Healthy Habits: Boost Productivity with this Biohack

December 23, 2019

Can simply taking a break really be a biohack?

If you’re a busy business owner with a lot of responsibilities and multiple cycles happening all at once…

Then yes, 100%. Breaks will improve your productivity.

But there’s a catch…

Most entrepreneurs tend to feel so busy (and suffer so badly from the symptoms of avoiding breaks) that they never take one…

So with the help of my good friend Pilar Gerasimo, a health journalist and the Co-founder of The Living Experiment podcast…

I decided to write a blog post to convince them to do it before they burn out.

In this video, Pilar shares how a few well-timed breaks throughout your workday can boost productivity and improve your health.

The Science of Taking Breaks

Specifically, Pilar recommends you take what’s called an “ultradian rhythm break” every 1.5–2 hours.

Like the 24-hour circadian rhythm, your body also relies on smaller cycles of performance and rest throughout the day called ultradian rhythms.

And during these 90-minute cycles of productivity, the byproducts of burning all that energy build up until we experience them as fatigue, inflammation and stress.

The Cost / Benefit of 20-Minute Breaks

It turns out that when you take a break, a bunch of wonderful things occur inside your body:

• Cells repair themselves

• Organs detoxify

• Energy is rebuilt through ATP

• Blood sugar is rebalanced

• Hormones levels are rebalanced

• Even your mood adjusts

And all of this happens in as little as 20 minutes if you give your brain a chance to rest and focus on something new.

But if you decide not to take a break every 90–120 minutes, then:

• Creativity diminishes

• Focus gets lost

• Inflammation rises

• Immunity suffers (higher risk of illness)

• Mood destabilizes

• Error rates skyrocket

• Productivity plummets

How to Take an Ultradian Rhythm Break

Annoyance, fatigue, brain “fog”, fidgeting, and tired eyes can all be signs that you need a break. The good news is that almost anything can function as a U.R. break.

Walking the dog, grabbing a beverage, even taking out the trash or tidying up your office — any form of self-care can rest your brain and restore your productivity.

(You can even sit in silence for a few minutes if that’s what sounds good to you.)

But the one thing you should not do on a U.R. break is whatever you’ve been doing: If you’ve been sitting at your desk then stand up. If you’ve been staring at your computer for the last 90 minutes then stop.

Your brain needs to fully switch gears in order to feel the benefits.