Good morning,

If you ask my friends, they’d probably say I’m a pretty laid-back person.

But there was a time when I’d push through everything—whether it was work or life—without ever slowing down. I’d bounce between my little screen (phone) and my big screen (laptop), juggling 20 different tasks, thinking I could keep up with everything. Spoiler alert: I couldn’t. Burnout hit me hard, and it taught me a tough lesson—if you don’t treat your mind with care, you’ll pay the price.

Today, we’re going to explore one of the ways we can do just that.

Here’s what’s in store:

💰 Your focus is money—here’s ways to earn it back
⚡ How to recharge your attention like a pro
🇸🇪 The Swedish secret to productivity

Let’s jump right in.

- Kian Malekanian, co-founder

Our phones have infiltrated our breaks

Focus isn’t an on/off switch — it’s more like a gas tank.

When you start your day, you have a limited bank of “cognitive resources,” kind of like $100 worth of attention. Every task you do — answering emails, tackling projects, even handling interruptions — withdraws from that bank. Answering emails? That’s $10. Powering through that big project? There goes $40. You get the idea.

This theory comes from Dr. Gloria Mark, Professor at UC Irvine and one of the top experts on attention and digital devices. (Don’t take my word for it, read one of her over 200 published articles or her book “Attention Span”).

So, what happens when you run out of cognitive resources and try to keep working? According to Dr. Mark’s research, things start falling apart. Your performance drops, decision-making falters, and filtering out distractions becomes harder. You even start interrupting yourself. Sound familiar?

So, what’s the solution? Turns out, it’s not rocket science — taking a break can refuel your cognitive tank.  Even a quick break can give you some “cash back” on those brain dollars. That’s why you’ll often feel a burst of productivity in the mid-morning and then catch a second wind after lunch.

But here’s the thing: breaks aren’t what they used to be.

Smartphones have become so deeply ingrained in our lives that, even on our breaks, we’re glued to them. What used to be moments to refresh our cognitive resources has turned into more cognitive depletion.

Now, here’s where things get interesting…

It might sound odd (especially coming from our team that’s all about helping you disconnect) but according to Dr. Mark, “rote activities” — like playing Candy Crush or scrolling social media — can actually help recharge your cognitive resources. Mindless activities like these are effortless, relaxing, and offer a quick hit of satisfaction.

But before you reach for your phone, Mark adds a big asterisk: it requires self-regulation. A quick scroll is only helpful if you can avoid getting sucked into longer, attention-draining rabbit holes.

And honestly, I think we’ve all felt both sides of this coin. Sometimes a quick scroll feels like the perfect reset between tasks. Other times? It's like falling into a black hole.

Emails pull you back into work mode. Messages remind you of home tasks. News alerts trigger emotional reactions. Suddenly, your restful break becomes just another source of cognitive depletion.

In fact, research shows that workers often use their work breaks to handle personal tasks or fulfill home duties. One study even found that work breaks are less likely to involve leisure and more likely to be used for work or maintenance tasks compared to other types of waiting time, like when you’re in public or at home.

Moreover, while phone breaks may be restorative, they fall short of the benefits offered by non-digital breaks. A study of 425 office workers found that smartphone breaks did boost energy and reduce emotional exhaustion — but not as much as non-digital breaks like taking a walk. In another study, participants who took a break on their phones during a mentally challenging task performed worse afterward compared to those who took breaks using non-digital activities.

So, what’s the verdict? If you can dive into a 10-minute game of Candy Crush, resist getting sucked in longer (no easy task), and somehow avoid the minefield of emails, news, and tasks (even harder), then maybe that works for you — everyone’s different, and you’re the best judge of that. But even then, a break without your phone is probably more restorative.

The important takeaway is this: take breaks. Make time for them. Incorporate them into your plan for the day. Create blank spaces between the noise of your task-filled day (no phone will help a lot with this). 

Pushing yourself without them is like driving a car with no gas—eventually, you're going to sputter out.

Think about how elite athletes structure their training. They don’t just train nonstop—they know when to push and, just as importantly, when to rest. They understand that without recovery, they risk injury.

Maybe it’s time we start giving our brains the same luxury.

ONE BIG STUDY

The best break is nature

The study: A 2019 study published in Frontiers in Psychology explored how spending time in nature, even for as little as 20 minutes, can significantly leave us refreshed.

Breaking it down: Researchers looked at what they called a "nature pill" — essentially prescribing time in nature to reduce stress. 

• They measured levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone, before and after participants spent time outdoors in a natural environment, at least three times per week.
  

• The key was allowing participants to experience nature in a relaxed way, with no strenuous exercise or major distractions (like phones!).

The result? Just 20 minutes in nature led to a significant reduction in stress. And while more time outdoors was helpful, the most efficient reduction in cortisol happened within that first half-hour. Beyond that, the benefits started to level off.

Why this matters: The "nature pill" is a simple, effective way to reduce stress without any fancy equipment or apps. And experts, including Dr. Gloria Mark, recommend it as the most powerful way to recharge your mental resources.

TIPS & TRICKS

How to take breaks like a pro

I’ve used up quite a bit of my cognitive resources this past week learning about the best ways to take a break. So here are some practical tips to help you recharge effectively:

1. Take a walk in nature. Seriously, it does wonders. And it’s not just the study I mentioned earlier— there’s plenty of research pointing to the same benefits. I live in the city so I try to find a park nearby. Sitting at a bench and just being in the park is a good start. If you’ve got easy access to nature, I’m jealous—take advantage of it!

2. Remove demanding tasks from your breaks. For your breaks to really count, you’ve got to keep them free of things that drain your cognitive resources. That means no emails. I’ve made emails an absolute no-go during my breaks, and it’s been a game changer. Phones like the iPhone have a focus option, to kill notifications. Try it during your next break, or better yet, leave your phone behind while you take your break.

3. Incorporate rote activities. As Dr. Mark’s research points out, simple activities that engage you but don’t take much effort are great for restoring your cognitive resources. We’ve talked about Candy Crush and scrolling through Facebook, but there are plenty of phone-free options too: knitting, a quick game of solitaire, tidying up, or doing a crossword puzzle.

4. Try stretching, yoga, or meditation. Mindfulness practices like these can help you reset both mentally and physically. They also foster forethought, helping you approach the next task with more clarity and intention.

RESOURCE & RECOMMENDATIONS

• Turns out, the Swedes have been onto something for ages. Their secret? Fika—this simple tradition has been helping them stay relaxed and productive for years. [ELVTR]

• If I didn’t completely dissuade you from phone-based rote activities, this puzzle game is the one Dr. Mark personally recommends to recharge.

• Speaking of Gloria Mark, I really can’t recommend her book enough, but if that’s too much, here’s a great podcast interview with her.

• Need an excuse to take more breaks? This app locks your apps and then encourages you to walk in order to unlock them

• Here’s a helpful guide for managers — or anyone who has employees or those who report to them — on how to integrate breaks into work. [HBR]

COMMUNITY CORNER

Would you ever consider a dumbphone?

Last edition, we asked readers if they would ever consider buying a dumbphone. Surprisingly, no one responded with “not a chance.”

Kian: I’d say I fall with the “want to make my phone more dumb” group. As I’ve stripped away features (making it dumber), my use with my phone has definitely become smarter.

I’ve got to say: it’s refreshing to see how many of you are open to the idea of stepping away. When Geoff and I started this, we weren’t sure how many others were fed up with the ways phones are taking over our lives. Turns out, we’re not alone and it’s giving us more fuel to keep digging for smarter strategies to share with you.