When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing(19)
Most of all, it means changing the way we think about what we do and how we can do it effectively. Until about ten years ago, we admired those who could survive on only four hours of sleep and those stalwarts who worked through the night. They were heroes, people whose fierce devotion and commitment revealed everyone else’s fecklessness and frailty. Then, as sleep science reached the mainstream, we began to change our attitude. That sleepless guy wasn’t a hero. He was a fool. He was likely doing subpar work and maybe hurting the rest of us because of his poor choices.
Breaks are now where sleep was then. Skipping lunch was once a badge of honor and taking a nap a mark of shame. No more. The science of timing now affirms what the Old World already understood: We should give ourselves a break.
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* See this chapter’s Time Hacker’s Handbook for nappuccino instructions and how to take a perfect nap.
MAKE A BREAK LIST
You probably have a to-do list. Now it’s time to create a “break list,” give it equal attention, and treat it with equal respect. Each day, alongside your list of tasks to complete, meetings to attend, and deadlines to hit, make a list of the breaks you’re going to take.
Start by trying three breaks per day. List when you’re going to take those breaks, how long they’re going to last, and what you’re going to do in each. Even better, put the breaks into your phone or computer calendar so one of those annoying pings will remind you. Remember: What gets scheduled gets done.
HOW TO TAKE A PERFECT NAP
As I explained, I’ve discovered the errors in my napping ways and have learned the secrets of a perfect nap. Just follow these five steps:
1. Find your afternoon trough time. The Mayo Clinic says that the best time for a nap is between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.1 But if you want to be more precise, take a week to chart your afternoon mood and energy levels, as described on pages 40–43. You’ll likely see a consistent block of time when things begin to go south, which for many people is about seven hours after waking. This is your optimal nap time.
2. Create a peaceful environment. Turn off your phone notifications. If you’ve got a door, close it. If you’ve got a couch, use it. To insulate yourself from sound and light, try earplugs or headphones and an eye mask.
3. Down a cup of coffee. Seriously. The most efficient nap is the nappuccino. The caffeine won’t fully engage in your bloodstream for about twenty-five minutes, so drink up right before you lie down. If you’re not a coffee drinker, search online for an alternative drink that provides about two hundred milligrams of caffeine. (If you avoid caffeine, skip this step. Also reconsider your life choices.)
4. Set a timer on your phone for twenty-five minutes. If you nap for more than about a half hour, sleep inertia takes over and you need extra time to recover. If you nap for less than five minutes, you don’t get much benefit. But naps between ten and twenty minutes measurably boost alertness and mental function, and don’t leave you feeling even sleepier than you were before. Since it takes most people about seven minutes to nod off, the twenty-five-minute countdown clock is ideal. And, of course, when you wake up, the caffeine is beginning to kick in.
5. Repeat consistently. There’s some evidence that habitual nappers get more from their naps than infrequent nappers. So if you have the flexibility to take a regular afternoon nap, consider making it a common ritual. If you don’t have the flexibility, then pick days when you’re really dipping—when you haven’t gotten enough sleep the night before or the stress and demands of the day are weightier than usual. You’ll feel a difference.
FIVE KINDS OF RESTORATIVE BREAKS: A MENU
You now understand the science of breaks and why they’re so effective in both combatting the trough and boosting your mood and performance. You’ve even got a break list ready to go. But what sort of break should you take? There’s no right answer. Just choose one from the following menu or combine a few, see how they go, and design the breaks that work best for you:
1. Micro-breaks—A replenishing break need not be lengthy. Even breaks that last a minute or less—what researchers call “micro-breaks”—can pay dividends.2 Consider these: The 20–20–20 rule—Before you begin a task, set a timer. Then, every twenty minutes, look at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds. If you’re working at a computer, this micro-break will rest your eyes and improve your posture, both of which can fight fatigue.
Hydrate—You might already have a water bottle. Get a much smaller one. When it runs out—and of course it will, because of its size—walk to the water fountain and refill it. It’s a threefer: hydration, motion, and restoration.
Wiggle your body to reset your mind—One of the simplest breaks of all: Stand up for sixty seconds, shake your arms and legs, flex your muscles, rotate your core, sit back down.
2. Moving breaks—Most of us sit too much and move too little. So build more movement into your breaks. Some options: Take a five-minute walk every hour—As we have learned, five-minute walk breaks are powerful. They’re feasible for most people. And they’re especially useful during the trough.
Office yoga—You can do yoga poses right at your desk—chair rolls, wrist releases, forward folds—to relieve tension in your neck and lower back, limber up your typing fingers, and relax your shoulders. This may not be for everyone, but anyone can give it a try. Just stick “office yoga” into a search engine.