Dawn to dusk workaholics are not as productive as they boast. Like a muscle, the thinking brain needs recovery time, and it’s important to appreciate its limits.Whatever you are doing, your brain is whirring in one of three gears; each one has a unique firing pattern that puts different demands on its circuitry.
When something catches our attention, the watching system known as the “salience” network kicks in, firing in short pulses and readying us to take action. This intense state of alertness can be maintained for only a short time before reaction times nosedive.
When we concentrate, the “central executive” network takes over—the brain’s bulky frontal regions crackling like lightning as we analyze and solve problems. Continuous concentration can be maintained for a maximum of about 80 minutes before brain networks start to get sluggish.
When we disengage fully from work, the mind freewheels to a wandering state, controlled by a group of brain cells called the “default mode” network. Only in this relaxed state can the brain’s other systems start to rebuild their reserves.
If you can’t take a proper break, do a task that calls for a different kind of thinking—although not as beneficial as switching off entirely, this will buy you a little more time before your weary brain cells give up the ghost.
This graphic shows how long you can perform different types of work before performance drops. A “mixed” task, such as cooking, which uses all three brain networks at different times, can be sustained for longest.