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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

#41

Post by resoluteteeth »

tjbiddle wrote: post #24

This is something I've found true in my own personal experimentation over the past few years. Any time I've been training something, if I take a break from it, I come back and I have more skill than I had previously. Recently this occurred with my handstand practice. It's something that I've been working on the past year or two on and off, but more heavily recently. I've made some great strides, but the past week or…

This may be true, but the article is talking about 10 second breaks so it's a little bit different from what you're describing.

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

#44

Post by ketzo »

Anecdotally found this to be totally true, particularly with muscle-memory. I’m currently learning to play the drums, and I could be beating my head against a wall trying to get a certain fill down over and over with no success, but the moment I get up and take a walk around the room, I sit back down and nail it!

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

#45

Post by erklik »

farahday wrote: post #21
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.

> I try and drink my 32 oz bottle once an hour when I'm working. Seriously, how do you get any work done? Thats like a sip every 30 seconds.

I have a habit of continuing to drink when I have a glass of water in my mind. It refreshes my mind. So everytime I pick up the bottle, I drink nearly half of it just because it completely refreshes me.

So, its not really sipping but massive gulps every 10/20 mins or so.

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

#46

Post by arvinsim »

8456523 wrote: post #34
hanniabu wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never gone to the doctor for this, but I'm pretty sure I have ADD and funnily enough I think I am able to concentrate way better when I'm dehydrated. Being on an empty stomach also seems to help. Anybody know if there's an scientific reason for this?

>Being on an empty stomach also seems to help There might be microbes (bacteria) in your gut (intestines, etc) that produce toxins that dull your thinking when they have food.

The gut-brain connection do seem to be true on my end.

I am always careful to avoid carbohydrates when I am starting work that is concentration heavy.

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

#47

Post by DoreenMichele »

hanniabu wrote: post #31
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.

I have never gone to the doctor for this, but I'm pretty sure I have ADD and funnily enough I think I am able to concentrate way better when I'm dehydrated. Being on an empty stomach also seems to help. Anybody know if there's an scientific reason for this?

About 70 to 80 percent of the body's immune cells can be found in the gut. I strongly suspect this means eating is the single biggest immune challenge the body deals with in day-to-day life.

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

#48

Post by varrock »

codyb wrote: post #14
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 wha…

Meal prepping between my work has done me wonders. I'm still being productive, but it's mindless enough to the point where I return back to my work feeling refreshed and more efficient than if I had stuck it out.

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

#49

Post by rorykoehler »

tjbiddle wrote: post #24

This is something I've found true in my own personal experimentation over the past few years. Any time I've been training something, if I take a break from it, I come back and I have more skill than I had previously. Recently this occurred with my handstand practice. It's something that I've been working on the past year or two on and off, but more heavily recently. I've made some great strides, but the past week or…

When I used to practice competitive sports I spent a lot of time doing positive visualisation. This involved (track & field sprinting) visualising the timing of my foot strike, visualising of the stride motion and power transfers, (mtbing) day dreaming about railing difficult lines on my favourite tracks including visualising the bike physics (especially in the wet). Though it's only anecdotal and there were no doubt other genetic factors at play I excelled at a rate much ahead of my peers. I have tried the same with more cerebral tasks and whilst it definitely works I find I need to spend more time immersing myself in the practice with these types of tasks.

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

#50

Post by steveeq1 »

tjbiddle wrote: post #24

This is something I've found true in my own personal experimentation over the past few years. Any time I've been training something, if I take a break from it, I come back and I have more skill than I had previously. Recently this occurred with my handstand practice. It's something that I've been working on the past year or two on and off, but more heavily recently. I've made some great strides, but the past week or…

I've noticed this with guitar as well.
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