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.

自从福特汽车公司发现员工每天工作八小时效率最高，八小时就成了标准工作时间。但是问题在于：每天工作八小时，中午休息一段时间是针对体力劳动提出的，对于脑力劳动或者创造性要求高的脑力劳动是不适用的。让大脑恢复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:

下面这五种方法教你在工作日放松大脑：

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. 花一些时间做你喜欢做的事。充分利用办公室里或者周围能让你感兴趣的东西。全身心地投入到能让你心情愉悦、感觉良好的活动中。

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。上班时间，我们几乎都坐在室内，但是户外活动能使其他一些大脑区域活跃起来。融入自然最简单的方法就是在附近的公园散步或者在户外吃午餐。

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. 活跃身体。公司资助的瑜伽课以及办公室内的健身操越来越普遍，这是个好现象。运动对大脑有好处。如果你不能完成一整套健身操，不要担心，花个五分钟伸展身体或者利用写字台做一些刺激大脑创造力的运动，给你的大脑充充电。

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。我必须承认在办公室里很难做到这一点。但是你总能找到办法，小睡的好处是巨大的。一些办公室会提供睡觉的吊床，如果没有，去你的车里睡吧。我们还不了解睡眠时大脑所有的活动，但是可以确定的是，睡觉之后人们的记忆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。如果无法小睡的话，就找个安静的地方放松十分钟吧。和睡眠一样，做白日梦时大脑也会进行一些重要调整。

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.

让大脑休息一下对你的工作效率、创造力、创新能力都会有所帮助，有时候少做一点事情是为了之后能够做得更多。