We’ve all been there. Staring at the same problem for hours, running through every possible solution, yet feeling like you’re going in circles. Getting ‘stuck’ on a project is frustrating, but one of the most effective solutions that has worked for me is simply ‘taking a break’.
Why Taking a Break Works
When we’re deeply focused, our brains tend to get locked into one way of thinking. This forces you to try the same approach to a problem and narrows your field of view preventing you from seeing the solution. Taking a break disrupts that pattern, allowing you to work on the problem in the background. Ever noticed how solutions suddenly appear when you’re in the shower or out on a walk? That’s because it gives your mind space to breathe and foster creative problem-solving.
What Kind of Breaks Work Best?
Not all breaks are created equal. Any type of break will help but breaks where your whole attention shifts to a different task work best for me. Here are a few examples that have worked for me:
- Go for a walk – Fresh air, movement, and a change of scenery can reset your mindset.
- Eat something – Taking a break to get some food allows you to accomplish something, gives you energy to come back to the problem, and resets your frame of view.
- Get some rest – More often than not the problem doesn’t seem so large the next morning.
- Work on something different – Shifting focus to a different task entirely has allowed me to think about the issue without the stress of needing to solve the problem. I will use this more often at work when I need to take a break without fully stopping.
Trust the Process
Taking a break isn’t about giving up, it’s about giving yourself a moment to collect yourself. When you return to the problem with fresh eyes, you’ll often see a solution that wasn’t obvious before. So next time you’re stuck, give yourself permission to step away. The best breakthroughs often happen when you’re not forcing them.
