Take Breaks Between Tasks, Not Mid-Way, to Protect Your Productivity

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Productivity writer Serguey Asael Shinder argues that the best time to take a break is immediately after completing a task, not in the middle of the next one. He explains that transitioning between two pieces of work represents a natural 'seam' where the mental cost of pausing is effectively zero. Once a person is an hour into new work, interrupting that flow carries a much higher cognitive price. Shinder notes that people typically rely on how they feel to decide when to rest, but fatigue is reported late by the body, making instinct an unreliable guide. His advice is to rest at task boundaries deliberately, before starting the next item, rather than waiting until tiredness forces a break.

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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