a walk or run while listening to a podcast in one of your language pairs. That combines two productive activities into one. Or watch some news from the country where many of your translations are used. You can easily fold laundry or wash dishes while watching to make the most of that time.
And remember to take advantage of your flexible work hours. Not everyone can go to the gym or the dry cleaners at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, but you can. Going during non-peak hours means you can spend less time getting there and getting home and at your destination.
If you’re the type to work through lunch and work through the breaks you intended to take, schedule breaks into your calendar. That way it’s another appointment you need to keep. You’ll come back refreshed and work more efficiently when you return to your desk.
