A little creativity can go a long way in a short amount of time. At first sight 15 minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but when you look at the possibilities you’ll see 15 minutes can make or break your morning. We work long hours at our jobs and we want to make the most of it and feel a deep sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. Those valuable 15 minute breaks can do just that. Exploring your creative side really moves your day along. Elevate your snack time to another level. Who else can say they learned Spanish, did yoga and read “Twilight” in a 15 minute time limit? This can make the difference between just trudging through the trenches of tasks and conquering the day.  Our creativity can do that for us. So let’s create a tapestry of pictures, read novels, do sit ups and learn to surf while our jobs pay us to do so. In this blog we’ll discuss some options for doing this.

Reading a Book

Big things can come in small packages. There’s no better example of this than a humble book. Tangled in-between the black words and paper, are people and places to be discovered. You have entire worlds that unfold at your fingertips. Whether it’s a sci-fi, a mystery or an eye opening biography- there’s no better way to relax on your break. I recommend reading at least once a week on your break. It can greatly improve your vocabulary and boost your intellect.

Creating a Photo Album

Our phones can hold possibly thousands of pictures and since the invention of the cloud possibly millions.  When you’re on your coffee break you are limited in the places you can go due to a time restraint. So, why not go back in time or edit it all together? How you ask? By organizing or customizing your photo album.  Okay, maybe you can’t go back to junior high and not wear braces on yearbook day. However, with today’s technologies you could edit or crop them out using a variety of apps. There are very few activities as relaxing as creating a photo album on social media or in your phone. There are a variety of ways you can express yourself creatively even if you are a complete novice. Below is a list of apps you can use edit or create graphics with your pictures.

Canva

Adobe light room

Photoblend

Photo Collage

Learning Something New

Many experts believe that in 15 minutes per day over the course of months you could learn a new skill. You could learn a new language by downloading an app like Duolingo or Babble. Speaking and understanding a different language can greatly expand your world.   There are ton of resources at your disposal just on your phones alone. Not to mention audiobooks, written materials and online courses.   For this article we’ll keep it simple and concentrate on our smart devices. You could learn some new recipes on YouTube or Pinterest. We live in a wonderful day and age where learning is at our fingertips but we seldom take the time to do so, because we are intimidated by the size of the task. However, taking 15 minutes out of your day helps you break down learning into bite size bits of information. This allows you to explore a variety of skills and topics.  If you don’t like something move on to something else.  You have an in entire 15 minutes to do so.

Here are some skills you can practice on your coffee break along with the apps you can use:

Ukelele – Yousician

Spanish – Duolingo

Stock trading – Acorn

Drawling –  DL IT

Dinner recipes – Pinterest

Digital Illustration – Skillshare

Interior design –  Skillshare

Blogging – Skillshare

Sewing – Sewing Patterns Lite

Gardening – veggie Garden Planner

Surfing – Isurf

Exercising

There is a quote that goes like this: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.” (Legally Blonde) On a serious note, there is nothing like a little physical activity to blow off steam and distract you from work.  A simple walk around the office can be a welcome escape from stress.  Exercise can also help prevent accidents and injuries on the job. It is unappealing to get sweaty and out of breath before resuming your work activities. However, you will have a deep feeling of accomplishment from challenging yourself.  If you don’t know where to start, a quick internet search can give you a lot of great ideas.  If you feel overwhelmed just remember, it will all be over in 15 minutes. Below this paragraph is a short list of exercises you can do on your break.

20 jumping jacks

20 squats

20 lunges

10 push-ups

40 punches

60 sec elbow plank

20 Flutter kicks

15 burpees

Getting to Know your Co-workers

Making a new friend is one the best things to do on your coffee break. There’s nothing better than grabbing coffee with a friend especially when it’s on the company dime.  We spend over half our week at work if you include your lunch break. Why not use that time to make deep meaningful connections? The only people you see more than your co-workers is your own families and if you’re in the corporate environment, you may see them even more them that.  So, why not try to get to know them better on a personal level? It will only improve your work performance and potentially reduce stress.

Creativity inspires people to work together. People working together, inspires team work. Team work inspires success. Success opens the door to more opportunities and growth.  We owe it to ourselves to be more creative with how we use our time at work (even if it’s just our coffee break) if not for our own benefit, then for those we work with. I encourage taking a stretch, going for a walk with a friend, or learning something new. After all it will only take only take 15 minutes of your day.