Imagine having to consume a ladle of Jollof (your favorite meal). Mmm! This is so delicious! Now, imagine having to consume a bowl of it. That will as well feel very delicious and satisfying. But would that necessarily be twice as satisfying and delicious as having two extra bowls of Jollof to consume?
What if you have ten bowls to consume? Surely, you will have to painfully push yourself to the limit to consume it but you will never feel the same level of satisfaction as felt in the first two ladles. Why is it so? Simply because appetite for food has a diminishing return – the more you eat the more your taste/appetite quenches. And the more you keep on adding on to the food in your belly, not only does your belly tire out but also causing each additional spoon becoming more tasteless and less satisfying.
Most works in these modern times which are brain-intensive work the same way. Just like appetite, your brain also tires out. We usually conceptualize work as a ‘linear function’ – where we think the number of hours you input is directly proportional to the productive output created. However, this is not the case just as it isn’t with over-eating your favorite food.
You, therefore, don’t have to work twice as much to produce twice as much result. It’s worth noting that continuous brain drain without rest gets efficiency diminished as fatigue sets in. ‘Negative returns’ may even set in when the brain’s overburden causes you to make mistakes, which need more time and or resources to rectify.
Back to your favorite Jollof .Lolx. How about consuming a bowl of it once each month? Would you ever be obsessed and tired with it at all? It’s therefore prudent to spot your most effective hours and work your ass out then.
As said by Hiral Nagda,
“Sometimes doing nothing makes way for everything.”
You have to learn to take rests while on your works. This can distract your brain away from problem-solving and in turn, makes your brain refreshed and ready to become far more effective upon returning to work.
Learn to take a break!
Peace!