The eight hour workday became the norm after the Ford Motor Company found that number resulted in maximum productivity at its factories. But there is a major problem with this: the idea of an eight-hour day with a short lunch break is based on the most effective formula for physical labor, not mental work and certainly not creative mental work. One of the best ways to recharge is to engage in something different.

自從福特汽車公司發現員工每天工作八小時效率最高，八小時就成了標準工作時間。但是問題在于：每天工作八小時，中午休息一段時間是針對體力勞動提出的，對于腦力勞動或者創造性要求高的腦力勞動是不適用的。讓大腦恢復活力的最好方法就是做不同的事情。

Here are five other ways to give your brain a break during your workday:

下面這五種方法教你在工作日放松大腦：

1. Take a moment to do something you love. Take advantage of what’s at or near your office. Being fully engaged in an activity lifts the mood and contributes to feelings of overall well-being.

1. 花一些時間做你喜歡做的事。充分利用辦公室里或者周圍能讓你感興趣的東西。全身心地投入到能讓你心情愉悅、感覺良好的活動中。

2. Get in touch with nature. Being outside activates different brain regions than sitting inside, as most of us do for the majority of our workday. Simple ways to incorporate nature include taking a walk in a nearby park or regularly having lunch outside.

2. 享受大自然。上班時間，我們幾乎都坐在室內，但是戶外活動能使其他一些大腦區域活躍起來。融入自然最簡單的方法就是在附近的公園散步或者在戶外吃午餐。

3. Be physically active. Company-sponsored yoga classes and in-office gyms are becoming increasingly common, with good reason. Exercise is good for our brains. If you can’t get in a full workout, don’t fret: stretching for five minutes or even using a standing desk makes small changes that can spur creativity and recharge your batteries.

3. 活躍身體。公司資助的瑜伽課以及辦公室內的健身操越來越普遍，這是個好現象。運動對大腦有好處。如果你不能完成一整套健身操，不要擔心，花個五分鐘伸展身體或者利用寫字臺做一些刺激大腦創造力的運動，給你的大腦充充電。

4. Nap. I’ll admit that this is the hardest to do in a typical office environment, but if you can find a way, the benefits are huge. Some offices actually have sleeping pods, but for those that don’t, slip out into your car for a power nap. Much of what happens in the brain while we sleep is still unknown, but what is certain is that people perform better in terms of memory and concentration after a nap.

4. 小憩。我必須承認在辦公室里很難做到這一點。但是你總能找到辦法，小睡的好處是巨大的。一些辦公室會提供睡覺的吊床，如果沒有，去你的車里睡吧。我們還不了解睡眠時大腦所有的活動，但是可以確定的是，睡覺之后人們的記憶力更好和注意力更集中。

5. Do nothing. If a snooze isn’t possible, then simply sit in a quiet place and allow yourself to relax for ten minutes. Just as when sleeping, important mental processes occur when we daydream.

5.什么都不做。如果無法小睡的話，就找個安靜的地方放松十分鐘吧。和睡眠一樣，做白日夢時大腦也會進行一些重要調整。

Brain breaks can make a big difference in your ability to be productive, creative, and innovative. The paradox is that doing less often allows you to do more.

讓大腦休息一下對你的工作效率、創造力、創新能力都會有所幫助，有時候少做一點事情是為了之后能夠做得更多。

The eight hour workday became the norm after the Ford Motor Company found that number resulted in maximum productivity at its factories. But there is a major problem with this: the idea of an eight-hour day with a short lunch break is based on the most effective formula for physical labor, not mental work and certainly not creative mental work. One of the best ways to recharge is to engage in something different.

自從福特汽車公司發現員工每天工作八小時效率最高，八小時就成了標準工作時間。但是問題在于：每天工作八小時，中午休息一段時間是針對體力勞動提出的，對于腦力勞動或者創造性要求高的腦力勞動是不適用的。讓大腦恢復活力的最好方法就是做不同的事情。

Here are five other ways to give your brain a break during your workday:

下面這五種方法教你在工作日放松大腦：

1. Take a moment to do something you love. Take advantage of what’s at or near your office. Being fully engaged in an activity lifts the mood and contributes to feelings of overall well-being.

1. 花一些時間做你喜歡做的事。充分利用辦公室里或者周圍能讓你感興趣的東西。全身心地投入到能讓你心情愉悅、感覺良好的活動中。

2. Get in touch with nature. Being outside activates different brain regions than sitting inside, as most of us do for the majority of our workday. Simple ways to incorporate nature include taking a walk in a nearby park or regularly having lunch outside.

2. 享受大自然。上班時間，我們幾乎都坐在室內，但是戶外活動能使其他一些大腦區域活躍起來。融入自然最簡單的方法就是在附近的公園散步或者在戶外吃午餐。

3. Be physically active. Company-sponsored yoga classes and in-office gyms are becoming increasingly common, with good reason. Exercise is good for our brains. If you can’t get in a full workout, don’t fret: stretching for five minutes or even using a standing desk makes small changes that can spur creativity and recharge your batteries.

3. 活躍身體。公司資助的瑜伽課以及辦公室內的健身操越來越普遍，這是個好現象。運動對大腦有好處。如果你不能完成一整套健身操，不要擔心，花個五分鐘伸展身體或者利用寫字臺做一些刺激大腦創造力的運動，給你的大腦充充電。

4. Nap. I’ll admit that this is the hardest to do in a typical office environment, but if you can find a way, the benefits are huge. Some offices actually have sleeping pods, but for those that don’t, slip out into your car for a power nap. Much of what happens in the brain while we sleep is still unknown, but what is certain is that people perform better in terms of memory and concentration after a nap.

4. 小憩。我必須承認在辦公室里很難做到這一點。但是你總能找到辦法，小睡的好處是巨大的。一些辦公室會提供睡覺的吊床，如果沒有，去你的車里睡吧。我們還不了解睡眠時大腦所有的活動，但是可以確定的是，睡覺之后人們的記憶力更好和注意力更集中。

5. Do nothing. If a snooze isn’t possible, then simply sit in a quiet place and allow yourself to relax for ten minutes. Just as when sleeping, important mental processes occur when we daydream.

5.什么都不做。如果無法小睡的話，就找個安靜的地方放松十分鐘吧。和睡眠一樣，做白日夢時大腦也會進行一些重要調整。

Brain breaks can make a big difference in your ability to be productive, creative, and innovative. The paradox is that doing less often allows you to do more.

讓大腦休息一下對你的工作效率、創造力、創新能力都會有所幫助，有時候少做一點事情是為了之后能夠做得更多。