I was thinking the other day about how important it is to shut down while taking breaks at work.

Especially if you're working a 10-12 hour shift.

My recommendation is to simply not think about work while you're on break, to take that 10-30 minutes and think about something totally different from whatever it is you happen to be working on that day.

And if you're having something to eat or drink on break, think about the food and drink you are consuming. Don't just chow down on autopilot, enjoy a couple of sips and remind yourself why you love this or that particular beverage or sandwich etc., in order to stimulate relaxation.

I'm writing this because I came across similar content while reading about Mindfulness.

In "How to Practice Mindfulness Throughout Your Day," by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter, it examines the importance of just focusing on something other than the myriad tasks you have to perform throughout your day, at different points during that day.

In the article the emphasis is on breathing, just focus on the fact that you're breathing and concentrate on breathing for however long you need.

As Remo learns to do in Remo Williams: the Adventure Begins.

I'm thinking a similar strategy to my food and drink suggestion will pop up as I do more research, research which I imagine will be fascinating, after having already found so much material on the importance of keeping on open mind at work.

Concentration

I've noticed one of the problems I'm having engaging in French conversations which is kind of funny when I think about it. The problem is that I haven't spent much time immersed in environments where French is the most prominent language of communication so when I find myself within them (with native French speakers as opposed to those for whom French is a second language whom I have an easier time understanding) I have to concentrate intensely to differentiate the words. When I concentrate intensely I have this stern inhospitable look on my face which isn't very comforting. Hence, while someone's saying something like "I saw this great film" or "my friend and I went to the park this afternoon" I'm looking at them as if I'm trying to discern what an esoteric genius is saying about Fredric Jameson during an abstruse lecture. Problematic to be sure.