Do you ever feel like there’s no time to breathe between tasks?
Maybe your to-do list feels endless, and the idea of taking even a short break seems impossible. You might even worry that stepping away will slow you down or make you seem unproductive. But what if taking just a few minutes to reset could actually make you more focused, effective, and calm?
I remember the days - back to back meetings, taking advantage of every spare minute between meetings to get other tasks done. I would go hours past the signals that my body gave for fatigue, the need for a bio-break, hunger or thirst. Just keep pushing until I got through everything that was required for the day. The only break would be as I shut the computer down to take 5 min to refill my coffee and use the restroom before a tense commute home, with more phone calls.
Have you trained yourself to stop listening to the cues of low energy? Some people think that breaks are a sign of weakness, a loss of productivity or a very low priority activity for themselves. In reality breaks are a way to recharge your energy and fuel another spurt of activity.
The Beauty of God’s Design: Why Micro-Breaks Work
In our busy, overcommitted lives, it’s easy to ignore the cues our bodies and minds give us when we’re pushing too hard. Fatigue, tension, irritability, and even fidgeting are all signs that we need to pause and reset. Yet, as high-achieving professionals, we often feel there’s no time to take a break. But God, in His infinite wisdom, designed our bodies to thrive in rhythms, with periods of activity followed by moments of rest.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17a NIV)
God created our bodies with rhythms that require both effort and rest. Ignoring those natural rhythms leads to stress, fatigue, and even burnout. By taking intentional micro-breaks—just 30 seconds to 3 minutes—you can reset your nervous system, improve your focus, and relieve stress, all while honoring the way God designed you to work. Ideally, you want to get to 15-20 minutes every 90-120 minutes of work, but every little bit of rest helps, particularly if you are doing it more frequently through the day. By building these habits into your daily routine, you can interrupt cycles of overwhelm and be in harmony with rhythms that promote balance, clarity, and effectiveness.
Here, we’ll address common concerns about taking breaks and share simple, faith-centered habits to help you recharge and experience God’s peace in the middle of a busy day.
1. “How can I find time for breaks when my schedule is already packed?”
When every moment feels accounted for, taking a break might seem impossible. But breaks don’t have to be long or disruptive to make a difference. Even a 1- to 3-minute pause can give your body and mind the reset they need to function more effectively.
Tip: Start by pairing a micro-break with an existing routine.
For example:
- Take three deep breaths while waiting for your computer to load or for a meeting to start.
- Pause for a quick stretch before sitting down or standing up.
- Say a silent prayer while refilling your coffee or water.
By embedding breaks into your day, you won’t lose momentum—you’ll gain clarity and energy for the tasks ahead.
2. “What can I do in just 2-3 minutes that will actually make a difference?”
It’s easy to think that a few minutes aren’t enough to matter, but God’s design of our nervous system tells us otherwise. Micro-breaks calm the fight-or-flight response, restore focus, and allow you to reconnect with His peace.
Try This: Deep belly breathing for 2 minutes.
- Place one hand on your stomach.
- Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your stomach rise.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth, letting your stomach fall.
- As you breathe, reflect on a Bible verse or silently pray, “Lord, fill me with Your peace,” on the inhale and, “I release my worries to You,” on the exhale.
This simple act can lower stress hormones, reset your mind, and refocus your attention.
Or This: Wash stress off for 1 minute
- Mentally warm your hands by imagining running hot water running over them (20 seconds)
- Physically warm you hands as if you are washing your hands (30 seconds)
- Shake away the imaginary drips of water (10 seconds)
This counteracts the stress response and increases relaxation. It also helps your wrists and hands maintain flexibility and improved circulation.
RELATED: Rejoice Always! Pray Continually! Reduce Exhaustion & Stress with Breath Prayers!
3. “How do I remind myself to take a break?”
In the rush of a busy day, it’s easy to forget to pause. That’s why pairing breaks with existing triggers or creating reminders is so important.
Ideas: Triggers, reminders, routines, boundaries
- Use an app or timer to remind you to pause every 90-120 minutes.
- Create visual cues, like a sticky note on your monitor that says “Breathe” or “Pray.”
- Build a habit stack: for example, every time you finish a meeting, take a 2-minute walk or stretch.
- Strengthen the controls on your calendar schedule to ensure you have effective boundaries.
These small prompts will help you build consistency, allowing breaks to become a natural and seamless part of your day.
RELATED: Work-Life Harmony: Seting Effective Boundaries with Narrow Gates
4. “Will my coworkers or boss think I’m slacking off?”
In high-pressure work environments, it’s common to fear judgment for taking breaks. But micro-breaks aren’t about slacking—they’re about working smarter. Short pauses restore focus, reduce errors, and ultimately make you more effective.
Suggestion: Reframe the Conversation
Taking a moment to reset isn’t selfish—it’s an investment in doing your best work. Colossians 3:23 reminds us to work wholeheartedly for the Lord, not for human masters. While your boss conducts your end of year performance, Jesus is who you are truly working for. (Who's opinion do you value more?) You are taking a moment to energize so you can do the Lord's work as best you can. With your work ethic and long hours, it is unlikely that anyone would consider calling you a slacker, that's just your inner judgments holding you back from being your best. Pausing for a quick prayer or stretch can help you approach your work with renewed focus and energy, honoring God through excellence.
5. “What if taking breaks makes me feel more stressed because I’ll fall behind?”
It’s tempting to think that skipping breaks will help you power through your workload, but the opposite is true. Pushing yourself too hard leads to diminishing returns—more mistakes, less focus, and higher stress. Taking a few minutes to reset allows you to come back stronger and more effective.
Practical Solution: Start small
Can you agree that that you won't fall behind with a 3 minute or less activity? Particularly if the activity is one that actually helps energize and restore you so you can be more productive and effective? In the next section are plenty of really short & effective ideas that can reduce stress. Start with whichever idea shared below helps you feel the most stress relief. These short pauses not only reduce stress but also improve your efficiency, allowing you to complete tasks faster and with greater focus.
Quick and Powerful Micro-Breaks to Try at Your Desk
Here are a few easy ways to start integrating micro-breaks into your workday:
Deep Breathing:
Calm your nervous system with 1-2 minutes of slow, intentional breaths. This will signal your nervous system to relax, lower your heart rate, and reduce cortisol levels.
Prayer Break:
Say a short prayer, asking Holy Spirit for guidance and to help you give your burdens to God. He ALWAYS brings peace and improves well-being.
Gratitude Pause:
Write down three things you’re thankful for. This will shift your focus from stress to joy, promoting positive emotions that can break the stress response.
Stretching:
Loosen tight muscles by shaking it off, neck rolls, shoulder stretches, shimmy or hip rotations or a forward fold. Stretching or shaking releases muscle tension, improves circulation, and resets your posture.
Doodle or Color:
Take a creative pause to relax your mind. Synchronizing hand – mind coordination, slows the spin of thoughts as you focus on the end of the pen.
Hum or Sing:
A quick hymn can lift your spirit and help you refocus. The vibration from humming soothes your nervous system.
Release Tension:
Close your eyes and check in with your body. Scan from toes to top of head to find tension. Progressively tense and release where ever you feel pain or tension as you breathe. Self-massage can also be beneficial. Maintaining calm body language while stressed often leads to a lot of neck and facial tension, making funny faces to loosen up can get you back to a more natural smile.
Quick Walk:
Take a 2-minute stroll to refresh your mind and body. Bonus unwind & recharge for going outside to get some sun and fresh air.
Laughter:
Find a reason to laugh as it releases endorphins, lowers stress hormones, and creates a sense of connection and positivity.
Connect with a Loved One:
A quick text or call reminds you that you are loved and they are more important than what is stressing you out at the moment.
Forgiveness Reframe:
When someone has irritated you, take a moment in prayer or a short mental exercise to gain a new perspective and transform your feelings from aggravation or resentment to compassion and care.
Grace & Eating:
Instead of multi-tasking through your meal, say grace and focus on slowly chewing and enjoying the first few bites of food. It will improve your digestion and metabolism.
Outer Ear Rubbing:
Soothe your nerves and calm down by running a finger along the crease where the ear attaches to the skull and small circles behind the earlobe to top of jaw.
God’s Design for Rhythms of Work and Rest
God has intricately designed our bodies to balance effort with rest. During times of intense pressure & focus, our stress response system—often called the "fight or flight" system—can become overactive, flooding our bodies with stress hormones like cortisol. While this response is essential for short-term challenges, staying in it too long can drain our energy and inhibit creativity, problem-solving, and even digestion.
Micro-breaks allow our nervous system to transition from this state to one of rest and recovery, promoting healing and clarity. By activating relaxation responses through small, intentional actions, we can calm our minds, reduce tension, and create space for the Holy Spirit to guide us in our work.
By embracing micro-breaks, you align with the rhythms God built into your body—times of effort balanced with moments of rest. These short pauses aren’t just practical; they’re opportunities to reconnect with God’s peace and allow Him to renew your strength.
I pray...
I pray that this article gives you some simple ideas to try and reduce your stress. All of these only take a quick moment and can be used in any combination that works for you. Imagine finishing your workday with more energy, less stress, and a sense of accomplishment—not because you powered through but because you worked with focus, purpose, and faith.
Change starts with small, consistent actions. By incorporating micro-breaks into your day, you’ll not only relieve stress but also develop a deeper awareness of God’s presence in your work. Only you and God know what’s best for you. Let Him help you identify the right rhythm of action and rest. As you spend more time at work energized, focused and productive (instead of stressed, tired and distracted), a secondary benefit is greater work-life harmony. With any time freed up from being more productive and having more energy at the end of the workday, you can enjoy time with loved ones, get more sleep, or have fun with your favorite hobbies. This will help you relieve stress and achieve greater work-life harmony.
Putting It Into Action: Build Tiny Habits for Big Change
Ready to make micro-breaks a natural part of your day? Download my free guide to building tiny faith-driven habits that promote stress relief and work-life balance. With these simple tools, you can start today to transform your workday by building small, meaningful routines that honor your body, mind, and spirit. Go from striving to thriving and flourishing as God intends for you!
