Towards the focus limit: When and how to take great micro-breaks

Consciously or unconsciously, most of us have had that experience: After some 55 to 75 minutes, our ability to focus deeply starts to decrease. 

After struggling towards focus and getting into flow, we naturally approach the third phase: hitting our focus limit. Similar to the principle of diminishing marginal productivity in economics, we’re getting less and less out of the time we put in.

When moving towards that phase, pushing through is a bad idea. Instead, it’s better to replenish our ability to concentrate by what I term ultradian defocus. Ultradian defocus includes micro breaks, mingle breaks, and movement breaks.

When you struggle to wrap your mind around a complex issue or experience a sudden surge of limbic friction, take a micro break. One way to do that is quite easy: Do nothing. You read that right. As it turns out, when you defocus by doing nothing for just 10 seconds, your brain continues to tackle the same issue you were working on – but it does so 10 (!) times faster.

A second micro break is about visual defocus. When moving your gaze away from the task at hand, blood flows to areas of your brain that are not related to sustaining attention. That replenishes your ability to focus. To do so, researchers recommend the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes or so, look at something that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds. That will relax your eyes, increase your alertness, and provide your ability to focus – both visually and mentally – with a powerful lift-up.

When ultimately hitting the focus limit, it’s best to end your focus bout for good and take a mingle break, movement break, or combination of the two. Next week’s post will be all about when and how to do just that. Until then, remember to take that 10 or 20 seconds off every now and then!

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Until next week,
Christian