The surprising secret to joining the top 10% (The 90-Minute Defocus Rule)

Most of us ignore the systematic oscillation between higher and lower mental energy levels throughout our day. Conversely, the most productive people are strategic about taking breaks at work instead of pushing through their troughs.

What to do

Defocus every 90 minutes for a total of 90 minutes per workday.

Why it works

A landmark study from 1995 found that our mental energy (i.e., alertness) changes systematically throughout the day. Researchers call the phenomenon ultradian rhythm. After about 90 minutes of higher alertness (ultradian peak), we feel fatigued for about 20 minutes (ultradian trough).

The top 10% most productive among us structure their days in line with their ultradian rhythms. According to a 2021 study, for every 112 minutes of work, they defocus for 26 minutes. This means they take breaks for 19% of their day, which amounts to 90 minutes in an 8-hour workday.

90 minutes a day may seem like a lot. But if you think about it, it comes down to two 15-minute breaks and a 60-minute lunch break. As it turns out, the most effective breaks enable you to defocus both visually and mentally. Here are three great tactics for doing just that.

How to do it

1) Get into panoramic vision. Our mental focus follows our visual focus, so the latter is vital to replenish your mental energy. One simple practice is to stare at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds and up to a minute or two (hat-tip to Drs Gazzaley and Rosen). Do so at least once every 90 minutes, even during the busiest days.

2) Take a walk around the block. Walking outside puts you into self-generated forward motion and “optic flow” (i.e., visual images passing you by as you wander along). The associated eye movements, in turn, produce panoramic vision. That’s why walking works wonders for replenishing your mental energy when you hit an ultradian trough.

3) Have restorative lunch breaks. The best have two ingredients: detachment and autonomy. For detachment, get away from your desk, leave your smartphone there, and avoid talking about work throughout lunch. For autonomy, have lunch “your way”. Decide for yourself on the time, place and people you have it with.

“The counterintuitive secret to sustainable great performance”, writes Tony Schwartz, “is to live like a sprinter”. He concludes that “to operate at our best, we need to renew our energy at 90-minute intervals.”

Against this background, the 90-Minute Defocus Rule will help you cooperate with your energy levels instead of competing with them.

If you can think of one person who could benefit from learning about it, please share this post with them.

Until next week,
Christian