Written by: Mari Carmen Pizarro, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
High Performers are not afraid to roll up their sleeves to work and study hard. But did you know that taking breaks can actually help you work smarter? As my client recently recalled, whenever anyone in their family showed signs of stress, ailment, or frustration, her father, a renowned neurologist, immediately responded with, go take a nap!
Yet, when high-performing professionals receive the same advice, we immediately make excuses about why we can’t!
I’m too busy.
I have too much work.
People are relying on me.
I can’t take naps.
How can spending less time working help me get everything done?
Science has answered this for us. Studies done at Cornell and Harvard have shown that taking purposeful breaks (anywhere from 5–60 minutes) from working gives the body what it needs to disconnect and reinvigorate for the continued work ahead. These studies show that switching from work to a different, more leisurely task has a tremendous revitalizing effect on the brain. Simple things like gardening, taking a walk, doing the dishes, and yes, even taking a nap, have proven to increase your:
Energy
Productivity
Ability to Focus
Creativity
Here’s how it works:
We have thousands of thoughts every day, and between each thought is a gap – the space where we reactivate and store memories, and where we conjure our mental creations. That gap holds the infinite knowledge and creativity that we all possess inside of us. And as we relax deeper and deeper, we widen those gaps to access what is known as the Eureka moments: the lightbulbs, methods of problem-solving, moments of genius.
These moments do not come when you're stressed out trying to solve a problem. They come when you take a break, take a shower, or when you’re falling asleep. Why? Because it’s in these relaxed states that we access the gap.
That gap is also available to us during the process of falling asleep. Sleep researchers at the Science Advances institute found that if we can harness that liminal haze between sleep and wakefulness—known as a hypnagogic state—we might recall our bright ideas, faster and more easily.
How much faster? Research shows 3 to 6 times faster. Imagine what could be possible if we could access our brightest ideas and our most inspiring memories 6 times faster than we do right now!
When you’re working on tasks that would benefit from creative thinking, consciously insert breaks to refresh your approach.
Set them at regular intervals — use a timer and set your alarm to say “Ah-ha”, “Eureka!” Or “Creativity Moment”
When your alarm goes off, switch tasks: Take a break for a specific period of time, and then return to the original task.
If you’re hesitant to break away because you feel that you’re on a roll, a word of caution: Being on a roll doesn’t mean much for problem-solving. Humans tend to generate redundant ideas when we don’t take regular breaks. When you find yourself in that situation, ask yourself whether your latest ideas are qualitatively different.
And if you’re a high performer who is feeling resistant to purposeful breaks, here are a few don’ts:
Don’t skip your lunch breaks
Don’t feel guilty about taking breaks
Don’t feel you have to explain yourself
Don’t wait until you are feeling stuck
Don’t fall into the “we are on roll” trap
And finally, don’t cheat. If you’re a leader who wants to serve your team, your family, and your community at the highest level, then taking a break may actually be the best use of your time.
Mari Carmen Pizarro, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Mari Carmen Pizarro is the Founder of Whole Leadership Systems and Chief Human Resources Officer at Avet Pharmaceuticals, Inc. She is also the creator of The International Women’s Leadership Academy. With over 30 years of experience in leadership and human performance, Mari Carmen is an expert at integrating emotional intelligence with influence and leadership. Mari Carmen is a seasoned Executive Coach, High-Performance instructor, Keynote speaker, and TEDx presenter.
