{"id":3856,"date":"2023-03-12T17:36:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-12T17:36:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/?p=3856"},"modified":"2023-04-29T22:12:11","modified_gmt":"2023-04-29T22:12:11","slug":"how-to-tell-if-your-brain-needs-a-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/12\/how-to-tell-if-your-brain-needs-a-break\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell If Your Brain Needs a Break?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Taking a few minutes to do a puzzle – or stare into space – can allow you to return to work sharper and more creative.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 1:02 p.m. Do you know what your brain is doing? <\/strong>If the answer is trawling the bowels of the internet instead of finishing those spreadsheets, it might be time to step away from your desk. Brain slumps are real, said Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine. And the antidote to this midafternoon mind sludge isn\u2019t muddling through, no matter what hustle culture wants you to believe. It\u2019s the opposite: You should take a break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t expect to lift weights nonstop all day, and we can\u2019t expect to use sustained focus and attention for extended periods of time, either,\u201d said Dr. Mark, author of \u201cAttention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity.\u201d While your brain is not a muscle, the analogy is a good one, since staying focused requires our brains to burn energy, said Marta Sabariego, an assistant professor at Mount Holyoke College who studies attention and other goal directed behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the most compelling reason for taking a brain break is that it may improve your ability to do quality work. A 2022 systematic review<\/a> published in the journal PLoS ONE <\/em>found that even short breaks lasting 10 minutes or less reduced mental fatigue and increased vigor (meaning the willingness to persist when work became difficult).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These breaks especially improved performance on tasks requiring creativity and less so for activities like basic arithmetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The analysis found that the longer the break, the better the performance boost. Since few of us can take unlimited breaks, the trick is to use the time you have wisely – even if that means ignoring your boss\u2019s dirty look as you fiddle with a Rubik\u2019s Cube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How We Focus (or Don\u2019t)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paying attention isn\u2019t so much an action as a way of processing information, Dr. Sabariego said. When we\u2019re focused, our brains\u2019 \u201ctask-related networks\u201d filter out distractions, from the smell of fish in the office microwave to a co-worker\u2019s incessant pen tapping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we\u2019re unfocused, our brains switch to the default mode network, said Dr. Srini Pillay, a psychiatrist and the author of \u201cTinker Dabble Doodle Try.\u201d He sometimes jokingly calls this the \u201cdo mostly nothing\u201d system, because it\u2019s active when we\u2019re daydreaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most people\u2019s brains, \u201cwhen one is working, the other one is off,\u201d Dr. Sabariego said. The task-related network is great for checking items off your to-do list, but usually just one at a time. Problem-solving and innovation usually require letting your mind wander in order to brainstorm possible solutions using the default mode network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe default mode network can actually retrieve details from the nooks and crannies in your brain\u2019s memories that the logical brain cannot retrieve,\u201d Dr. Pillay said, \u201cwhich is why sometimes people say they have their best ideas in the shower.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For creative thinking, we need to give our thoughts room to roam – ideally by taking a break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timing Is Everything<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The urge to check Instagram every two minutes is more universal than you might think. Dr. Mark has been studying how knowledge workers (most employees who sit at computers all day) spend their time during the work day since the early 2000s. Her research involves tracking how often workers switch between tabs on their computers – from email to spreadsheets to chat apps and back again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2012, Dr. Mark did a study on 13 such workers and found that the average time<\/a> they spent on one screen or tab – be it a work-related program or social media – was 75 seconds. As her research went on over the years, \u201cit started declining,\u201d she said. In 2020, one of Dr. Mark\u2019s graduate students tracked 50 workers and found that the average time spent on one tab was 44 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is that \u201cyou can only consciously think about one or two things at a time,\u201d said Johann Hari, the author of \u201cStolen Focus: Why You Can\u2019t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s a fundamental limitation of the human brain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMultitasking – or toggling between spreadsheets and email – can increase mistakes, reduce creativity and cause fatigue,\u201d Mr. Hari added. If your job requires you to multitask, chances are you\u2019ll need to take a break more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How often? Everyone\u2019s brain works differently, so there isn\u2019t a hard and fast rule, Dr. Sabariego said. It also depends on what you\u2019re doing. You may stay focused for 90 minutes or more doing work you find challenging and rewarding, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menial or boring tasks don\u2019t produce the dopamine reward we get when we engage with something interesting. \u201cDopamine helps us narrow our visual and auditory world and increases our motivation,\u201d Dr. Sabariego said, so you may need more frequent breaks when doing these sorts of tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also build focus over time, she added. If you need a break every 30 minutes, try setting a timer and staying on task for 32, 35, then 40 minutes to help you space your breaks further apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Quit Too Soon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing to note: The popular Pomodoro Technique<\/a>, which involves working for 25 minutes before taking a three- to five-minute break, is more of a method for fighting procrastination than optimizing deep focus. It takes time to get back to work after an interruption, Mr. Hari said. If your timer goes off but you\u2019re still in the zone, keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider your own circadian rhythms before arbitrarily setting a timer. Many people have peaks in their ability to pay attention around 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with things often dropping off after lunch, Dr. Mark said. You may be able to focus for longer in the morning, but need more frequent breaks later in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Break Your Sedentary Ways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heading out into nature for some sort of physical activity is one of the best ways to give your brain a break, Dr. Mark said. She worked on a study<\/a> with Microsoft Research that found that workers who took a 20-minute walk in nature came back to their work with greater \u201cdivergent attention,\u201d meaning they had more creative ideas upon returning than those who kept working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t get out into nature, a walk through your office building will also confer benefits. Dr. Pillay refers to midday physical activity as a \u201cbooster break,\u201d based on a 2013 study<\/a> that found workers that took a 15-minute physical exercise break reported reduced stress and enhanced social interaction in their workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put Your Phone Away<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve devalued the idea of what a break is so that it\u2019s, \u2018I took a break from looking at my emails on my computer so I could take a walk and look at my emails on my phone,\u2019\u201d Mr. Hari said. Checking emails is still challenging your brain to stay in the task-related network, so you\u2019re not exactly letting your mind wander. Even browsing social media may not be the brain break you think it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let Your \u2018Little Mind\u2019 Play<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you see something upsetting on Twitter, that can interrupt your task at hand,\u201d Dr. Mark said. \u201cThat\u2019s going to stick with you as you move on to something else.\u201d When that happens, you won\u2019t be starting your next task refreshed and ready to focus, which was the goal of your break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a 2013 Daily Beast article, Maya Angelou referred to her work process as switching between her \u201cbig mind and her little mind<\/a>.\u201d Her big mind did the heavy lifting, crafting the poems she became famous for. Her little mind, which she used in between writing sessions, loved doing crossword puzzles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love this idea,\u201d Dr. Mark said. \u201cThe little mind allows your big mind to kind of refresh and replenish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solving a Rubik\u2019s Cube, knitting or even playing a simple game on your phone can have the same effect as a crossword puzzle, she added. However, be careful not to get sucked into endless rounds of Candy Crush. Consider setting a timer for 15 to 20 minutes, which should be enough to give your task-oriented network a breather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a Nap or Have a Snack<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few workers have the option to take a midday nap, but if you do, take it. Even just a five- to 15-minute nap can bring clarity, though you\u2019ll need a longer rest to boost creativity, Dr. Pillay said. It generally takes the body about 90 minutes to get into R.E.M. sleep, which researchers have associated with increased creativity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or have a snack. Brain cells need glucose, and their activity is critical to getting into focus, Dr. Sabariego said. However, eating a large amount of food can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, making us sleepy. Instead of slamming three fistfuls of chocolate covered raisins, Dr. Pillay suggests an apple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

adapted from an article in the New York Times by A.C. Shilton, “How to Tell If Your Brain Needs a Break<\/a>” on 3 Feb. 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

previous<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

next<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Taking a few minutes to do a puzzle – or stare into space – can allow you to return to work sharper and more creative. It\u2019s 1:02 p.m. Do you know what your brain is doing? If the answer is trawling the bowels of the internet instead of finishing those spreadsheets, it might be time…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4151,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[231],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-good-reads"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3856"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6212,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3856\/revisions\/6212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ronniestanglermd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}