Have a moment with 'nothing to do'. Letting our minds wander without focusing on a specific goal, allows the brain's default mode network to take over and give some prefrontal cortex functions a rest.Practice mind wandering by keeping your phone in your pocket. Sit alone for 10 minutes, take a breath and let your mind wander. It can also be practiced while you wait at a train station, or in an elevator lobby.

Doodle and Daydream

This is important for your daily productivity. Good breaks can leave us feeling refreshed and energized. It can reduce mental fatigue, boost brain function and keep us on-task for extended periods.The wrong sort of breaks might make us more vulnerable to boredom and make us want to take breaks more often. It can leave us depleted and drained.

Taking good breaks

Exposure to nature restores the mind. One study showed better working memory scores for people after a walk in a natural environment, but not in an urban setting.If you are unable to go into nature, find plants, fresh air or a fish tank. Sit down, take a deep breath, and notice the details of nature. Research shows that even looking at some pictures of nature can work.

Going Natural

Short bursts of exercise are helpful for cognition. Just 10 minute of physical activity can increase attention and memory performance.Find a private space, do some pushups or planks, or take a brisk walk around the block.

Exercise

Laughter increases heart rate, respiration, and gets our blood pumping. Short term effects show some improvements on memory tests.Spontaneous laughter and forced giggles all have the same perks. Listen to a comedy podcast or read the comics section in the newspaper during a break.

Laugh

Do 20-20-20- eye breaks to alleviate eye strain and fatigue. Every 20 minutes, stare at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds.Doing this requires blood to flow to brain areas that are not related to sustained attention. It may be the reason why eye exercises are restorative.

Exercising Your Eyes

The prefrontal cortex of the brain is mainly responsible for goal management. It orchestrates attention, working memory and other cognitive resources to help us get what we want.For a challenging task, briefly taking our minds off the goal can renew and strengthen motivation. Doing activities that rely on different brain regions is best to restore focus.

The brain and goal management

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 felt relief checking the news, Facebook, or Instagram. However, new research suggests there are good ways and not-so-good ways to spend our break time.

Taking good breaks

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