Break for Learning’s Sake

Dr Bollmann, Anti-Aging and Skin Care Specialist. CEO of Bare Skin Care, medical grade skin care products.

Especially in this new age of computers, video games and cell phones, it is important not to get too caught up in work or play in front of any electrical device.

I frequently get questions on Quora asking why certain problems occur, when these same individuals are spending up to 20 hours a day hooked to a computer.

Every hour while working, try to get up and walk around, change your vision from near to far, and take some deep breaths.

Such a break may be a simple approach to provide the brain with an opportunity to process new information and optimize memory, according to a study at New York University.

Utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure brain activity, the team found that there was an increase in brain activity between the hippocampus and neo-cortex, two key brain areas involved in memory and processing. 

Subjects who had greater increases in activity between these two areas while resting performed better on associative memory tests than those who had weaker responses.

Resist the urge to work for prolonged periods of time.  A fifteen-minute rest away from the task may help improve learning and memory.

_________________________________________________________________