Five Quiet Places to Retreat During Your Work Day
It is easy to feel hungry on a typical workday. We yearn for peace and quiet so much that we will pay to spend time in a quiet place . But there are quiet places everywhere, perfect for quick recharging and unplugging from the work day. Here are some places to go during your break to recharge.
Create or discover a walking route
When I worked my day job in the city center, I walked around the block anytime from 2 pm to 4 pm. I had no intention of grabbing coffee or anything else, and there weren’t any particularly beautiful landscapes nearby. But when I sat all day, the walk and the silence were almost cathartic . I found that a five or ten minute walk would put me back in the mood and prepare me for a few more hours of work.
The walk itself can be great, but you can use apps like Wunderwalk (which we covered earlier ) to create more scenic or functional walking tours. If you don’t want to take a break during the day to just walk, try including a walk at the beginning or end of your lunch break. During colder seasons, if your city has underground walking paths, you can also spend some time exploring and familiarizing yourself with them. ( Here’s the one I used to visit often.)
Enjoy public parks, community centers, and libraries
Take a walk in the local park near your office. Fresh air and being in nature can be the relief you need to escape the chaos, clear your head, and continue a productive day. Use Google Maps to find parks near your office (for example, enter “Parks near [your work address]”). If you work in the suburbs, you may need to quickly drive to a park in your area.
You can also go to other public places such as community centers or libraries. Community centers can be a little more chaotic if you need a little noise to distract you. Libraries are best if you like silence. Either way, changing your environment can be helpful to take your mind off things and find peace.
If you are looking for peace, get there during school hours. Even if you love nature, it’s probably best to know where the enclosed spaces are in case it rains outside (or colder than you expected).
Take a walk around the mall (but leave your wallet at the office)
Whether you are in a city or suburb, there is probably a mall or square somewhere near you. You can wander through these areas of commerce to take your mind off your work at work. Different people will find different types of shops more relaxing – for example, I don’t really like clothing stores, but I really like bookstores and music stores. Some of my friends are partial to soap shops.
Remember, you are not going to shop. You are simply rebuilding your senses. Don’t try to show off or go into retail therapy. If you find it tempting or distracting, you don’t even need to go to the store. Hang out by the fountain. Look for an abandoned food court (hopefully with comfortable seating).
Ideally, you should leave your wallet at the office so that you are not tempted to make any purchases. If you don’t like this, or don’t trust your classmates or colleagues (hey, it happens), leave your wallet in your locker or lock it in your office closet.
Wreck the hotel lobby
Visiting the hotel lobby is a more unusual option, but doable. Spending time in hotel lobbies can be liberating, especially if there are a lot of people on vacation. Their excitement can be contagious and evoke good memories. There is usually no hustle and bustle in hotel lobbies during the day, and no one will bother you if you are there for only ten minutes.
If you’re shameless, hanging out in the hotel lobby isn’t worth a dime. (I would not recommend going every day.) If you feel guilty about using their space, support them by buying drinks from the cafe or the newspaper at their store.
Alternatively, you can also spend time in the conference hall lobby. There will be a little more, but you are less likely to stand out. Be aware that conference rooms may be attached to hotels and covering other people will make you less outstanding.
Stretching in the gym
Some of my former colleagues took a late lunch and rushed to the gym to squeeze out a quick workout on their days. If you have a membership, you can also quickly hit the gym and stretch for a bit (or do it in the office if you’re not shy).
If you have a locker or bring a gym bag to work, you can really change into your gym clothes and work out. If you’re not planning on changing your work clothes, you can hang out in the lounge area or outside the fresh bar if it’s not too busy.
Sometimes office sleep rooms just don’t work. However, breaks and rest are important for a healthier, more energetic work day . You can find peace in hiking trails, public parks and community centers, shopping malls, hotel lobbies, or local gyms. Be mindful and creative.