Whether you have only recently made the transition to work from home, or it’s something you’ve been doing for years, there are definitely some unique challenges to face. While it can be tempting to log extra hours, the importance of taking breaks is something that shouldn’t be underestimated. In an office environment, it’s perfectly normal to get up from your desk frequently, take a walk, go grab a drink, maybe chat with co-workers, and just enjoy that short mental break from your work. This helps you to stay focused throughout the day, which makes you more productive.

Your home office should be no different. Frequent breaks are not only a good idea; they are necessary so as not to strain your eyes, become over-stressed, or just over-worked in general. So, if you’re looking for easy distractions that will keep you entertained on your breaks – and encourage you to actually take the break in the first place – here are some great ideas.

Take a Walk

One of the easiest distractions is to get up from your desk and take a little walk. That can mean a walk outdoors, of if you just want a quick break, simply do a couple of laps around the interior of your home. It’s all about getting up, stretching your legs, taking that screen break, and allowing your mind to relax. You can also combine some stretching exercises with this break to ensure the best results for body and mind.

And if walking isn’t exactly your thing, don’t feel like you can’t do any other form of exercise. Anything that can be done in short spurts that allows you to get up from your desk, get your blood and heart pumping, and force you to move around will benefit you.

A Quick Chat with Friends

Chatting with friends or family can also be that nice break in the day that entertains you and forces you to put your workload aside for a brief amount of time. You can give a friend a call, or even do a quick video chat for that feeling of socialisation in the middle of your day. This is likely what you’d do on a break at work, so why not replicate it at home?

Give Online Casino Games a Try

Another great way to take a mental break from work and relax is to check out the many online casinos available. But which one should you check out? Online Casinos has compiled a list of the “UK’s Top 10 Best Online Casinos of 2021”, highlighting such features as the welcome bonus offered, ratings, and in-depth reviews that take the entire experience into account. You can quickly find some great options thanks to this list.

As for the online casino games themselves, these are meant to feel as close to the real thing as possible, all from the comfort of your home. What that means is that you can escape the worries and stress of work for a while, enjoy some classic casino action, and stay on top of all the latest releases – of which there is no shortage. Even if you only play a couple of quick games, it’s still enough to relax your mind and go back to work feeling refreshed and focused once again.

Make Yourself a Bite to Eat

If you’re looking to stay entertained and re-charge your energy level, then making a snack or a meal is a great solution. Because you are working from home, there’s no need to grab fast food for lunch; you could in fact be making homemade lunches each and every day. Why not make the process fun and try new recipes, different cuisines, and really mix things up? It gives you something to look forward to in the middle of the day.

Start Binge Watching a TV Series

Binge watching a favourite or new-to-you television series is great for those short breaks where you just want to be able to relax and let your mind wander away from work. Streaming services make this a viable option as you can go through full seasons and series. For example, your lunch break may be the perfect amount of time to get through one episode a day. This will completely distract you from you work, allowing you to head back with a focused mind.

Get Your Chores Done During the Workday

While this isn’t exactly a fun activity, if you can manage to complete your chores during the workday, it means you’ll have all kinds of free time at the end of the day. You may even want to aim to get everything done during the weekdays so that, come the weekend, there are no chores left to do. Having a whole weekend without work responsibilities, chores, and errands means you get a true mental break. Who couldn’t benefit from that?

Enjoy a Little Online Shopping

Your breaks at work can also be a great time to get a little online shopping done. It’s so easy to fall down the rabbit hole when it comes to online shopping, so giving yourself the time to actually enjoy browsing and checking out everything that catches your mind can be incredibly relaxing. If you have a specific item in mind, or a list of items, then your shopping will probably be more purposeful, but still fun to do while taking a break.

Video Gaming Consoles Can be a Welcome Distraction

Then we have video game consoles, which can also be a fabulous distraction. Whether you are playing online with others, or just a quick solo game, video games have been shown to be a great way to combat stress.

So, while the idea of distractions during the day doesn’t sound like it will help in terms of productivity, the fact is that it can help you immensely. Taking those regular breaks from your computer screen will help to keep you efficient and focused and ensure that you’re doing the best job possible.