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Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

ninds.nih.gov

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Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#11

Post by projektir »

zitterbewegung wrote: post #6
JesseAldridge wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes but the work periods were also ten seconds. So the suggestion seems to be that we should spend 50% of our time resting, with many very small rest periods interspersed between many very small work periods.

So, if i'm teaching myself to do unit testing I should take a 10 second break by checking HN and then go back to the task?

I'm curious what is considered a break. Is HN fluffy enough?

says projektir, checking HN as a break from typing practice

says projektir, typing as a break from typing practice

Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#12

Post by vturner »

zitterbewegung wrote: post #6
JesseAldridge wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes but the work periods were also ten seconds. So the suggestion seems to be that we should spend 50% of our time resting, with many very small rest periods interspersed between many very small work periods.

So, if i'm teaching myself to do unit testing I should take a 10 second break by checking HN and then go back to the task?

Not sure reading HN is "restful" ;)

Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#13

Post by trillic »

I drink tons of water, I try and drink my 32 oz bottle once an hour when I'm working. I feel more productive for two reasons because I do this: 1. I'm not dehydrated, 2. it forces me to get up to use the restroom a lot more than usual. This forces me to have lots of mini breaks almost every hour or so to walk and fill up my bottle and use the restroom.

Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#14

Post by codyb »

whatshisface wrote: post #3

Are you telling me that checking Hackernews every couple hours is going to pay off? > take a 10 second break I guess that's the next browser plugin, instead of blocking Reddit/HN/Facebook/Twitter, limit them to 10 second bursts.

I have a feeling breaks where you’re doing something relatively mindless (walking around the block, washing a dish, taking a shower, etc) would allow the mind to “breathe” and “digest” a bit better than a break on social media or the news.

All conjecture but it plays well for me when I’m using pomodoro to get up, move, get water, do a dish, look out the window; as opposed to when I check reddit or hacker news for whatever new information has come out in the last two hours or whatever.

Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#15

Post by fersc »

arkades wrote: post #2

The “rest periods” were ten seconds long. This doesn’t generalize into anything meaningful; when was the last time you focused on a new skill so intensely that you didn’t have ten second pauses?

Everything else considered, the closing remarks of the the press release would be useful to keep in mind if you wanted to develop this technique further

> “Our results suggest that it may be important to optimize the timing and configuration of rest intervals when implementing rehabilitative treatments in stroke patients or when learning to play the piano in normal volunteers,” said Dr. Cohen. “Whether these results apply to other forms of learning and memory formation remains an open question.”

Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#16

Post by ramraj07 »

trillic wrote: post #13

I drink tons of water, I try and drink my 32 oz bottle once an hour when I'm working. I feel more productive for two reasons because I do this: 1. I'm not dehydrated, 2. it forces me to get up to use the restroom a lot more than usual. This forces me to have lots of mini breaks almost every hour or so to walk and fill up my bottle and use the restroom.

Yep let's overwork our kidneys to learn the guitar

edit: seriously though I'm pretty sure that's not good for you. That sounds actually being in the ballpark of water poisoning.

Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#17

Post by veryworried »

ramraj07 wrote: post #16
trillic wrote: post #13

I drink tons of water, I try and drink my 32 oz bottle once an hour when I'm working. I feel more productive for two reasons because I do this: 1. I'm not dehydrated, 2. it forces me to get up to use the restroom a lot more than usual. This forces me to have lots of mini breaks almost every hour or so to walk and fill up my bottle and use the restroom.

Yep let's overwork our kidneys to learn the guitar edit: seriously though I'm pretty sure that's not good for you. That sounds actually being in the ballpark of water poisoning.

He’s fine. A typical developer’s true work day is probably all of one gallon.

Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#18

Post by Someone1234 »

trillic wrote: post #13

I drink tons of water, I try and drink my 32 oz bottle once an hour when I'm working. I feel more productive for two reasons because I do this: 1. I'm not dehydrated, 2. it forces me to get up to use the restroom a lot more than usual. This forces me to have lots of mini breaks almost every hour or so to walk and fill up my bottle and use the restroom.

You may wish to go see your doctor, that doesn't seem normal (excess fluid consumption can be a sign of diseases like diabetes). And more worrying you're bordering on water intoxication at 32 oz/hour:

> Your kidneys can eliminate about 5.3-7.4 gallons (20-28 liters) of water a day, but they can't get rid of more than 27-33 ounces (0.8-1.0 liters) per hour.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318619.php

Also, you don't need 8 glass of water a day, that is a myth, you should listen to your body[1].

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have...

Re: Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

#20

Post by PinkMilkshake »

dorkwood wrote: post #10

In my experience, this effect is most noticeable while learning an instrument. Practice until you start to see diminishing returns, take a short break, and then return to practicing. You’ll notice you’re slightly better than you were before taking a break.

I really notice this during video games. As soon as I feel stuck/frustrated I try stop, take a 15 minute break, then quite often nail it on the first retry.
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