Finding 10 minutes for your brain.

In 2019 I would dash from meeting to meeting. This one ends, grab my stuff, pit stop in the ladies’ room, grab another cup of coffee, and speed walk in my sensible heals to the next room down the hall. 

Now I can pull up the next Webex while the prior meeting is wrapping. I can type in the chat "Be right there" as people sit waiting for my phone icon to appear...

Ever wonder what all this back-to-back meeting slog is doing to us? From experience we know it means less chance to stretch our legs or to eat a decent meal, and it affords no mental pause to reset our focus. By the end of the day we feel completely exhausted, but why?

This recent study from Microsoft shows that our constant flow through meetings causes a dramatic increase in stress levels. Even “the anticipation of the next call caused a spike in beta activity during the transition period between meetings.”

The study compares immediate transition to 10-minute breaks. 10 minutes is not a ridiculous time to ask for between meetings.

Could you find ways to end a 60-minute meeting in 50 minutes? Was the last 10 really adding value?

Could you schedule your 1:1’s with employees spaced out through the day?

What would happen if you scheduled a meeting that didn’t start at XX:00 or XX:30?

As we move into 2023, consider refreshing your operating rhythm. What micro-changes can you make to help create space? Even a little change will improve your team’s engagement and reduce your day-to-day fatigue.

Have you cracked the code to taking breaks throughout the day?