MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Let Your Mind Wander

When my family went on vacation this April, we all needed the break — kind of desperately. The kids were tightly wound from school and activities. Everyone was having trouble sleeping. I was even starting to worry about short-term memory loss. On our way out the door, I realized I had forgotten my daughter’s medicine. After 10 minutes of retracing my steps, I discovered that I had inadvertently stashed it in our kitchen junk drawer, maybe while fishing for a pen. It’s hard to say.

We’re familiar with the costs of burnout: Energy, motivation, productivity, engagement, and commitment can all take a hit, at work and at home. And many of the fixes are fairly intuitive: Regularly unplug. Reduce unnecessary meetings. Exercise. Schedule small breaks during the day. Take vacations even if you think you can’t afford to be away from work, because you can’t afford not to be away now and then.