However, Adrian Chadi, an associate professor at the University of Southampton, says the evidence that phone bans improve productivity is not definitive. His research suggests they can help with simple, routine jobs by reducing distractions, but the impact is less clear in more complex work that involves creativity or problem-solving.
I mean, yeah, if you care what science says…
/s
If you’re doing something that actually takes thinking, you need to give your brain a “break” while still keeping the rpms up.
2 minutes of scrolling articles and quick comments is more refreshing than a 15 minute break relaxing. Because your brain is still “up” but it’s switching to a brand new task which (in a very simplified fashion) is a quick reboot for our brains, it’s just enough to push everything out of working memory so when you pivot back to what you were doing, it’s with a fresh set of eyes.
I thought this was as well known as “rubber duck debugging”?
We really need to start teaching people how their own brains work
2 minutes of scrolling articles and quick comments is more refreshing than a 15 minute break relaxing. Because your brain is still “up” but it’s switching to a brand new task which (in a very simplified fashion) is a quick reboot for our brains, it’s just enough to push everything out of working memory so when you pivot back to what you were doing, it’s with a fresh set of eyes.
you realize these idiots in the C-Suite are going to read this and think the solution is to just give people more tasks, right?
“Writing is an extraordinarily difficult thing to do…particularly when you get to the hard part,” Will Young, the theater’s executive director, told The Financial Times. “When you get stuck, it’s easier to reach for a distraction.”
Is it a distraction, or is it a way to refresh one’s brain? Sometimes when you’re writing and you get stuck, a break from the task is exactly what you need to regain focus. Task switching frequently can make things harder, yes, but if you’ve already been writing for hours, I’d argue that spending a few minutes doing something else is a good thing to overcome writer’s block.
Attempting to power through every minute despite your brain hitting a hard limit is how we get burnout. Whether it’s a few minutes taking a walk outside or a few minutes on the phone, giving your brain a chance to wander every now and then can go far in getting you back on track.
I mean, yeah, if you care what science says…
/s
If you’re doing something that actually takes thinking, you need to give your brain a “break” while still keeping the rpms up.
2 minutes of scrolling articles and quick comments is more refreshing than a 15 minute break relaxing. Because your brain is still “up” but it’s switching to a brand new task which (in a very simplified fashion) is a quick reboot for our brains, it’s just enough to push everything out of working memory so when you pivot back to what you were doing, it’s with a fresh set of eyes.
I thought this was as well known as “rubber duck debugging”?
We really need to start teaching people how their own brains work
you realize these idiots in the C-Suite are going to read this and think the solution is to just give people more tasks, right?
I was also confused by this part:
Is it a distraction, or is it a way to refresh one’s brain? Sometimes when you’re writing and you get stuck, a break from the task is exactly what you need to regain focus. Task switching frequently can make things harder, yes, but if you’ve already been writing for hours, I’d argue that spending a few minutes doing something else is a good thing to overcome writer’s block.
Attempting to power through every minute despite your brain hitting a hard limit is how we get burnout. Whether it’s a few minutes taking a walk outside or a few minutes on the phone, giving your brain a chance to wander every now and then can go far in getting you back on track.