If you’re up to your eyeballs in work, a new study shows your best course of action might seem counterintuitive: take a break.
Researchers with the University of Sydney conducted a study with 72 students, tasking them to complete math-related work. One group was asked to complete a test all at once, and the other was advised to give themselves a five-minute breather after 25 minutes of concentrated work before plowing on.
Some of the “break” group watched a nature video for five minutes, and the others’ free time was left “unstructured.”
The five-after-25 method is known as the Pomodoro Technique, and the scientists say it worked: Students in the group that took a breather performed better on the test overall, as well as on follow-up tasks presented to them.
In the study, which was published in the journal Educational and Developmental Psychologist, Associate Professor Paul Ginns noted, “…our cognitive resources become depleted when we use our minds to solve problems or study.”
He added, “It may seem counterintuitive to interrupt a study break to help learning, but short rest breaks – whether they’re unstructured or watching ‘virtual’ nature videos – seem to be well-worth the time, helping students to concentrate better and learn more effectively. This could also be applied for workers learning a new skill or concentrating on a complex task.”