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[Cigarette breaks (without the cigarette) - DEV Community](https://dev.to/realgalego/cigarette-breaks-without-the-cigarette-3gb7?ref=dailydev)

# [Cigarette breaks (without the cigarette) - DEV CommunityClose](https://dev.to/realgalego/cigarette-breaks-without-the-cigarette-3gb7?ref=dailydev)

See also [[Bookmarks/Management and Work related/Work smarter, work slower\|Work smarter, work slower]], [[Bookmarks/Ideas and Theories/Move Slow and Fix Things\|Move Slow and Fix Things]] and [[Bookmarks/Health, Mind and so on/Sleep on it How the brain processes many experiences — even when ‘offline’\|Sleep on it How the brain processes many experiences — even when ‘offline’]]

A typical smoker will probably take 3-8 cigarette breaks from work to be outside for 5 minutes. This is highly beneficial, except for the cigarette part.

A break from work to be outside will allow you brain, breath, and posture to take a break from the grind. All of this should increase your well-being, focus, productivity and all that good stuff we care about.

I know that you've had the experience of not being able to solve a problem during your entire work day, only to step in to the shower and have the solution popping up in your head. This happens because of two things, because you allow your brain to catch up and do some async processing, and because you change you physical location.

What I'm advocating here is stupidly simple. Take a cigarette break. Cigarettes force you to be outside, and not have a hand available for typing. This forces you to not take your work (keyboard) with you, and to do a simple breathing exercise (smoking) while looking at something that is NOT work.

This comes at a cost, the cigarette, which I don't smoke (and neither should you).

So you remove the cigarette. The problem is, now that you're outside, have both hands free, and nowhere to focus, you will gravitate towards your phone.

So, remove the phone. Now you have nothing, which can be uncomfortable and you'll worry about looking like a psychopath.

Which leads us to the final recommendation. Take an object that requires little to no focus, that will keep your hands busy and your mind free for five minutes. Coffee or tea are good options, they will take some 5 minutes to ingest. Water or other drink also works. Maybe a fidget spinner or something like that could also do the trick?

And that's it. A 5 minute break, to do or consume something mindlessly, without taking your phone. Just looking at the horizon, the city, cars, people, nature, whatever. You HAVE to be outside (or at least a place physically separated from work), and you should do it 3-8 times a day.

You will move faster and not break your brain.

Godspeed
