Perhaps many of us do not know the term“Virtual Coffee Break“, but even if you have not heard it, we live exercising this term more and more strongly as a cause of the pandemic, since we have had to move from the present to virtuality in the realization of many activities such as meetings, classes, conferences, group sessions, etc.
Whenever we are doing this type of activity we usually take a short break called today a virtual Coffee break, which is intended to clear the mind a little or just eat or drink something nice.
Summary
- Virtual Coffee Break is a prolonged break in the middle of a meeting, conference, or activity that is being carried out, in order to clear the mind and body.
- The break time in the virtual coffee break should be a maximum of thirty minutes, if this time is exceeded we could deviate from the main topic and lose the attention of the participants.
- The virtual coffee break helps you to network with the other participants of the meeting, so you can further expand your portfolio of contacts, in order to keep you in mind or you have them in mind for an activity.
What you should know about the virtual coffee break
Many people believe that the virtual coffee break is a simple break in your daily activities, but it is not as simple as many believe, since doing it in a good way will generate many benefits. Here we will tell you everything you need to know about the virtual coffee break.
What is a virtual coffee break?
It is a moment of pause in the middle of a work, meeting, conference, or any group activity that you are doing, in order to clear your mind a little on the topics being discussed and network with attendees who are in the virtual activity with you.
Giving a moment of rest is necessary, and even more so when you are in a long-lasting activity.
Keep in mind that when we clear our minds, we also clear our ideas and as an effect, we have a greater ability to deal with the subject being done in the activity, so it is not bad to take a break.
How to make a virtual coffee break?
In order to make a successful virtual coffee break, we must take into account the time we have in the activity and the type of activity in which we find ourselves. These two factors will determine the best way to carry out the virtual coffee break.
It is essential that the participants, and we are in tune and available to promote a good atmosphere, keep in mind that if there is no good agreement between the guests the virtual coffee break could be a failure generating adverse effects.
What activities can you do in a Virtual Coffee Break?
Nowadays, the virtual coffee break has taken a lot of strength because of the pandemic, so in turn, the modalities of doing it have increased, and we can generate more networking with attendees. Here are the best activities with which you can start executing a good virtual coffee break.
- The fake podcast
Participants interview each other in podcast format. Before the meeting, participants formulate questions to ask each other. Then participants join together to record the resulting conversation.
The fake podcast is an excellent idea for a virtual break because it helps take your mind off the topic of the meeting and allows you to get to know your coworkers in the process.
- Meditation
Meditation has been shown to generate quite a few benefits in people, being able to relax or clear your mind through breathing exercises focused on a topic you want to reflect on. You will only need a few minutes to perform this activity.
A good meditation before going into a meeting will help you to be more efficient in what you are doing.
In addition, good practice improves the cognitive part of the person, such as concentration and attention, which are the main ones to improve your productivity in all the activities you do.
- Stretch
Many times we are tense, due to stress or being in one position for a long time, this causes our muscles to contract, thus generating joint and muscle pain in various parts of the body.
Stretching is something so simple that everyone can do it in a short time, you only need at least five minutes to stretch the main joints of your body. Remember that with stretching you have a double benefit, you take care of your health and improve your concentration by not having joint pain.
- Interactive game sessions
With the games you distract yourself, relax and network with other participants in the meeting. These activities are designed to rest and clear your mind since many times we are saturated by being for so many hours the solution of a problem, and ultimately we do not end up giving a solution because of the stress caused as a result of the long hours spent. Here are some of them.
- Barista Class: This is where you will learn how to prepare elegant coffee drinks through online recipes. Inspired by the Dalgona coffee trend in TikTok, your team can prepare tasty coffees together during the break (1).
- Gratitude round: Circle and name, something you appreciate about the coworker next to you. Once you’re done, feel free to go around in the opposite direction, so you can show your gratitude towards the colleague sitting on your other side (1).
- Mini dance party: You can listen to foot-tapping classics such as Footloose, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, and Shake it Off. The brave people on your team will get into the swing of things, and so will the others (2).
What is the right time for a virtual coffee break?
It is estimated that if the topic to be discussed is for more than four hours, the break should be a minimum of twenty minutes to thirty minutes, if the topic to be discussed is less than four hours the break should be ten to fifteen minutes. Remember that the idea is that you rest physically and mentally, so you should avoid during this time any activity related to the topic being discussed.
How often should you have a virtual coffee break?
To be clear, a virtual coffee break is to intentionally allocate time for activities such as chatting or brainstorming. You can do them to help restore team energy and generate engagement. Having said all this, it is advisable to do one (3)virtual coffee break per session, more than two could cause us to deviate from the main topic we are dealing with.
What to do to make your virtual coffee break a success?
Here we will explain the aspects that you have to take into account to make a successful virtual coffee break. What you should take into account when making a Virtual Coffee Break.
Why is a virtual coffee break important?
Is a virtual coffee break an interview?
Many people confuse this term with an interview, because of the time dedicated to it or often because of the interactive activities that take place with the other participants. What these activities really seek to do is to generate networking among participants and get out of the context of the meeting.
How is a virtual coffee break different from other remote activities?
The virtual coffee break is indifferent to the main activity that we are doing, to this break or activity we allocate a certain amount of time, however, remote activities are the main activity, where we focus all the time on it. Below is a table showing the differences between the two.
| Criteria | Virtual Coffee Break | Remote Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 30 minutes maximum | Unlimited time |
| Role | Secondary activity | Main activity |
| Type of activity | Dynamic activity or limited rest | Dynamic activity during the whole time |
| Purpose | To clear and rest your mind | To clear and rest your mind |
Conclusion
In short, the virtual coffee break is a great ally in all meetings or conferences that we are going to carry out, as long as we do not exceed the stipulated time and dedicate that time to issues that are not related to the meeting.
In addition, the virtual coffee break is a great ally to networking, generating greater networking, to rest your mind and rest your body in order to continue successfully carrying out the activities you are performing in the meeting.
