Learn more about timemanagement with this collection
Techniques for brainstorming and generating new ideas
The power of collaboration and feedback in the creative process
How to recognize and overcome limiting beliefs
Breaks and brain connections
Our brains have two modes:
- focused mode, which we use when we’re doing things like learning something new, writing or working) and
- diffuse mode, which is our more relaxed, daydreamy mode when we’re not thinking so hard.
The mind solves its stickiest problems while daydreaming—something you may have experienced while driving or taking a shower.
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MORE IDEAS ON THIS
The 52-17 method
Most productive people work for 52 minutes at a time, then take a break for 17 minutes before getting back to it.
They make the most of those 52 minutes by working with intense purpose, but then rest up to be ready for the next burst. In other words, they work with purpose.
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Productivity-boosting activities for breaks
- Take a walk.
- Daydream. It leads to creativity.
- Eat to replenish your brain.
- Read a (non-work) book.
- Get a coffee.
Doodle. It can stimulate new ideas and help us stay focused.
Listen to mu...
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Breaks help us reevaluate our goals
When you work on a task continuously, it’s easy to lose focus and get lost in the weeds. In contrast, following a brief intermission, picking up where you left off forces you to take a few seconds to think globally about what you’re ultimately trying to achieve.
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90-minute work blocks
Working in 90-minute intervals for maximizing productivity means working with our bodies’ natural rhythms.
When studies were conducted on elite performers like violinists, athletes, actors and chess players, the results showed that the best performers practised in focused sessions of...
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The Pomodoro technique
Work in small bursts to help you get rid of distractions and focus more intently.
Just set a timer for 25 minutes, and when it goes off, take a short break for 5 minutes. Stretch your legs, grab a drink, or just sit back and relax. After you’ve done four Pomodoro sessions, take a longer ...
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Stop feeling guilty about breaks
Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is indispensable to the brain. It is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done.
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Breaks keep us from getting bored
The human brain just wasn’t built for the extended focus we ask of it these days.
The fix for this unfocused condition is simple—all we need is a brief interruption (aka a break) to get back on track.
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Two 15-minute breaks per day
Blocking out two planned, 15-minute intermissions in your day—one in the mid-morning and the other in the mid-afternoon.
Around 3 p.m. is the least productive time of day, so definitely don’t skip that break.
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CURATED FROM
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Other curated ideas on this topic:
Focus And The Brain
When we’re consciously doing things we’re using the “executive attention network, ” the parts of the brain that control and inhibit our attention. The attention network makes it possible for us to relate directly to the world presently around us.
By contrast, when our minds wander...
The focused and diffuse thinking modes
When mastering a subject, our brain has two general modes of thinking: focused and diffuse, both important in the learning process.
The focused mode is what we traditionally associate with learning. But we need time to process what we pick up, to get this new informat...
The Dream Day: A Restful Day Off
Productivity warriors are so past ‘rest mode’ that even watching a complete movie in a relaxed manner is a challenging experience. We need to intentionally and thoughtfully design a restful off day, something that is increasingly difficult.
It is especially hard when we have our w...
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