The Science of Productive Breaks: How to Boost Efficiency in Your Day

Ever noticed that taking breaks can boost your productivity? It might seem counterintuitive but resting your mind can help you recharge your brain cells and help you accomplish the things you set out to do. But, don’t just take my word for it. There’s science behind productive breaks and how you can time them to boost your productivity and efficiency. Keep reading to learn more.

The Science of Productive Breaks

Simply put, that break can replenish your energy stores because you can’t focus all day long. Just like your muscles get tired after prolonged use, so does your brain.

Have any of these scenarios ever happened to you?

• Reading the same paragraph again. And again. You find yourself reading a paragraph many times but things are still fuzzy no matter how many times you go over it.
• Struggling with simple tasks. Or, maybe simple tasks that you can normally complete in seconds (with your eyes closed and hands tied behind your back) take much longer to finish.
• Dwindling concentration.  Your motivation goes walkabout and no matter how hard you try, you just can’t concentrate on your important project. Then frustration seeps in.

The reason your brain “failed” you during those times is because it’s overloaded. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t just “push through.”

“… both focus and unfocus are vital. The brain operates optimally when it toggles between focus and unfocus, allowing you to develop resilience, enhance creativity, and make better decisions too.” – Harvard Business Review

Your Brain’s Attention Span

Your brain is incredible and can help you to understand and do any number of things. And during its peak time, your brain is highly engaged and can process information efficiently. #winning

On the flipside, your brain limited in its ability to focus for long periods of time — around 90 minutes of so. If you go beyond your unique window, your attention will start to fall off and your ability to concentrate will diminish.

Basically, your productivity and efficiency will take a big hit. And as you might have already guessed, science backs this up.

According to Harvard professor, Srini Pillay, MD, when you’re in “off mode,” your brain is tapping into a circuit called the “default mode network” or DMN.

Ironically, DMN isn’t letting you focus on doing nothing. On the contrary, it’s letting you look through old memories, jump around “the past, present, and future, and recombines different ideas.”

By engaging in this “rest” period, you get a boost in self-awareness and reap other benefits like:

• better decision-making
• improved creativity
• greater understanding of others (i.e., better collabs)
• greater self control

#winning

Timing Matters: The Art and Science of Productive Breaks

As with many things, timing does matter, including when you take your breaks. That’s because you’ll get the most out of your workday if you schedule them to coincide with your natural energy tendencies.

Here’s the science of productive breaks and how you can pair them with your unique way of being.

Circadian Rhythms (Chronotypes)

Our bodies have natural energy cycles, known as circadian rhythms, that influence our alertness and performance. Some people are very alert in the early morning hours (that’s me! 👋), while some pick up steam in the late evening (hello, night owls) with others somewhere in between.

Ultradian Rhythms

Remember when I mentioned that we can attend to a task for about 90 minutes? Well, that’s because of ultradian rhythms.

Within the 24-hour circadian cycle, we have ultradian rhythms. They’re shorter than circadian rhythms and usually occur more than once a day. Common cycles range from 90 to 120 minutes of higher alertness followed by 20 minutes of lower alertness.

The Ideal Length of Time for Focused Work | Dr. Andrew Huberman

The Science of Productive Breaks: Create an Energy Map

You likely have an idea about when you tend to be at your best. Why not use the science of productive breaks to finetune and level up your workday? To start, create an energy map to get data about your unique workstyle.

Figuring out your your personal high and low points may take a little time up front, but once you have gathered enough information, you can create your ideal workday. And watch your productivity skyrocket.

How to create your energy map:

Check your energy at the start of your day, let’s say 6 AM, and then again 90-120 minutes later. Lather, rinse, repeat until your work day ends for 3 to 5 days.

Create a note in Evernote or on a Google Sheet (referral link) to capture your findings. Record how alert or energized you feel at each checkpoint. Grade your energy on a scale of 1-10 or simply use the words “high,” ‘low,” or “neutral.”

Then, use your data to build your ideal on (work)/off (break) schedule.

Productivity Breaks in Practice: The Pomodoro

You already know that we humans can fully attend to a single task for around  90 minutes on average.* But you might hit your max ability to focus right around 45 minutes. Someone else’s brain might get tired after 25 minutes.

(*watch the video above by Andrew Huberman, the neuroscientist behind Huberman Lab 👆)

If you fall into the latter camp, you can set up your day to capitalize on your tendencies. And use strategies that work well with your brain. In this case, the  Pomodoro Technique will give you the best of both worlds: regular cycles of productivity sprints and breaks.

This method:

• Lets you give full focus to a task or project for a specific amount of time — 25 minutes.
• Gives you a short break to help you replenish your energy stores — 5 minutes.

You take a 5 minute break after each 25-minute cycle and on your final Pomodoro, you can take a longer break (e.g., 30 minutes). And aim for Pomodoros (25 min on/5 min off).

The Neuroscience of Exhaustion: How to Stay Motivated | Sense of Mind

Take Your Pick: 3 Types of Productive Breaks

Taking a break doesn’t mean scrolling through Facebook or TikTok while seated at your desk. Nor do you have to do the same thing every time you give your mind a rest.

In fact, you might have to try different types of breaks before you settle on the ones that invigorate you and help you go back to work feeling refocused and refreshed.

Here are three types of breaks to consider:

1. Mini-breaks: Quick exercises or stretches to rejuvenate your mind (3-6 min)

A 20-minute break might be ideal but on some days, it’s not realistic. That doesn’t mean you should forgo breaks altogether. Instead, take a mini-break. They’re perfect for when you’re time-crunched or up against a deadline.

And because they’re short, you can easily insert them in your workday or stack them for a more powerful rest.

Here are a few short breaks to try:

• Chair stretches
• Hydration and healthy snack
• Outdoor walk around the block
• Walk up and down two sets of stairs
• Juggle!

Did you notice that several of these quick breaks involve movement? More movement means you’ll get more oxygen and blood flow to your brain which makes it work better.

Stretch Break | Stretches at Your Desk | 7 min

2. Mindful breaks: Mental relaxation and focus
(10-20 min)

Mindful breaks can help you tap into your inner strength to stay focused during the workday. You can pair these breaks with seated or standing stretches or after returning from a quick walk.

Once you find a quiet space, you can choose to use an app to guide you through a meditation reset. Or you can sit quietly on your own with your eyes closed and focus on your breathing. Doing this can positively impact your “mood, attention, and body awareness, a new study suggests.”

3. Creative breaks: Activities to stimulate creativity
(15-30 min)

Creative breaks can help you shift gears and do something interesting or engaging, and give you nice escape from your to-do list and projects. They can help bring a little joy to the workday and give you something to look forward to.

Here are a few creative breaks to try:

• Doodle or sketch
• Read a book, article, or magazine
• Listen to your favorite podcast
• Put on your headphones and fire up some music
• Take your phone/camera on a short walk and snap pictures of things you see along the way

How to Take a Brain Break | Jim Kwik

Tech Tools to Help With Breaks

The best laid plans sometimes can go awry and sometimes we need a nudge or two. That’s where technology comes in handy.

There are several apps that can remind you to step away from your desk during the workday. Even when everything seems urgent all at once.

Check out:

• StretchMinder (iOS, Android)
• Work Break (Android)
• Get Moving (iOS)

You can also set a recurring alert on your phone or use a Pomodoro timer like Focus Keeper (web, iOS, Android). It will automatically tell you when it’s time to take a break and when it’s time to return to work.

Prefer a wearable? You have lots of options like Apple Watch, Garmin, or a FitBit device. Whichever you choose, you’ll get automatic alerts (usually once per hour) to remind you to take a break.

Final Word

Now that you know the science of productive breaks and how you can use them to your advantage, all you need to do is start. You might be thinking that there’s no way you can do this every day (depending on your job and responsibilities).

So to that I say start small. Instead of diving headfirst into 10 breaks every day, choose your most hectic days (hello, Monday) and build in 2 breaks based on your natural tendencies.

(remember to track your energy highs and lows to help figure out when to schedule your breaks)

Then continue to experiment with different types of breaks to find what works best for you. Whether it’s a short walk, a quick mindset reset, or dancing as though no one’s looking, create a routine that you can keep up with.

Because the best routine is the one that you will stick with consistently.

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