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Add Breaks to Your Day

Stepping away for a short pause is worth the time


A man looking out a window with a coffee in his hand
shapecharge/Getty Images

Quick Win

Temporarily walking away from a task helps your brain to refocus when you get back to work.

Try This Today

  • Write out tomorrow’s schedule tonight, including work-related appointments and household obligations.
  • Find places in the day to work in breaks that recharge you. Five minutes between meetings to stand and stretch or meditate; 10 minutes to call a friend or take a quick walk.
  • Set an alert on your phone to remind you when it’s break time.

Why

Focusing for long periods of time can reduce your ability to concentrate, weakening your performance in the process. Letting your mind wander can refuel your focus, spark creativity and strengthen critical thinking skills, points made in a review published in 2017 in Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience.  In one study of 30 healthy volunteers learning a new skill, brain scans showed the skill got “baked in” during short rest times rather than practice times, as reported in 2021 in Cell Reports.

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