Brains Need Breaks Too

Yampa Valley Sunset, September 2021

​I stare at the screen and will my brain to spit out just one more meaningful sentence. Unfortunately, zombie mode has set in and nothing is forthcoming. Time for a break. The physical movement of scrubbing dishes until they gleam, water warming my hands, sudsy scent freshening the air, and a fun audio book all coax my mind to another track. Thoughts scurry behind the scenes, synthesizing and coalescing without my conscious control. And a few minutes later, voilà, I’m back at the keyboard, ideas morphing easily into concrete words.

Breaks are key. Breaks with physical movement encouraging blood flow, easing muscle and joint stiffness, and boosting oxygen to the brain can be helpful, as can simply sitting quietly for a couple of minutes and not doing anything. Doing nothing may sound impossible, since most of us live in a state of constant stimulation, but that stillness is incredibly healthy for our brain and mental state.

Regardless of age, we can all get overly locked-in to focused brain time. This article,
5 Research-Based Reasons to Use Brain Breaks in the Classroom, discusses how brain breaks enhance productivity, creativity, and learning. Brain breaks involving movement and play have the added benefit of fostering social bonds and teamwork. This could be anything from playing catch, to a group hike or snowshoe, to a group exercise or dance class. I especially love this teacher’s idea of Two Laps and a Nap, where after a few minutes of focused study, the students rejuvenate by walking around the room a couple of times, then put their heads on their desks for a solid three minutes of rest with soothing music. An actionable and effective tool for all!

If you take a deeper dive into the science, waking rest enhances the brain’s ability to replay and consolidate memories of what just occurred, crucial in learning a new skill. This also has implications for people recovering from stroke. In this article, NIH: Study shows how taking short breaks may help our brains learn new skills, the study participants hooked up to brain scanners  typed a code for ten seconds and then rested for ten seconds, repeating this cycle 35 times. During the rest phase, the brain repeatedly replayed the code typing. The brains that replayed the fastest and most number of times in the rest period made the most progress in learning the skill. The study also found that in addition to expected activity in the sensorimotor part of the brain, the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (both involved with memory among other functions) were also active. The study concluded that manipulating brain replay would potentially support faster learning of a new skill as well as aiding in stroke rehabilitation.

As a general rule of thumb, taking breaks gives the brain and nervous system some space. We might think we don’t have the time to step away for a few minutes. But the reality might look more like slogging away at a task for two hours versus that same task only taking a sharply focused 30 minutes after a ten minute walk to refresh the brain and body. Think, too, of the nervous system. Rather than operating in a consistently frazzled state, that short walk can provide an ease for the nervous system, resulting in less stress, enhanced respiration, digestion, and a calmer outlook. UW: Taking Breaks Is Good for Your Brain - Here’s Why.

Here I am at the screen once again. I’ve taken many breaks to research and write this short piece. My brain is starting to sputter and the words are no longer flowing. Let’s you and I both take a little break.