Research suggests there are good and not-so-good ways to seek respite.
By Nir Eyal and Chelsea Robertson, Ph.D.
Until recently, when I needed a break, I’d grab my phone. Whether I was bored, mentally fatigued, or just wanting a pick-me-up, I found relief by checking the news, Facebook, or Instagram. However, research suggests I could’ve done better: While some breaks can leave us refreshed and reenergized, others (like mine) are more likely to make us feel depleted and drained.
In their book, The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley and psychologist Larry Rosen explain that the right breaks can reduce mental fatigue, boost brain function, and help us stay on task for longer periods. But the wrong sort of break can actually leave us more susceptible to boredom—and then backfire by making us want to take breaks more often. Specifically, turning to a phone whenever we’re bored can train us to check it more often throughout the day, driving a cycle of unproductivity. It would be better, they suggest, to take breaks that restore the part of the brain we use to keep focused on our goals.
Located behind the forehead, the prefrontal cortex has many functions, but its main business is goal management—orchestrating attention, working memory, and other cognitive resources in order to help us get what we want. For example, if my goal is to cook dinner, my prefrontal cortex will help coordinate my brain functions to guide me through the necessary steps while making sure I don’t get sidetracked.
When we work, the prefrontal cortex makes every effort to help us execute our goals. But for a challenging task that requires sustained attention, research shows, briefly taking our minds off the goal can renew and strengthen motivation later on. Breaking for activities that rely on brain regions other than the prefrontal cortex is the best way to renew focus throughout the work day.
The rapid rewards we get from skimming our newsfeeds, Gazzaley and Rosen explain, alleviate boredom for a few moments, but also train our brains to seek out similarly stimulating blips of joy every time we feel a twinge of fatigue, so “the next time we are bored, our past experiences, having gained reinforcement from our smartphone, will drive us to self-interrupt.”
Fortunately, there are better ways to take restorative breaks and return refreshed to your essential tasks:
1. Seek Nature. Research shows that nature exposure is restorative for the mind. One study reported better working memory scores after a walk in a natural environment, but not in an urban setting. “Natural environments capture our attention in a bottom-up fashion,” Gazzaley and Rosen write, “because natural stimuli are so inherently compelling to us (presumably owing to evolutionary factors). They draw us in but generate minimal [prefrontal cortex] responses.” Even if you work in a city, just noticing the sights and sounds of natural features around you—plants, fresh air, a fish tank, or a fountain—can help you recharge. Sit down, take a deep breath, and notice as many details as possible. If you are stuck indoors, research shows that just looking at some photos of nature can help, too.
2. Daydream or Doodle. Moments with nothing to do are increasingly rare, and too many of us dodge even the briefest hints of boredom with phone swipes. Avoiding those idle moments, though, can have unintended negative effects, denying ourselves time for deep thought or reflection or, as Gazzaley and Rosen put it, “letting our random thoughts drive us places we might not have gone while immersed in directed thinking.” Daydreaming and doodling, on the other hand, give some prefrontal cortex functions a rest. Try sitting alone, with your alarm set for 10 minutes, taking deep breaths, and being patient with yourself. You can practice with shorter durations by letting your mind drift while you wait at a crosswalk, a train station, or an elevator lobby.
3. Exercise Your Eyes. Our eyes bear the burden of our tech-charged lives, so try “20-20-20” eye breaks to alleviate their strain and fatigue. Here’s how it works: Every 20 minutes, stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This type of break is restorative, Gazzaley and Rosen explain, because it “requires blood flow to brain areas that are not related to sustained attention.”
4. Laugh. Laughter increases heart rate and respiration and gets our blood pumping. While the long-term benefits of laughter remain a matter of debate, research on short-term effects finds that bouts of giggling reduce cortisol and increase dopamine, lessening stress and, for older adults, fostering improvements on memory tests. Take a break for a comedy podcast or a standup’s stream or keep a funny book at the office to help you get through your afternoon slump and still meet your deadlines.
5. Exercise. We all know by now that regular extended exercise benefits the body and the brain, but research shows that even seven- to 10-minute bursts of activity can boost attention and memory performance. So find a secluded space for a brief workout, maybe of push-ups and planking, or just climb some stairs or take a brisk walk around the block.
Nir Eyal is the author of Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Chelsea Robertson, Ph.D., is a product scientist at 23andMe.
Originally published at Psychology Today