Too much R&R

 

Image from https://www.betterup.com/blog/types-of-rest


Too much R&R

by Jen Davies, nerd

Aug 12, 2026


Apparently there is such a thing as too much R&R because I didn't get around to prepping any ideas for a blog post this week.

Briefly, then, I'll talk about the importance of taking a break for refreshing your brain and therefore the quality and/or efficiency of whatever you're doing. I won't cite any resources, but it's pretty easy to find the psychological and educational research on the value of taking a break.

Breaks can be short or long. Sometimes 5 minutes is all you need to refresh. My eye doctor says I should look away from my computer screen for 2 minutes every 60 minutes to let my eyeballs relax (not likely, but I do think of it, Doc!) On the bigger scale, I'm actually not a fan of long vacations, because more time off only has the effect of making it harder to get started again.

Sometimes a break means doing something else, rather than doing nothing, and in both cases it can be refreshing for your brain. I don't remember the exact mechanisms, but my headcannon around it is that the same neurons being used over and over get tired, and so doing something different or nothing gives them a chance to rest and recharge, so when I come back to the original task they're replenished. That's probably not quite it, but that's how it feels!

Also see my earlier blog on the value of boredom (ie, doing nothing for a while) for creativity: https://jendaviesgenxnerdblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/doing-too-many-things-and-creativity.html

See you next week.

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