Productivity culture equates doing as much as humanly possible with being productive, so it treats breaks as wasted time. I remember working in offices where I pushed through long blocks of time without taking a break. I felt I needed to keep working and that taking a break was a waste of time.
This mentality ignores the human reality that we all have limited energy and energy rhythms. Because human energy is limited, breaks are a necessary part of being productive, not a waste of time. Anne-Laure Le Cunff points out in Tiny Experiments that energy naturally fluctuates:
“Attempting to maintain a perpetual peak is not just impossible, but detrimental to your well-being.”
In reality, the question isn’t whether to take breaks, but when and how.
Why You Keep Missing Your Own Break Time
While we might agree that taking breaks during work is important, it’s sometimes hard to know exactly when to take them.
Sometimes we get busy and forget to take a break, or we don’t even think about it. We go into a task focused on doing it, not on taking breaks.
When I’m working on producing a blog post first draft, I go through several processes: have Claude Cowork generate a research brief; read it and look up sources; have Claude interview me for my thoughts about the topic; review the interview notes and outline; work with a MindNode mind map to develop an outline I can dictate from.
I get caught up in the process of moving from one stage to the next and forget about taking a break.
What signals that it’s time to rest?
5 Signs It’s Time to Stop
In his book I’ve Got Time, Paul Loomans suggests five potential triggers for taking a break:
- When you’ve finished a task.
Finishing work on a task is an excellent time to take a break. You’re likely tired, and taking a break between tasks can help you focus better on the next one.
In his book Hyperfocus, Chris Bailey explains that attention residue occurs when you jump straight from one task to another.
“This attention residue keeps our mind continuing to evaluate, problem-solve, reflect, and ruminate about a previous task long after we’ve transitioned to the next.”
A short break gives that residue time to clear before you start the next task
2. When your mind or body tells you your energy is used up.
Notice when you feel tired, mentally foggy, or yawn. That’s your body telling you it’s time to take a break.
When I’m tired, I tend to be more distracted or feel hungry. Notice it and take a break.
3. When you’re not sure what to do next.
Sometimes you finish a task and aren’t sure what to move on to next. This happens a lot if you don’t use time blocking or another system that lays out what comes next. That’s a great time to take a break.
While you do something completely different, your mind will still work on the question unconsciously. Often, by the time the break ends, you’ll know what you want to work on next.
4. When you’re forcing yourself to continue working.
If you catch yourself thinking, “hang in there,” that’s a signal that it’s time to take a break.
Forcing yourself to keep working when you’re tired can lead to negative results. Oliver Burkeman discussed this in his article The Imperfectionist: The Right Dose of Self-Discipline:
“Too much emphasis on muscling your way to success – by deciding what needs doing, then making yourself do it – soon peters out into procrastination, self-loathing and resentment.”
5. When you’ve set a specific time to take a break.
Instead of waiting until you notice your body is telling you to stop working, you can preemptively set a work period and then take a break.
Sometimes I’ll do this by setting a timer on my Apple Watch. When the timer goes off, I know it’s time to take a break. How long I set it for depends on how much energy I have, what my schedule is for the day, and other factors. Typically it’s about 40 minutes before it’s break time.
A Break Isn’t a Breather
Paul Loomans defines a breather as more than a break. It means letting go:
“A breather is defined not only as taking a short break (although you do that, too), but also letting go for a short period of time. When you’re working on something, you’re focused. Your mind is concentrated and is making an effort. When you take a breather, you turn it loose so it can come and go as it pleases.”
If you’ve been working at your computer, a break doesn’t mean sitting there browsing Amazon for 15 minutes. Browsing keeps your mind working instead of letting it go.
Get up, move, and switch contexts. I find that a completely different context and activity gives my mind a real break.
Do something completely different. Typically, I’ll get up, leave my studio, talk with my wife, prepare or eat a snack, or do a short, non-thinking chore (like putting laundry away or doing a few dishes). You can even take a short walk.
Your Next Break Is Already Signaling You
You don’t need a new productivity system to take better breaks. The signals are already there: you finish a task, you yawn, you wonder “what’s next?”, you tell yourself “hang in there,” or a timer goes off.
This week, pick one of the five signals and act on it every time it shows up. Get up, leave your desk, and do something completely different for a few minutes. Then notice how you feel when you come back.
Note: I wrote this blog post myself using my own words and thoughts for the initial draft. I used AI only to suggest headlines, section headings, images and text improvements.
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