---
title: Micro-Breaks Every Hour Prevent Decision Fatigue
date: 2025-08-28T04:01:42.295289
author: Charlie M.
category: SIGNAL
---
So, I'm sitting here, wondering if I should get up and make another cup of coffee. It’s close to noon, and the sun’s barely creeping through the window, kind of judging me for staying in this chair since, well, breakfast. I’ve read somewhere that sunlight is supposed to boost mood or something. And there was that one time I deleted all my apps to stop scrolling aimlessly, thinking it would help, but who am I kidding—I'm still here, tethered to this screen, trying to decide if this paragraph makes sense.
Anyway, the other day, I stumbled across this thing about micro-breaks. The idea is you take a five-minute break every hour, and bam, decision fatigue is supposedly prevented. But is that really how it works? I mean, decision fatigue is like this sneaky beast that's lurking every time I try to choose between work tasks and which Netflix series to binge next. I think there was some study—maybe Harvard, or Yale—about how making too many choices wears your brain out. And apparently, it doesn't matter if you're picking between two shirts or two life partners. Your brain's like, "Nah, I'm done."
I guess the research says that these tiny breaks can somehow restore our cognitive...something. Capacity, maybe? I don't have the specifics, but it’s about giving your brain a reset. Like, you take a few minutes, breathe, and then you're supposed to be able to decide things again, with more clarity. Or maybe less confusion. There's a difference, right?
And speaking of breaks, I tried this thing a couple months ago, set a timer and everything. I remember feeling rebellious, sneaking away from my desk, like a kid avoiding homework. But then I’d wonder—if I'm constantly interrupting myself, am I really being productive? Do five minutes an hour actually make a dent, or am I just fooling myself into thinking I'm getting smarter or more efficient or whatever? Who knows. Maybe it's just another thing that sounds good on paper, like working out every day but, well, we all know how that goes.
I’m still torn. Like, if I'm in the zone, I don't want to stop every sixty minutes and potentially break the magic flow. But then again, maybe I'm just thinking I'm in the zone when really, I'm just stuck in a mental loop. What if these breaks actually break the loop? Or maybe they just give me an excuse to check Instagram without the guilt.
It’s confusing. But the idea keeps buzzing around—these micro-breaks could be this secret ingredient in maintaining decision quality. Or maybe it’s just another thing I’ll try for a week and forget about, like that weird kale smoothie phase. Anyway, I should probably just try it and see where it goes. If anything, it’s an excuse to not think about coffee for another five minutes. Or maybe that’s just the caffeine talking.