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Comment by capableweb | Hacker News Reader

I agree with the article, but I have also found that taking breaks from a task, such as 'Don't do X,' and allowing my subconscious mind to process the information while I focus on other things, actually improves my performance. Although I cannot fully explain the science behind it, I have noticed that when I return to the task after a few days, it becomes easier to grasp.

For instance, if I want to improve my writing, I would practice writing frequently, but I would also take breaks from writing to let my mind rest and process the information. This way, I can become better at writing more quickly.

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There are two sides to it, giving some habit a break which you built can be a good thing as you mentioned in some context as you get a fresh new look at the habit/hobby/topic after a break but it also could lead to not able to continue with it as you used to.

This definitely is a personality trait and not everyone has this issue but this inherently is why most people end up saying "I used to write 500 words a day but now I barely write 500 words a week". And then they start looking for learning to build new habits all over again...

I fall into that category by the way, short breaks are fine but if I take a long-ish break its really hard for me to go back to it as I now have occupied that time with something else which I struggle giving up.

So for people like me, instead of breaks I have started following this advice I read about building sustainable habits is to do things in moderation. Basically the idea being we tend to start a new habit with a lot enthusiasm which leads us to being overzealous and spend a lot of times some days on it as our creative juices are flowing but these are the things that lead to burnout eventually, so instead we set x amount of time per day for it and not cross that time this way we always have energy to do more, the excess energy of one day can be used to build more anticipation and let your subconscious mind plan for tomorrow as you do other things till the next time comes.

At a macro level, this is the only reason I miss smoking. I used to solve problems during a smoke-break, and there's no compelling way to simulate it (however, I have no regrets about giving that habit up).

I've never smoked. But I get up from my desk and go for a walk when I get stuck and sometimes just when things are going a bit slowly. Occasionally I continue thinking about the problem but mostly I just enjoy the sunshine, the view of the river, etc. Works just the same

I started to smoke because it looked cool. Just like in the movies, in black and white. But in reality I did not look as good, it was expensice and bad for my health and my teeth got yellow. So I thought the only way to solve this is to transport myself into those old movies somehow. I could just be smoking away, looking great.

I have a foam ball. It's bigger than a tennis ball and very light, it's mean to teach children. And it's very cheap!

When I feel saturated and stuck I bounce the ball against the wall. It's so light that doesn't make any sound. It relaxes me and makes me feel refreshed. Give it a try if you work at home.

I am curious if this is related to burnout prevention.

Alternatively studies show that we "learn" from what we did, physically, during the day while we sleep.

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