How to tell if your brain needs a break

NEW YORK — Brain slumps are real, and the antidote isn’t muddling through, no matter what hustle culture wants you to believe. Taking a break can allow you to return to work sharper and more creative.

HOW WE FOCUS

Paying attention isn’t so much an action as a way of processing information, said Dr Marta Sabariego, an assistant professor at Mount Holyoke College who studies attention. Our brains’ “task-related networks,” which filter out distractions, are great for checking items off a to-do list.

But problem-solving and innovation usually require letting your mind wander in order to brainstorm possible solutions using the default mode network, which is active when we daydream. For creative thinking, we need to give our thoughts room to roam by taking a break.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU TAKE A BREAK?

There isn’t a hard and fast rule, Dr Sabariego said. If your job requires you to multitask — which can increase mistakes, reduce creativity and cause fatigue — chances are you’ll need to take a break more often.

It also depends on what you’re doing. You may stay focused for 90 minutes or more doing work you find challenging and rewarding, but need more frequent breaks when doing menial or boring tasks.

HEAD OUT INTO NATURE

Physical activity is one of the best ways to give your brain a break, said Dr Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine. She worked on a study that found that workers who took a 20-minute walk in nature came back with more creative ideas than those who kept working.

PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY

Browsing social media may not be the brain break you think it is. Seeing something upsetting on Twitter can interrupt your task at hand and stick with you as you move on, preventing you from starting your next task refreshed and ready to focus, Dr Mark said.

LET YOUR ‘LITTLE MIND’ PLAY

Maya Angelou once referred to her work process as switching between her “big mind and her little mind.” Her big mind did the heavy lifting, crafting the poems she became famous for. Her little mind, which she used in between writing sessions, did crossword puzzles. “I love this idea,” Dr Mark said.

“The little mind allows your big mind to kind of refresh and replenish.” Solving a Rubik’s Cube or knitting can have the same effect as a crossword puzzle, she added.

HAVE A SNACK

Brain cells need glucose, and their activity is critical to focus. However, eating a large amount can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, making us sleepy. Instead of slamming fistfuls of chocolate-covered raisins, opt for an apple.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.