Taking Bliss Breaks

Smokers generally take more breaks than other folks because they need to go outside and huff and puff every hour or so. Although smoking itself is pretty awful for people’s bodies, taking breaks from work is not a bad thing. I’ve started forcing myself to take bliss breaks during the day. These aren’t big, long, or expensive breaks, they’re just a few minutes away from my desk to regroup.

Although it wasn’t smoking, a vice actually led to my bliss breaks as well. My old habit was to stop at the gas station on the way to work and buy two sodas for the day. I’d try to drink one in the morning and one in the evening, but somehow they were both gone by one pm and then I’d be raiding the vending machine for some quick carbs to keep me going through the end of the day. From past attempts at watching my calories and watching what I eat, I knew that there was going to be abolustely no way I was going to be successful if I forced myself to give up Coca Cola, but I could make myself work a little harder for it.

I thought back to when I was a kid and we rarely kept soda in the fridge, if I wanted one, I had to walk a mile each way to the little store downtown to get one. I can remember making that hike in the hot sun, in snowstorms, and any other time I needed my coke fix. When I was in college and living off campus, I continued my habit of treking for soda and I managed to maintain my weight. Could the same trick work for me now?

Luckily there is a convenience store in my building, so I could easily make the trek for soda in a quick ten minute break. I work on the fifth floor so at least once a day, you’ll find me shlepping down the stairs and down to the conveinence store to get my fix. Usually while I’m there, I’ll buy a piece of fruit or cheese to supplement my lunch.

Not only does the walk downstairs remind me that I have to pay for those extra (and totally non-value add) calories I’m about to imbibe, it also gets me away from my desk and gives me a chance to stretch my legs and clear my head and that’s what I call a true bliss break.