WFH - breaks?

[PolkaDot456]

I started a new job recently and it's office based WFH which is new to me. Aside from lunch break, do you take breaks in your day? In my previous 'on site' job I would not get breaks but the job was very low demand and I could come and go to the shop next door as I pleased generally or head to a quiet room to do a job and give myself 5 mins longer to decompress.

With this virtual office, I am concerned about not immediately replying to a chat message or answering a rare unexpected video call and my new uplines thinking I'm taking the mick!

As a caveat, the organisations own WFH training/guidance for comp use suggested an upright 10 minutes break every hour.

PS Uplines used for the true meaning of work team seniors, I'm not working in MLM!

It depends really . Some days i am in back to back meetings and barely get time to go to the toilet. Other days i will have a couple of mins and make myself a cup of tea etc. I would do this in the office too and don't see it to be any different.

It's ok to take a break

It's OK to take breaks. I am rubbish at taking breaks apart from my lunch break but actually I'm going to start scheduling myself an am and pm break.

Maybe for anything 15 mins and over just pop it in your calendar in case someone is trying to get hold of you.

I make cups of tea, put the washing machine on, load the dishwasher, whizz round with the hoover, have lunch etc etc. work are totally fine as none of the things take long.
The vast majority of the time I'm sat there working.

It's fine to take breaks and depending on what sort of job you do it may be valuable to not be constantly checking emails and chats as that can massively make you lose focus and effect productivity of any bigger tasks you're working on.
Obviously while you're new you want to be contactable but I'll sometimes switch my emails off for an hour or so while I focus on writing a report for example. I also take breaks to make tea or hang the washing out!

Yes. I make myself a cup of tea and chuck washing in the machine. I need to stretch and get my blood pumping.
Less time chatting and it's a much shorter walk to the kitchen and toilets than in the office though.

I only work mornings but I try to take 15 mins mid morning to make a cuppa, hang the washing and tidy up from the DC breakfast.

Of course you can take a break. if you’re an employee your contract will say what your break entitlement will be, usually 30-60 mins.

I WFH and stop for my hour break, sometimes less depending on how busy things are. I can come back to a number of emails and Teams messages. If you pop the break in your calendar then it will show you’re busy at that point.

I've wfh for the last few years and I have flexible start and end times so I start straight after school run at 8.15 and work til about 5, but this covers me for the many 5mins here and there where I load the washer or strip the beds.