Give Your Brain a Break

With a to-do list a mile long, the idea of scheduling time into your day for breaks or frivolous activities may seem a little ridiculous. How could you possibly step away from your desk with all these deadlines looming?

In the past, I’ve told myself that I couldn’t go to lunch, get up from my desk, or otherwise take a break “until X is done.” But when I do this, I end up spending way too much time getting that task completed. My eyes get blurry, and I can’t think of new ideas or the right way to phrase things when I’m writing. 

But then I get up from my desk, have a drink of water, maybe walk around the block, and everything changes. The right words or the solution to a problem will hit me out of the blue, like the most obvious thing in the world.

Stepping away to be productive may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s not. Your brain needs to periodically switch pace and rest to operate at optimum efficiency. Taking regular breaks can help you avoid decision fatigue, boost creativity, and can even improve your overall focus. It can also help memory retention.

Different time-management techniques and schools of thought have varying suggestions about how often to take a break, and how long the break should be, but I don’t like to give one hard and fast rule. It can vary a lot depending on your mental stamina, as well as the nature of the task you’re working on. Listen to your own brain and body. Find out what works for you.

And what to do during a break? Move, stretch, or adjust your posture. Do something different—going from reading an earnings report to reading Twitter is NOT a good break. Chatting with a colleague, walking around the building, or having a healthy snack and a glass of water are all excellent ways to take a break. Commit to giving your brain a break and see just how much easier it is to get that to-list done!