A study found that giving the brain a five-minute break between tasks can increase efficiency and productivity by more than 50 per cent.
In an experiment conducted at the University of Sydney in Australia, 72 students read a lesson to themselves and took two mentally exhausting tests.
Students who were allowed to take a five-minute break between tests scored an average of 57 points higher on the second test than students who did not take a break.
Some students who took a break did nothing during the break, while others were shown a quiet video of a natural scene, but both groups outperformed their peers who didn’t get a break on a second test.
How to relax your mind by taking a five minutes break
A five minutes break may seem very short, but it can be utilised for effective performance at work. In these five minutes, anyone can relax their minds by:
- Stretching the body: Doing light stretches is good for the overall health of the body and mind.
- Avoid the use of mobile: Taking a break from a laptop and spending time on a mobile is not a wise choice. Just stop using all devices for just five minutes.
- Re-hydrate to recharge: Often people don’t realise that they spend hours without drinking water. In that five minutes break, this can be a productive task.
- Light Music: A little music hurts no one. On average a song is less than five minutes long, so one song can do a lot of help.