Your 5 minute breaks for a pain-free lifestyle

I first mention the Tomato Technique in my earlier blog post about eye pain.

 In a nutshell, the Tomato Technique works like this:

Set a timer for 25 minutes, work through those 25 minutes - focus, then make a "tick" on piece of paper and take a 5 minute break. When you have accumulated 4 "ticks", take a half hour break. 

However, what people may not realise as being important is what they would be doing during those 5 minute breaks. When I first started using the Tomato Technique, I used those 5 minute breaks to go on YouTube or Facebook. It was easy, it was convenient, and I really enjoy social networking sites (who doesn't eh?)

 Big mistake though. What I didn't realise was in order to be good for our eyes, those 5 minutes are best utilised away from the screen.

Yep, we gotta ****tear ourselves away from the screen****!

 Here are some examples of good 5 minute activities you can engage in during your break:

1. toilet break

Some of clients complain that because of the water regime they have to drink (3 litres a day - you'll need to drink this amount of water minimum in order to lose weight, I kid you not) they are going to the bathroom exceptionally often and they find it rather bothersome. Well, if you schedule in time to go to the bathroom during your 5 minute break (since you're going to have to take a break away from the screen anyways, why not to the bathroom?) then it won't seem like such a chore. Considering that you'll have four 5-minute breaks per Tomato Cyle, that's 4 breaks away from the screen = 4 opportunities to choose whether or not to go to the bathroom.

2. walking break

This one goes hand in hand with the bathroom break. My clients who want to lose weight typically need to accumulate 10,000 steps throughout the day on their pedometer. What better opportunity to accumulate those steps than with a bathroom break - you're going to have to walk away from the screen anyways, why not use the time to walk to the bathroom as well? Or crazy idea, how about a short walk to the pantry to have a drink of water?

3. water break

Tying into the second suggestion (walking break), my clients often say they have difficulty drinking 3 litres of water a day because they just totally forget about drinking water altogether. Or they ignore their thirst and keep going at their jobs because they feel it is absolutely necessary for them to get work done. How about IF it was absolutely necessary to get as much work done as possible within 25 minutes AND THEN it was absolutely necessary to be away from the screen for the next 5 minutes? Since one has to be away from the screen anyways, why not take the opportunity to re-hydrate (and accumulate more steps, and so your body has more fluids to flush out toxins in the next 25 minutes while you're working - very efficient no)?

4. snack break

Many of my clients are not eating enough and not eating well. Just like I mentioned in the water break segment, sometimes they are just so totally engrossed in their work that they forget about eating and drinking altogether, or they ignore the body's hunger and thirst signals. Continue to ignore these signals over the years, and one typically ends up with a very damaged body - prone to obesity and other related issues (chronic pain being one of them as well). 5 minute snack breaks are great opportunities to (1) accumulate steps as you walk to the pantry or wherever your food is stored (2) drink some water as you eat your snacks (one would typically feel thirsty while eating, wouldn't we?) and (3) keep the body nourished and good to go - which is what eating was originally for in the first place (!)

5. dancing break

Definitely a healthy activity, stress-buster, good to take your mind off work for a bit and lots of fun! Movement of any sort is ALWAYS good, especially if you're experiencing chronic pain of some sort. Put on some cheesy pop songs and just move - they'll do you plenty of good! Just bear in mind that you may need some earphones and privacy so you don't disturb others. ;)

You'll probably be able to work only 1-2 of each item into each break. That's fine. You have four 5 minute breaks in each Tomato Cycle, so there's plenty of opportunity to vary what you do in your breaks! You may want to consider putting away your phone during the breaks though (since the whole point of utilising this technique is to minimise eye pain, and phone screens like computer screens give your eyes strain too). You could use it as a treat during the longer 30 minute break though, that would make phone use even more rewarding, wouldn't it?

Note: different offices may have different rules so do keep that in mind when implementing these techniques. Alternately, get your HR to talk to an occupational therapist (feel free to send me an email or text if you're keen to get more info - contact details on top of every page) and see if we can come up with a strategy to ensure a healthier workplace for a healthier you. :D