The Wisdom of Frequent Breaks
We’ve all been there. Mid-morning in an overly air-conditioned corporate or hotel meeting room. Mind wandering, bladder painful, left leg asleep, minutes crawling by. Then…salvation! The welcome rumble of the 10 a.m. break cart rolling down the hallway.
The traditional 15 minute break in the morning and corresponding 15-minute break at mid-afternoon have been hallmarks of meetings and training sessions since the industrial revolution. Happily, there is a growing body of evidence which suggests that sitting passively for long periods of time is counter-productive and actually depresses concentration, learning, and retention. Shorter, more frequent breaks are gradually becoming the norm.
Consider:
- Physical activity washes the brain with oxygen and increases cognitive capacity.
- Anthropologists tell us that our evolutionary ancestors walked as many as 12 miles per day. We have not yet adapted to sitting motionless for hours.
- Cognitive psychologists tell us that people tend to remember the beginnings and ends of things. Logically, the more beginnings and ends you have, the more opportunity for retention.
- Pauses between segments allow for reflection, which facilitates the movement of information from short-term to long-term memory.
- Cell phone addicts will less tempted to sneak a text or email because they know that the next break is never very far away.
- The acute biological discomfort of a full bladder usually trumps any intellectual interest you may have in the topic.
The evidence for shorter, more frequent breaks s compelling. In fact, you’ve read enough…go take a break!