Micro-breaks: small interruptions, big effect
Many put off recovering until the weekend, and are long empty by then. Yet many small breaks across the day often work better than one big one afterwards. Recovery is fuel along the way.Why short breaks do so muchAttention and energy are no endless supplies. After longer concentration both drop,…
Stress as an ally
Stress has a bad reputation, on closer look unfairly. In moderation the stress response is an ancient, useful program: it briefly provides energy and concentration. It only becomes difficult when it lasts and recovery is missing.The good side of tensionBefore an exam, a competition, an important talk, a surge of…
Breaking bad habits
“I’ll stop” rarely suffices, because habits run automatically, triggered by situations. Whoever wants to change a habit starts more wisely: at the cue and at the effort it costs.Every habit has a cueA cue (place, time, feeling, preceding action) starts the behaviour, a reward keeps it alive. Example: stress (cue)…
Protecting focus in a noisy world
Every notification pulls you out, and the way back into concentration takes longer than you think. Focus today is often a question of environment. Whoever clears away distraction beforehand needn’t fight it in the moment.The hidden cost of switchingAfter each interruption a remnant of the old task stays in your…