The Science Behind Breaks and Productivity

Unlock Peak Performance: The Power of Recovery for Entrepreneurs and Leaders High-performance leaders and entrepreneurs often push themselves to the limit, believing that more hours mean better results. But scientific research shows that recovery—not overwork—is the real key to sustained success and well-being. A study published in Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice found that leaders who intentionally schedule recovery enter “flow” more often, boosting both performance and mental health . 📊 Key Findings: 🔹 Entrepreneurs who take regular recovery breaks experience higher creativity, focus, and energy. 🔹 Flow—the state of deep focus and high performance—is fueled by recovery, not just motivation. 🔹 Without recovery, burnout risk increases, and long-term productivity drops. 💡 What This Means for You If you’re constantly feeling exhausted despite working hard, the problem isn’t effort—it’s recovery. Research proves that leaders who structure breaks and downtime perform better and stay mentally sharp longer. 🔑 How to Boost Performance Through Recovery 1️⃣ Plan Recovery as Seriously as Work 📌 How? ✅ Schedule "mental resets"—5-10 min breaks between deep work sessions. ✅ Use structured detachment—step away from work completely for short, pre-planned periods. ✅ Incorporate low-effort activities (e.g., walking, listening to music) to recharge mental energy. 📊 Impact: Leaders who implement recovery strategies report 31% higher long-term productivity . 2️⃣ Use Recovery to Enter "Flow" More Often 📌 How? ✅ Identify high-energy work periods and protect them from distractions. ✅ Schedule recovery before and after intense focus work (e.g., coaching, strategy planning). ✅ Encourage employees to craft their own recovery strategies—autonomy improves engagement. 📊 Impact: Recovery-based scheduling increases flow frequency by 40%, leading to more productive work sessions . 3️⃣ Treat Recovery as a Team Strategy, Not Just Personal Wellness 📌 How? ✅ Make micro-breaks part of company culture—leaders should model healthy habits. ✅ Redesign work schedules to allow deep work followed by recovery periods. ✅ Recognize that sustained overwork lowers creative problem-solving ability—encourage balance. 📊 Impact: Companies that support recovery reduce burnout rates by 30% and improve retention . 🛠 Bottom Line Peak performance isn’t about grinding harder—it’s about working smarter. Leaders who prioritize recovery, structure breaks, and optimize flow see higher output, better decisions, and a healthier workforce. 📖 LaRue, L., Mäkikangas, A., & de Bloom, J. (2024). Entrepreneur Coaches’ Flow and Well-Being: The Role of Recovery. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 17(2), 265-282. 👉 What’s one recovery habit you can implement today? Let’s discuss in the comments! ⬇️ #Leadership #Performance #EmployeeWellbeing #HR #RecoveryMatters

The conventional wisdom that working longer hours leads to higher productivity is deeply flawed. In fact, the opposite is often true: strategic breaks can significantly boost your overall output and creativity. Here are 5 key reasons why taking breaks enhances productivity: 1. Mental Reset - Continuous work leads to mental fatigue and decreased focus - Short breaks allow your brain to reset and recharge - You return to tasks with renewed energy and clarity 2. Enhanced Creativity - Stepping away from a problem often leads to "eureka" moments - Your subconscious continues to work on challenges during breaks - New perspectives emerge when you're not actively focusing on the task 3. Improved Decision Making - Fatigue impairs judgment and increases errors - Breaks help maintain cognitive function throughout the day - Better decisions lead to higher quality work and fewer mistakes 4. Stress Reduction - Chronic stress decreases productivity and increases burnout risk - Regular breaks lower cortisol levels and reduce anxiety - A calmer mind is more efficient and effective 5. Physical Health Benefits - Sitting for long periods is detrimental to health - Short walks or stretches improve circulation and energy levels - Better physical health translates to improved mental performance Implementing a break strategy: - Use the Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of focused work, followed by a 5-minute break - Take a proper lunch break away from your desk - Schedule short walks or meditation sessions throughout the day - Use break time for quick social interactions with colleagues Remember, productivity isn't about the hours you put in, but the quality of work you produce. By incorporating strategic breaks, you'll likely find yourself accomplishing more in less time, with higher quality results and improved well-being.

Leaders, we've got to stop "Powering Through" work projects. Your brain is not a machine -- and if you want to maximize your work group sessions, here's the latest neuroscience research on how to structure your sessions. ⌛ Session Length: Work in 60-90 minute sessions. Research shows that your brain activity begins to fade right at around 80 minutes, on average. Anything over 90 minutes, you are NOT getting the same return on your investment. Another rule: Longer sessions are more effective earlier in the day when mental resources are high. For example, if you’re feeling mentally fresh in the morning, aim for a 90-minute session, but later in the day, a 60-minute session might be more realistic. ✅ Task Priority: Focus on hardest tasks in the first 20% of the session. Your mind is sharpest at the start, so tackle the most complex tasks first. For instance, if you’re working on a challenging report, spend the first 15-20 minutes drafting the most critical sections, leaving easier revisions for later. 📚 Task Order: Tackle tasks from hardest to easiest. Order tasks by difficulty within each session to maintain productivity as your energy decreases. If you’re juggling multiple tasks, start with strategic planning and end with routine emails or updates. ⏰ Breaks: Take 10-minute breaks after each session. Short breaks allow your mind to rest and reset, improving focus for the next session. For example, after 60 minutes of writing, step away for a brief walk or stretch before resuming. 🛑 Max Work: Limit intense work to 4 hours/day. Overworking your mind can lead to diminishing returns and mental fatigue. For example, if you’ve worked intensely on problem-solving for 4 hours, continuing beyond that point can hurt productivity the next day. #leadershipdevelopment #burnout #professionaldevelopment

Losing focus? Sitting in front of a computer screen is draining your productivity. The secret is in a brainPAUSE. As a brain doctor and Chief Wellness Officer, I want to emphasize how short, intentional breaks away from screens and work can enhance your mental health and productivity. Here's why taking a brainPAUSE is important for your brain health- and your business. 1. Reduces Stress Hormones ↳Breaks help lower cortisol, the primary stress hormone, allowing your body and brain to recover from high-pressure tasks. ↳Lower cortisol levels improve focus, decision-making, and emotional regulation. 2. Boosts Creativity and Problem-Solving ↳Stepping away from work engages the brain's "default mode network," which fosters creative thinking and insight. 3. Protects Against Chronic Stress ↳Short breaks interrupt prolonged stress, reducing the risk of mental fatigue and exhaustion. 4. Improves Physical Health ↳Moving around during your break helps regulate blood circulation, prevents stiffness, and decreases the risk of sedentary-related issues. 5. Enhances Focus and Productivity ↳A refreshed brain performs better. Brief pauses improve your ability to concentrate and maintain high-quality work throughout the day. 💡 brainSHIFT Tip: ↳Step outside, stretch or engage in mindfulness. Even a 10-minute walk can significantly lower cortisol and recharge your brain. Make sure to keep your phone at your desk or in your pocket, and resist the temptation to check text messages- that is, your brain is craving a dopamine hit. Instead, engage your 5 senses of sight, sound, taste, scent, and touch to resettle your mind. 📺 Video: From NBC News Interview in February 2024 discussing the importance of taking a brainPAUSE to help heal Busy Brain and chronic stress- and to boost productivity. 

Time for my semi-annual repost of the research on what back-to-back meetings do to our brains: Hugely important research from Microsoft's Work Lab shows how urgently our brains need breaks between meetings, aligning with scores of previous studies on the critical need for micro-rest between meetings to prevent burnout, reduce stress, and improve well-being. “Our research shows breaks are important, not just to make us less exhausted by the end of the day, but to actually improve our ability to focus and engage while in those meetings,” says Michael Bohan, senior director of Microsoft’s Human Factors Engineering group, who oversaw the project. A few highlights from the research: 💡Breaks between meetings allow the brain to "reset," reducing the cumulative buildup of stress across meetings. 💡Back-to-back meetings don't just cause stress and reduce well-being, they also decrease our ability to focus and engage. 💡Transitioning between meetings when deprived of breaks is a source of especially high stress. How to do shift to actually taking the micro-breaks between meetings the science shows us we all need to be our most productive and engaged: 🎯 Set meeting defaults to 25 and 50 (rather than 30 and 60) minutes- automatically scheduling micro-breaks throughout everyone's workday. Pro tip: It takes only a few seconds to update your meeting default times in Outlook, Google, and other common calendar apps. 🎯 Shift your mindset. While powering through back-to-backs might seem productive, the research clearly shows the opposite is true. Breaks away from meetings are an essential part of a productive, focused, engaged work day. 🎯 Find even more time for screen and meeting breaks by considering other modes of communication. Does this REALLY need to be a meeting? 🎯 Make meetings more intentional. Be thoughtful about who needs to attend, starting and stopping on time (or building in a break), and sharing the agenda ahead of time. What steps have you been successful with implementing to build in micro-breaks and micro-rest? Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/gUj8uTaC ID: A series of images of brain scans from Microsoft's Human Factor Lab study, which used EEG caps to measure stress build up. One row of scans shows brain images with no breaks between four meetings and shows a clear build-up of stress across back-to-back meetings. A second row of scans shows brain images with micro-breaks between meetings and shows no build-up of stress across back-to-back meetings. #WellBeing #WellBeingAtWork #OrganizationalCulture #WorkSmarterNotHarder #Burnout #BurnoutPrevention -- As always, thoughts and views are my own and do not reflect those of my current employer.