Why We Could All Benefit from an Extra Midweek Break

When you’re in the middle of a hectic week, it’s essential to pause and take a break. Your mind and body will thank you for it. Sometimes, a break is exactly what the doctor recommends.

When we work or study hard, our brains need to resist the temptation of doom-scrolling or spacing out. The prefrontal cortex is responsible mainly for this kind of acute focus, say researchers Sabine Sonnentag, Laura Venz, and Anne Casper in their study “Advances in Recovery Research: What Have We Learned? What Should Be Done Next?” published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology in 2017 (1). 

When we’re intensely focused, it becomes increasingly challenging to maintain that level of concentration as our brain tires from the effort. Eventually, giving our hardworking brains the chance to recharge is essential.

It is the reason why breaks are crucial. They may seem counterintuitive initially, but taking breaks can help you be more productive than working without stopping. Sonnetag, Venz, and Casper also say that adequate breaks can help reduce stress levels so that you’re ready to re-focus when you finally return to work.

If you grow increasingly frustrated on a worrisome Wednesday despite your efforts to focus, this may be a sign that it’s time to rest your brain and take a well-deserved break.

When You Should Schedule Your Wednesday Break

The timing of your break matters more than you think. Zarah Lyubykh and Duygu Biricik Gulseren write in a feature for the Harvard Business Review in 2023 that shorter breaks are more effective in the morning, while longer breaks are more beneficial in the late afternoon (2).

It makes so much sense, too. As the day progresses, fatigue worsens over the workday, and we need a longer break time in the afternoon to recharge. So, take a quickie breather on Wednesday mornings. Then, slightly extend those precious minutes until after work hours.

What’s with Frogs and Wednesdays?

In a 2018 feature for Technology, Fausta Kepaliene writes that the frog became popular in Wednesday memes in 2014 (3). The meme started with images of the Budgetts frog with the caption, “It is Wednesday, my dudes.”

Upon researching the Budgetts frog, Kepaliene says its characteristics made it an apt mascot for Wednesdays. It’s an intelligent species with a funny, large head and mouth. And, much like us Wednesday warriors, it can adapt well to its environment and survive through various untoward conditions. Frogs are funny, intelligent survivors.

References

1. Sabine Sonnentag, Laura Venz, and Anne Casper. “Advances in Recovery Research: What Have We Learned? What Should Be Done Next?” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, March 22, 2017. | https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000079.
2. Zarah Lyubykh and Duygu Biricik Gulseren. “How to Take Better Breaks at Work, According to Research.” Harvard Business Review, May 31, 2023. | https://hbr.org/2023/05/how-to-take-better-breaks-at-work-according-to-research
3. Fausta Kepaliene. “Wednesday Meme: How a Funny Frog Became an Official Mascot Wednesday.” Technology, June 13, 2018. | https://www.technology.org/how-and-why/wednesday-meme-technology-org/