Numerous surveys of American workers show they rarely take time off for vacations, and when they do, they’re constantly checking email and texts from work anyway. This is a great way to burn out your brain. One study showed that people who took off one day per week—one day without any work-related tasks—ended up being more productive overall than those who didn’t. Not surprisingly, they also re- ported feeling less stressed. One researcher analyzing data from several studies found that idleness—not having to do anything work-related—helped the brain process information, make new connections, and even understand ourselves and other people better (one benefit of idleness is introspection). We also solve problems and remember things better if we take real breaks from work.