3 Easy Ways to Get a Sharper Brain Right Now, According to Experts

When your brain is constantly in overdrive, it’s easy to feel burnt out. You start to feel drained, foggy, and sometimes the simplest task just feels like too much. This happens to the best of us, but it doesn’t have to.

The key to reclaiming mental sharpness at any time of the day, no matter where you are or how packed your to-do list is, is knowing how to give it a rest and reboot.

Ideally, the brain functions and focuses on deeper-level thinking for about 90 to 120 minutes at a time, then benefits from about 20 minutes of rest so it can refuel, explains Julie Fratantoni, Ph.D., a cognitive neuroscientist in Texas, adding that “Attention is a finite resource, so we have to protect it.”

Here are three expert-approved tricks you can try today to get a sharper brain.

Meet the experts: Julie Fratantoni, Ph.D., a cognitive neuroscientist in Texas; Kristin Schneider, Ph.D., a professor and associate dean of research in the Department of Psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

Look Out the Window

Or walk to a different room—any change of scenery can help your brain chill out. When the brain’s sympathetic nervous system is stressed by long discussions or overwhelming deadlines, our biology has us wired to freeze, flee, or fight—but looking out the window or even at a picture is basically a stress relief trick, as it helps your brain realize it’s safe so that it can get out of stress mode and return to normal functioning, Fratantoni says. You can even employ this brain reset in the middle of a meeting or group dinner—simply use your peripheral vision to look sideways and calm your nervous system.

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Take 5-Minute Breaks

Aim to take a five-minute break five times throughout the day. This doesn’t sound like much time, but it’s just enough to help the brain reboot and refocus. “It’s amazing how quickly our brains can recharge,” Fratantoni says. Be sure to avoid social media, checking email, or anything “productive,” as these tasks still require your brain to filter and process information—which isn’t giving it the cognitive nap that it needs.

Split Up Your To-Do List

Relying on marathon productivity sessions to complete daily tasks—work, cleaning, exercising, meal prep—isn’t a method that works for everyone. So if you’re someone who runs out of gas, try the Pomodoro Technique, created by time-management expert Francesco Cirillo. Here’s how to do it: Set a timer for 25 to 50 minutes, then take a short break. Repeat four times, then take an extended break.

“You’ll be more productive than if you’re continuously ‘on,’” says Kristin Schneider, Ph.D., a professor and associate dean of research in the Department of Psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Your brain is busy—help it out!

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