A case of life or death by screen
Alright, let’s talk requirement #2 for engaging online sessions: Effective breaks. If I were to spend some time digging into research I would probably find some scientific evidence that supports what you and I have already experienced for ourselves: online sessions are more taxing than face to face sessions. Therefore, online engagement is determined just as much by how you take your breaks as by how you conduct the session.
You want to take your breaks superserious, both for yourself and for participants. This means:
Take a break of at least 10 minutes every hour. No exceptions!
Lunch needs to be at least 45 minutes, but preferably an hour.
It is not enough to just announce a break and send participants off. You want to introduce your breaks with a certain gravitas. An example of what you might say:
‘Allright, it’s time for a crucial part in our programme: a break! Since we’re probably all experiencing that doing a virtual session is quite intense for both our eyes and our brains I invite you to get intentional about your break. Recharge effectively. My tip to you: step away from any and all screens. If you spend your break behind a screen I can promise you you’ll have a fried brain at the end of our session. What to do instead? Take a walk, go outside, have a coffee, put on some music and have yourself a little dance, anything that works for you. If it gets you away from a screen and into some movement: that’s what we’re looking for. See you in 10!”
During the breaks, as a trainer, always turn off your camera and mute. This demonstrates that you yourself are practicing what you preach, having a proper break.
As participants are returning from their first break you might enquire about what they did during their break. Celebrate great break ideas. It serves two purposes: it gets participants in talking-mode again and building a culture of proper break-taking.