What makes writing a high-quality work break?

Writing can help us to become more self-aware and emotionally intelligent, which are both really valuable traits to bring to our work and workplace.

Of course, it’s not just about the act of writing, it’s also about what you write about. Writing about work stress, for example, can have mental and physical benefits. Research from Cambridge University Press had participants write about stressful or negative emotions for 15-20 minute sessions: 'Those who do so generally have significantly better physical and psychological outcomes compared with those who write about neutral topics.'

If something at work is stressful or annoying, taking a moment to pause, write that emotion and sit with it can help you to re-centre. It can also help you to deal with future situations in a better way.

Writing out gratitudes only takes a few minutes but can be an extremely powerful tool in improving mental wellbeing. The trick is to be very specific, and to be very consistent.

Taking a moment to write about any frustrations can help us to properly identify and deal with them, giving us more space to do our jobs well. Psychologist Diane Barth says even just five minutes a few times a week is enough to help clear the mind.