Break Through Problem Solving with Breaks

As our third-grade teacher might know very well, we all have a limit to our attention span. We naturally get bored with a task over time and hence, need a break.

Our brains work in two general modes of “focused mode” and “diffuse mode.” The focused mode is for when we are doing something new, writing, or creating. Diffused mode is our more relaxed, daydream mode for when we are not thinking very hard. Naturally, you may now be wondering how to say in the “focused mode” for as long as possible to maximize your productivity.

Studies have shown that daydreaming increases the activity in the brain and shows we are thinking more when we believe we are thinking less. When we take a break, get up and take that walk to the water cooler and ponder while staring out the window we come back to our desk with a new perspective on the task at hand.

Of course, there is a tool to help us mix up our thought patterns and change our thinking so we can think better. Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya has put together The Genius Deck as a little side project to ask us random questions and get us thinking.

The Genius Deck has a minimalist interface with a simple button to “Flip Card,” and a new phrase is presented on a graphic of a 3×5 card. The idea is that “a single suggestion can unlock the mind.” The advice I received was “reframe errors as hidden intentions.”

Now it’s time to take a break and head on over to The Genius Deck.