Stressful everyday life
These habits provide rest for the brain
Our brain needs regular breaks.
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Relaxation is more than just a nap. These habits help the brain recover.
Getting a good night’s sleep, taking a nap at midday or lounging on the sofa for hours are popular methods of recovering from stressful everyday work life. While these activities relax our body, our needs But the brain is even more so. After all, we live in a world in which we subconsciously subject our brains to constant hectic pace, overstimulation and stress. This not only has a negative impact on our ability to concentrate, cognitive thinking or creativity, but also on mental health.
Sufficient sleep is essential for the health of our brain, but the complex organ relaxes really well when we are active. Everyone should incorporate these habits into their everyday life.
Active recovery
Our brain is not capable of unlimited receptiveness and needs a break every now and then to be able to process what we have learned in peace. Movement breaks help with fatigue and improve the ability to concentrate. Why is that? When you do sports or go for a walk, the brain activity is placed in the movement center and the area for logical thinking is relieved and can relax. Exercise also stimulates blood flow to the brain, which is better supplied with nutrients and oxygen. Although the body is strained, the brain can relax better with activity than with a break on the sofa in front of the TV.
Invest time in hobbies
Be it drawing, pottery, playing the piano or bird watching – engaging in hobbies that have nothing to do with your job relaxes the brain immensely. On the one hand, small experiences of success release dopamine in the brain. Hobbies also provide a certain routine that the brain likes. Studies also show that certain hobbies can help keep the brain fit as we get older and minimize the risk of developing dementia.
“Today” list instead of “To-do” list
Make a dentist appointment, call your boss, write an email to your colleague, take out the trash: to-do lists are helpful when it comes to not forgetting anything. However, such endlessly long lists packed with tasks can overwhelm the brain. In his book “Do Pause: You Are Not a To Do List”, US author Robert Poynton suggests replacing the to-do list with a “Today” list: a list that only contains the tasks that need to be done today.
Build micro-breaks into your day
In hectic everyday life there is often not much time for long breaks. This makes it all the more important to take a so-called “micro break” every now and then. These last at least a few seconds and a maximum of ten minutes and are intended to increase concentration. It’s enough to look out the window for a few seconds at the coffee machine, take three deep breaths in and out before the next meeting, or regularly lounge at your desk.