Back-to-back meetings are your brain’s enemy. Research shows that your brain needs a 10-min break between meetings to absorb and retain information and mentally pivot to the next task.
You brain works differently when you take breaks.
I schedule a lot of meetings for myself and my clients. I’m often flooded with requests but limited on available time slots, challenging me to play a game I call Scheduling Tetris. As an advocate for work-life wellness, I try my hardest not to book meetings back-to-back. But it wasn’t until I read a post by Josh Hammonds, PhD, Communication and Leadership Expert on LinkedIn, that I learned the science behind the 10-minute break.
A study from Microsoft has resurfaced and is reminding us that the brain needs to reset between meetings.
This study shows the negative effects of scheduling back-to-back meetings
The study: Using EEG caps to detect brain wave activity and stress detection, the experiment had 2 groups of participants sit through 4 meetings back-to-back, with one group allowing 10-minute breaks in between each meeting. The data showed that the group who took breaks experienced a reset in brain stress activity. To ensure clean data, the downtime activity for each group was meditation.
Scientists concluded that the transition from one meeting’s agenda to the next compounded the stress of the employees as they were forced to switch and think about new challenges before they had mentally closed the loop on the challenges they were currently facing. High levels of brain stress activity can negatively impair memory formation and retention, which can lead to unproductive meetings – the ones where everyone is talking in circles.
The transition between meetings can be a source of stress
This study confirms numerous other studies that show how stress is involved in task-switching. Think of multitasking but with entire topics or groups of information. Even if you pride yourself on being “good under pressure,” your brain needs closure on one topic before advancing to another. That’s science and it’s just how your brain works. And because we often think ahead to the next topic minutes before it happens, sitting through back-to-back meetings can cause stress from a lack of closure compounded with the anticipation of future uncertainties of a new agenda. Whew. Deep breaths.
It’s the anticipatory dread of knowing that one meeting is coming to a close and that you have another right after it, that causes stress levels to rise. When they rise without a break to reset, you’re on high alert and unable to use a transition for what’s it for: to rest your brain in preparation for what’s next.
Productivity can mask exhaustion
We are not being efficient when we book meetings back-to-back. The energy and quality of discussion suffers with each meeting when we don’t take breaks. And we wonder why burnout is at an all-time high?
4 tips for more mindful and productive meetings
1. Meetings need an agenda
Clarity can alleviate stress and help keep things on schedule. An agenda helps reduce uncertainty and manage expectations so that your team can focus on what’s being discussed, not on what they’re hoping will be discussed. Most times you won’t get through every item on your list, so it’s important to place those items in a “parking lot” with a date to follow up. Consider whether those parked items can be followed up via email or whatever project management software your company uses. Do you really need to schedule another meeting?
2. Meetings need a moderator
A designated moderator can watch the clock, set timers for scheduled round robin sharing, refocus the discussion on the agenda and read out actions at the end of the meeting. I suggest having someone else take notes so that the moderator can focus on keeping the meeting on track and ending on time.
3. Meetings need closure
Your brain does not shut off when a meeting ends. It needs closure and clearly articulated next steps before it can move on to the next task. Leave at least 5-minutes before the meeting is over to summarize what has been said and to develop an action plan. It’s also helpful to acknowledge what items have been parked and briefly discuss how those items will be addressed. If you find that you’re always pushing meetings to the last minute, revisit the agenda. Chances are some things can be parked for future follow-ups.
4. Meetings need a 10-min break
Even if you’ve followed tips 1, 2 and 3 perfectly, your brain will still need that 10-minute buffer before the next meeting. Use those 10 minutes to allow lingering thoughts to settle, to take a walk or grab a bite or even better…to push back from the screen and close your eyes (set a timer!).
Outlook has a new feature
Did you know that Outlook now has an option to make all of your meetings shorter? You can adjust your settings to make all 60-minute meetings 50 minutes long instead.
The takeaway: End meetings 10 minutes before the hour. Hard stop.
Use the break for you and your team to: Go for a walk. Grab a bite. Clear your head. Reset.
Breaks between meetings will help you and your team feel more restored, more creative, and more productive. That’s a win-win for you and your company!
For more information on including yoga and meditation breaks at work, contact me here.