SMART Breaks, Big Wins
I have had quite a few clients recently who are struggling with sustained effort and/or time management related to effort in and results produced. In my research on the topic, I found many relevant examples of how to craft better breaks to refuel your energy tank when I had a light bulb moment.
So often we heard organizational psychologists reference the need for SMART goals. When an ADHD brain is depleted, it can be hard to know that a break may be exactly what you need in order to replenish your energy stores. In order to combat the pattern of running on fumes and producing little to show for it, I have been playing with setting SMART Breaks with some of my clients. Peter Drucker’s SMART criteria organize tasks based on these 5 criteria:
Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
Achievable (agreed, attainable).
Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
At first, it may seem like overkill to organize work breaks using the SMART criteria. I invite you to recognize that an ADHD brain relies on intentional breaks to refuel depleted cognitive stores, this becomes a winning exercise in preparation that is meaningful and can help someone sustain effort longer than before.
What might SMART breaks look like?
First, let’s get specific. What kind of breaks will help you refuel? When you are spent, it may be helpful to have a list of breaks for when you need a biological recharge - think exercise, power naps, and food/drink to fuel your brain. It may be environmental - leave the room, change your surroundings, tune out stimuli, or add some in. For cognitive drains, you may benefit from quieting your mind with mindfulness or meditation, calling a friend, chatting with a co-worker or classmate. Create individual lists of breaks that are specific to your needs and preferences. What kind of breaks are not helpful?
Measurable, achievable, and relevant breaks look something like this:
“Know your limits before a good
thing turns into procrastination.”
What is possible in your current environment? This may vary by location or time of day as well. How many breaks make sense throughout the time that you are getting things done? What resources are necessary? Your lists may vary based on the type of work or tasks that you are trying to accomplish a swell. It never hurts to revisit those lists of tasks along during a break. Some of us find joy in checking those boxes or reflecting on just how much we have achieved. Occasionally, it is helpful to readjust. And finally, binding these breaks to time-dependent intervals or limits can help keep us in track. Pomodoros all day long might be your perfect formula for work or chose days. Scheduled reminders and alarms can pull you out of or into work/play.
The overall theme for SMART Breaks is intention. ADHD is less often driven by intention and more often by impulse or attention to anything other than what we meant to be doing. In our home, we call these “shiny objects”. When we set an intention, it helps when you are practicing mindfulness in that moment of distraction. There is no guilt in that wandering thought. It is the awareness of the thoughts or impulses and the redirection back to that intentional moment.
I have been playing with this concept myself, right along with my clients. The intentional breaks can be another strategy in that toolbox to create novelty in breaks and a playground for discovery of self. A few of the questions that I have begun asking myself each week and each morning: include: what do I really need today, during this project, while studying, at home vs work, etc.? As many of us begin to hit a wave of exhaustion,I invite you each to practice building that self-awareness of the ways in which biology, environment and cognition play into productivity during the day. Take that knowledge and build in your SMART Breaks. I have noticed an impact on my own days when I neglect to exercise or stay glued to the monitor for too many minutes. I’d love to know what you notice if you decide to play with SMART Breaks as well.