Get Out Those Legos

Many of my clients are working harder than smarter. This is not a put-down of their intelligence. It is a statement about the conventions of the way most of us live and work. Without a concerted effort to step back and take an objective look at how we function day in and day out, we find ourselves subject to old ways of doing things without periodic checkups to see if they are working.

The first step to changing the high stress road to burnout approach to your work day is to build in "joy breaks" or mini refreshers. It is not true that you get more done if you don't stop for lunch or other refreshing breaks during the day. On the contrary, I always remember the days I sat at my desk searching for a solution to a particular problem. I tried very hard to come up with the answer and was not successful.

In the afternoon of the second day, I threw my hands in the air, exasperated, and went out to pull a few weeds from my garden. That's when the light bulb went off and I had the answer.

In order to have meaningful joy breaks a plan is necessary. Start by making a list of things you consider fun and refreshing that can be done in 5 or 10 minutes, a half hour, an hour or more. Then list the supplies you will need to have on hand when you want to do that activity: magazines, puzzles, a musical instrument, books, CD's, running shoes, Legos, phone numbers of friends or family, gardening gloves, crayons, paints, jelly beans, yoga instructions, a basketball, a movie schedule, etc. Make sure that your breaks have NOTHING to do with your work.

You will experience even more benefits than feeling refreshed. You will start thinking out of the box, be more creative, productive, and make better decisions. You will also notice that there are more facets to your personality than are reflected in your work. You may remember old interests you forgot about or discover new talents you would like to develop. Your joy breaks will bring more joy to your daily life and make you a more pleasant person to be around.

At some point you may want to take a closer look and examine in greater depth how you are spending not only your work life, but your whole life. Are you actually doing what you are supposed to be doing in the world? We will take a deeper look into that in the future.

Master your next level and enjoy the journey.

About The Author

Dorene Lehavi, Ph.D. is principal of Next Level Business and Professional Coaching. She coaches Professionals and Business Partners and teaches teleclasses on techniques to break through barriers to the next level. Dr. Lehavi offers a complimentary coaching session so you can experience how coaching can work for you. Contact Dr. Lehavi at DL@CoachingforYourNextLevel.com or on the web at http://www.CoachingforYourNextLevel.com Subscribe to Mastering Your Next Level monthly e-newsletter at http://www.coachingforyournextlevel.com/newsletter.html

MORE RESOURCES:

Lessons in Gross National Happiness - Wall Street Journal

In Pursuit of Happiness: Elizabeth#39;s Story, #39;Why Won#39;t You Help Me?#39; - WSAW

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/34834324.htmlcid=1272686015ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNE9_AmF5m9uDEmuPAJXd5LE7LmgPQIn Pursuit of bHappiness/b: Elizabeth#39;s Story, #39;Why Won#39;t You Help Me?#39;/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWSAW,nbsp;WInbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Continuing our series, #39;In Pursuit of bHappiness/b,#39; Liz Hayes shares Elizabeth#39;s story. She#39;s a woman who contacted her church when she discovered she was in b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/34833574.htmlcid=1272686015ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNE4qAsPYu9vj4ApzmnBPokdikOftwIn Pursuit of bHappiness/b: No Stereotypical Abusers or Victims/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWSAW/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-2fd=Rurl=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/34835154.htmlcid=1272686015ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNFOxkUt_YxLTof80yCXJhaa3Gl_SwIn Pursuit of bHappiness/b: Messages of Hope/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWSAW/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272686015hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

For Caps#39; Ovechkin, it#39;s all about the pursuit of happiness - Los Angeles Daily News

In Pursuit of Happiness: Davene#39;s Story, A Lifetime of Abuse - WSAW

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/34771089.htmlcid=1272373351ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNGMQBymhzhd0wpMImDId6-O96rKdwIn Pursuit of bHappiness/b: Davene#39;s Story, A Lifetime of Abuse/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWSAW,nbsp;WInbsp;-/font nobrNov 19, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1In her series, quot;In Pursuit of bHappiness/b,quot; Liz Hayes shows us how one woman overcame unbelievable obstacles. quot;This is how I look at my life. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-1fd=Rurl=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/34772199.htmlcid=1272373351ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNECiAYlfE3vfu4vvioVkZPZpL4n4QIn Pursuit of bHappiness/b: quot;Erica#39;squot; Story, Childhood Bliss to Abuse/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWSAW/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-2fd=Rurl=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/34772464.htmlcid=1272373351ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNHdqaSaM9FcplIQvz_T2fTgfXW-wQIn Pursuit of bHappiness/b: Domestic Violence Kills/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWSAW/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-3fd=Rurl=http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/34741099.htmlcid=1272373351ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNHhxI3SqOsh46Vb8U6Vg-a26EdnUwIn Pursuit of bHappiness/b Part 1: 1 in 4 Women Experience Domestic b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWSAW/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272373351hl=ennobrall 4 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

How would you rate your happiness? - Marie Claire.co.uk

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.thesmartset.com/news/news11200805.aspxcid=1272643769ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNGRxGWnD9iGC1yiCbVmn6qxpJMNpQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=vdkrDiRczuAJimgurl=www.thesmartset.com/files/dailynews/images/CPS.OGM58.191108223140.photo00.quicklook.default-245x166.jpg width=80 height=54 alt= border=1brfont size=-2The Smart Set/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/health/282982/how-would-you-rate-your-happiness.htmlcid=1272643769ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNGyNhDZD7irll9X86OIQI2mRJa-tQHow would you rate your bhappiness/b?/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarie Claire.co.uk,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Putting a figure on bhappiness/b is a difficult thing to do, but a new study shows most Britons rate their bhappiness/b at 7.8 on a scale of one to 10. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-1fd=Rurl=http://www.thesmartset.com/news/news11200805.aspxcid=1272643769ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNGRxGWnD9iGC1yiCbVmn6qxpJMNpQDanes happiest, Bulgarians most miserable: EU lifestyle study/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Smart Set/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-2fd=Rurl=http://www.caboodle.hu/nc/news/news_archive/single_page/article/11/hungarians_t-4/%3FcHash%3D334821f322cid=1272643769ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNEdpcr8X5Z5ce1LEMe3XacGEVd-PQHungarians third quot;glummestquot; in Europe/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCaboodle.hu/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-3fd=Rurl=http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2008/11/20/EU_Danes_most_satisfied_Bulgarians_least/UPI-86721227209368/cid=1272643769ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNH8QKZ_VUEfaJTJqrHu5cFUdUCQIAEU: Danes most satisfied, Bulgarians least/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrUnited Press International/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-4fd=Rurl=http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_71094288cid=1272643769ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNEZgAc216GQ7wp__JE8-mxvoY3OgQnobrNews.bg/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272643769hl=ennobrall 10 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

The history of happiness - Telegraph.co.uk

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1087793/Are-miseries-Europe-You-having-laugh-.htmlcid=1272522368ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNF0YJxMULnRYYlGrcJ0Rw0dx77Sogimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=ghnSdmH7jsIJimgurl=i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/11/20/article-1087793-0289FAE2000005DC-816_468x386.jpg width=80 height=66 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Daily Mail/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml%3Fxml%3D/opinion/2008/11/20/do2009.xmlcid=1272522368ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNHjF0anLBqHTvHh-b_w2DpLxMpPJwThe history of bhappiness/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTelegraph.co.uk,nbsp;United Kingdomnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1I#39;ve been thinking about bhappiness/b recently because I#39;ve just read Christopher Jamison#39;s fascinating Finding bHappiness/b. The simple idea of this friendly b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-1fd=Rurl=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1087793/Are-miseries-Europe-You-having-laugh-.htmlcid=1272522368ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNF0YJxMULnRYYlGrcJ0Rw0dx77SogAre we the miseries of Europe? You must be having a laugh.../a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrDaily Mail/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-2fd=Rurl=http://newslite.tv/2008/11/20/brits-are-78-percent-happy.htmlcid=1272522368ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNGUB4UBtVpAX9y8LsGqQ7u5-cWMKQBrits are 78 percent happy/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNewsLite/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-3fd=Rurl=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/3485876/Britons-rate-their-happiness-at-7.8-study-shows.htmlcid=1272522368ei=jFkmSbGnKI7YMrOG2U0usg=AFQjCNEjvsf5j7s-_hut96dvrfwnZ5JC2gBritons rate their bhappiness/b at 7.8, study shows/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTelegraph.co.uk/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272522368hl=ennobrall 13 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Forty years of health, happiness and hoops - Northwest Asian Weekly

Make your holiday happiness checklist - Libertyville Review

Obama’s call to service meets the economic meltdown - Xenia Gazette

Economic growth doesn#39;t guarantee happiness for Latin Americans - The Miami Herald

Happiness - Google News

RELATED ARTICLES

Happiness as a Habit
Health and Happiness are the two things that most people will tell you they desire most. Ask a parent what they want most for their child and they will almost always say, "I really don't care, as long as they are healthy and happy.

Get Out Those Legos
Many of my clients are working harder than smarter. This is not a put-down of their intelligence.

Suffering
Since wisdom is the art of coping with suffering, it starts with a willingness to tackle it head-on:a) Such is the harshness of our condition that we suffer, sometimes greatly or worse, insuperably.b) Such is the richness of our nature that we can learn to live happily, or at least serenely, within the limits of this condition.

Health, Wealth, and Love
What is happiness? The dictionary defines it as "a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy."Like many dictionary definitions, this may be accurate, but needs to be more specific to be of practical use.

A Great Life? How to Score Your Life
Is your life really the life you want?Quickly determine how great your life is by answering "Yes" or "No" to the following questions.Even if you already know how great your life is, do you know what you can change to make it better?Instructions:Each question has a "Yes" or "No" answer.

What NOT To Do To Feel Good About Yourself - 10 Tips
From the moment we wake in the morning our heads start to fill with all sorts of thoughts. What will you give the kids for breakfast? Will you get the time to iron your blouse before you leave for work? What will you do if you miss the bus? And so it goes on.

The Gift is in the Giving
I have to be honest. I made the woman cashier at BIG! LOTS cry.

Increase Your Happiness - Look Forward With Hindsight
Six months ago you had trouble finding your keys and were late for work. At the time, you felt agitated and upset.

Personal Alchemy, Turn Your Suffering into Gold
I am sure it is safe to say that each of us has had times in our lives when we had hopes, anticipation, expectations and events where we desired a certain outcome.I am sure it is equally safe to say that when any of them did not turn out the way we had wished, we felt some measure of pain, disappointment, anger, sadness, or turmoil.

But I Bought All The Books And Tapes, And Im Still Unhappy!
I love this quote by Zig Ziglar, and think it's a perfect introduction to this article:"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing- that's why we recommend it daily.

The ABCs Of A Great Life: J Is For Joviality
Laughter, humor, a lighthearted sense of being - all of these are an important part of a well-balanced breakfast, er, life. Without humor, there is no hope.

Quick Steps On Being Happier
Want to be happier?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker, author and TV show host, who specializes in quick tips on how to move your life ahead even faster, offers the following advice.

7 Things Happy People Know How To Do
Ever notice how some people just seem to be able to be content and bounce back no matter what the circumstances? Research shows that this isn't a gift or a talent - it's a skill that they have developed. Surprised? Well, the real surprise is that you too can put to work their techniques and make your life happier too.

Create a Balanced Lifestyle and Begin Living a Happier, Healthier and Enriched Life
Are you living a balanced life?Many people are not. Their lives are horribly out of balance and their quality of life is being severely compromised as a result.

Getting Out Of Dodge
The freeway was relatively clear. It was early in the morning as we rushed in south-southwest direction out of town.

Keys to Happiness
"Happiness is the whole aim and end of human existence" - Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony" - Mahatma GandhiUnderlying the reasons why clients have come to me over the years is the desire for happiness. What is happiness? Conventional wisdom often defines happiness as status, financial security, worldly goods, possessions, lifestyle, accomplishments etc.

Ten Ways to Eliminate Guilt From Your Life
1. Say "Yes" Only When You Want ToYou want to please everyone, but you end up disappointed in yourself.

Colors: How Do They Make You Feel?
One of the most important colors in advertising is the color blue. Calm, comforting, soothing, and peaceful are all feelings evoked from this color.

A Surefire Way To Manage Your Fears While Leading A Happier, Healthier Life
Imagine discovering a way to get rid of your fears in aquick and painless manner. In fact it can even become fun!Did you know only two of all the fears you have are innate:The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises.

Boosting Your Success with Six Easy Happiness Tips
In what areas of your life would you like to achieve greater success? State-of-mind (attitude towards life and work) absolutely affects your performance and your outcomes. People who stay in jobs they hate, or relationships and situations in which they are chronically unhappy are not only missing out on the joy life has to offer, but are literally putting their health at risk at the same time.