The 2-Minute Reset to Take Before Every Meeting
Give yourself a psychological buffer zone
Inevitably, it comes for all of us: Sometime during your fifth Zoom meeting of the day, or the third, or even the first, the brain fuzz sets in. Someone’s talking, but you have no idea what they’re saying. “Does anyone have questions?” comes through your speaker. Of course you don’t. You can almost hear yourself hitting a wall.
This kind of short-term burnout may be ubiquitous, but it’s also preventable. In fact, if you’re deliberate about it, just a few minutes can make a world of difference.
Why your brain needs breaks
When it comes to focused attention, your mind has a mind of its own.
Even the most productive people in the world don’t have an endless attention span. “There is a measurable limit to how long people can sit still and listen,” says Beatrice Briggs, director of the International Institute for Facilitation and Change, a meetings-focused consulting firm. And when you hit that limit, your brain will zone out whether or not you’ve given it permission.
“People often think, ‘I don’t have time to take a break,’” Briggs says. “But no, you don’t have time not to take a break.”
