I’ve held lectures for company executives where I urge them to let their employees sleep for 20 minutes around 2 PM. It is normally met with a smile and a shrug, but I’m one hundred per cent serious. And if that’s not possible, there is a lot to be gained by a short afternoon nap. Many of us know the “key drop” sleep, where you simply sit back with a key or a pen in your hand, and sleep until the hand relaxes and you drop the keys. But remember not to sleep too late in the day, as it might affect your night sleep, says Veddegjærde. 

The power nap gives the mind time to reset and gives you a higher level of concentration for the following two hours. Overall, sleep is one of the most important factors influencing our health, she says.

Constant lack of sleep is associated with a higher risk of depression, infectious diseases, Alzheimer, anxiety and even cancer.

Let the screen rest

If anyone still thinks that taking fifteen minutes scrolling through social media or news apps equals relaxation, think again. 

The smartphone supplies our brain with small, easily accessible doses of dopamine all the time. It becomes an addiction. It is the opposite of rest. But the good news is, this addiction is reversible. It is never too late in life for the brain to generate new brain cells, but in order to do that, it needs a combination of rest and activity. The smartphone makes us passive recipients, Veddegjærde says.