Increase Your Focus with Short Brain Breaks
Is brain overload causing you to lose your writing focus? We’ve all experienced it. You have been staring at a blank screen for what seems an eternity. Maybe it is a spreadsheet, perhaps a power point presentation, or a blog post. The thoughts refuse to gel. You start to feel the pressure of the deadline approaching and wonder when will your creative juices begin to flow. Suddenly you feel like a brain fog has settled in. Hello brain overload.
Brain Overload
When brain overload takes over, the temptation to seek distraction is intense. While staring at the screen, it is easy to start opening new tabs and search – maybe your default is the weather forecast, or your favorite social media App. With each click you get further away from your writing task. As counterintuitive as it may seem, taking a brain break is the best way to move forward.
Brain overload can derail your best laid plans to complete a piece of work that requires concentration or creative thinking. A recent article in the New York Times about learning to recognize when your brain needs a break inspired this post. For some reason, many of us continue to think that our brains have an unlimited capacity to stay sharp and focused if we just stick to it. Believing that by staring at the screen, or if you are a pen and paper kind of thinker staring at a blank sheet, eventually the thoughts will start flowing. Nothing could be further from the truth. What your brain really needs is a reset.
The ability to concentrate depends on the work of your pre-frontal cortex. This is the brain center that allows you to concentrate, think logically and resist distractions. The longer you are focused on a cognitive task, the more you need to take a break. Without a properly timed break, you lose that sharpness of thinking and problem solving. Increasingly the research shows that taking short breaks can improve your focus, increase your creativity and boost your memory.
All Brain Breaks Are Not Created Equal
What is the most effective strategy to regain your focus? In a nutshell, you want to do something that taps into a different brain center, something that allows your brain to shift gears and let your mind wander. Did you ever notice how some of your most creative thinking happens when you aren’t focused on a specific task? Daydreaming while looking out the window or taking a short walk or closing your eyes are effective brain break strategies. Rather than open social media tabs or apps, turn away from your device. Although it may feel relaxing, scrolling through websites and clicking on links requires decision-making (which tab, how long to read, etc.) and continues to tax the pre-frontal cortex.
How Long a Break?
The length of time required for an effective brain break can vary from one person to the next. With intention, even a one-minute break can help regain your focus. Most people find that a 5- or 10-minute break is the sweet spot.
Simple Strategies to Reboot Your Focus
Whatever activity you choose, be intentional by making certain that you are fully present in the moment. The options are endless. Here are several suggestions to get you started.
Set a timer for every hour as a reminder to stop and give your brain a break.
Look away from your computer screen, close your eyes and breathe deeply for one or two minutes.
Stand up and stretch. Not sure what kind of stretching? Reach for the sky, touch your toes, do a one-arm hug, repeat the stand and sit motion (up and down, working those quadriceps, hamstring and glutes). There are plenty of tips online (avoid searching for them during a brain break).
Walk around your office or living space. Stop to gaze at the artwork.
Stand up and look out the window.
Water the plants.
Stand up and drink some water.
Walk to use the restroom on another floor or on the opposite side of the building.
Step outside and walk around the parking lot.
Take a power nap.
Make a cup of tea.
It may be helpful to create a list of brain break ideas, keep it handy, and refer to it in the moment.
The Bottom Line
To maximize productivity and focus, give your brain a break. Grant yourself permission to pause and change your focus. The payoff in the end is less time wasted and possibly a better end-product – that slide deck or blog post. Stop and think - what steps can you take the next time cognitive inertia settles in?
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