How to Take the Perfect Work Break for Your Personality Type

We all know that it’s important to take breaks throughout your workday, so you don’t burn out, lose concentration or hurt your health by chaining yourself to a chair and desk all day. Breaks help you be more productive and focused, as well as improve your physical and mental well-being.

But are breaks one size fits all? Do they have to be a certain length or done in a specific way? The answer is no, because everyone’s work style and personality type are different. 

Here’s how you can take the perfect work break for your personality type. If what you try feels like just a teaser or doesn’t allow you to fully relax, extend the practice into your evening and weekend as well, on a larger scale. 

A few general tips, whatever your personality type

• Do something different than your work

If you’re staring at a computer screen all day, then you’ll be more recharged by having a quick stretch or walk outside, away from your desk, than by opening another window to scroll social media.

• Make it intentional

It’s easy to just drift into time-wasting activities when you get tired or bored. But you’ll feel more recharged if you intentionally choose an activity to enjoy at break time.

• Make it help rather than hurt

You might eat a snack on your break to help recharge your energy. Candy-bar cravings are common, but you could derail your productivity with an energy crash half an hour later. Instead, choose something you like that’s also healthy and energizing, like a piece of fruit with some cheese or a handful of nuts. 

Work breaks for Introverts 

For Introverts, taking a break from interacting with others can be key to recharging your batteries and being more productive. Some things you might do on your long or short breaks during the day:

• Take your lunch to the park and find a quiet space where you can be alone.
• Take a quick walk outside instead of sitting with others in a break room. 
• If you have a private workspace with a door, close the door, close your eyes for a few minutes, and shut out the world.
• If you work in a setting where you’re constantly around other people, take your work elsewhere for an hour or two if you can: home, a library, a table outside, or anyplace relatively quiet and solitary. In this case you’re still working, but the break is how and where you do it, so you avoid wasting your energy on coping with people fatigue.

Work breaks for Extraverts

For Extraverts, socializing and interacting with others can be energizing, so taking a break to connect with others is important. Here are some things you might do on your breaks:

• Go out to lunch with several co-workers, or meet up with friends.
• Call a friend for a quick check-in to break up the day’s routine.
• Stretch your legs and convene at the literal or proverbial water cooler for a bit of human contact.
• Take a few minutes to start planning your next social outing.
• Talk to a co-worker or two about teaming up on a project, so when you get back to work you’ll still have the benefit of interacting with others.

Work breaks for Sensors

For those who have a preference for sensing (Sensors), do something practical to actively involve your senses and ground yourself in the present moment. Some possibilities could include:

• Get outside, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells around you. If that's not possible, listening to nature sounds or music can help you relax.

• Engage in a quick tactile activity, like doodling, knitting or even playing with stress balls.
• If you have time, go to a museum, aquarium or other place where you can immerse yourself in a sensory experience.
• Turn lunch into a tasting adventure, experimenting with new flavors and cuisines, or simply take an extra moment to savor the taste, aroma, texture and temperature of what you’re eating.

Work breaks for Intuitives

If you’re an Intuitive type, you know just how much routine bores and exhausts you. You’ll benefit from a break that allows you to be creative and use your imagination.

• Talk to someone who inspires you. A quick conversation can give you the boost of inspiration and motivation that you need.
• Experiment with new tools and technology or software that can help you in your work.
• Read a few pages of fiction or poetry (or try writing some).
• Brainstorm ideas for a new personal project.

Work breaks for Thinkers

Thinking types might benefit from similar breaks that Introverts would choose, because their rational nature requires a break from all the feelings and emotional dynamics found in group work settings. You might also be refreshed by breaks that allow you to direct your thoughts towards something completely different. Here are some ideas:

• Play a game of chess or another strategy game (or just a few moves for a short break).
• Solve the day’s Wordle or other word game or puzzle.
• Read a nonfiction book unrelated to your work.
• Listen to a podcast about anything really – the goal is to provide your mind with a different topic and perspective to focus on.

Work breaks for Feelers

If you’re a Feeling type, you need breaks that allow you to connect with others and feel like the real 'you' instead of just an employee. Here are some ideas:

• Call a friend or family member to catch up.
• Write in a journal or do some creative writing to express your thoughts and feelings.
• Watch an inspirational video or TED talk that resonates with you.
• If there's a pet in the office, take a few minutes to play or pet them.
• Listen to music that uplifts your mood.

Work breaks for Judgers

Orderly and goal-oriented Judging types might find it hard to let themselves relax and take any kind of break from their work. You can work with or around that tendency, depending on your needs at the time:

• Take short, frequent breaks, even if it’s just to stretch and move a bit. This approach might work best when you want to stay focused without burning out.
• Take less frequent but longer breaks, so you can go all in with your productive time, then take a more substantial break to more fully recharge.
• Since you like to plan and be in charge of your time, plan exactly what you’ll do on each break. Work in some specific goals you want to achieve, such as exercise or learning something new.

Work breaks for Perceivers

While some people might find a very steady and predictable routine reassuring, Perceivers view this sameness as rigid, relentless and depressing. At work, you like the freedom to change things up and do certain tasks on different days, at different times, and in different ways. If you’re limited in how much flexibility you have at work, then the following breaks can be especially useful for a change from routine:

• Take your breaks at different times and for different lengths of time. Just make sure they add up to a certain amount of time by the end of the day, so you don’t end up never taking a break, or never getting back to work.
• Do something spontaneous that makes the most sense in the moment.
• Have broad ideas for the types of things you want to do, instead of specific activities that feel like tasks on a to-do list.
• Brainstorm a list of things you think would make interesting breaks, and then choose one when it’s break time, as if you’re selecting an item from a break menu.

Times when you might want to go against your type

While the above suggestions are tailored to each personality type, there may be times when it’s beneficial to try a different approach. For example, if your personality type tends toward workaholism and perfectionism, you might benefit from forcing yourself to do something relaxing that takes you entirely out of work mode. If you’re an introvert who lives alone and works at home, you may benefit from scheduling lunch with a friend, instead of further isolating yourself.

Take care too, that you're not falling into a rut with your breaks. The whole point of taking a break is to provide yourself with something refreshing to do. If you're doing the same things over and over, it could be time to switch things up and try something new.