Meditate—Meditation is one of the most effective breaks—and micro-breaks—of all.6 Check out material from UCLA (http://marc.ucla.edu/mindful-meditations), which offers guided meditations as short as three minutes. Controlled breathing—Have forty-five seconds? Then, as the New York Times explains: “Take a deep breath, expanding your belly. Pause. Exhale slowly to the count of five. Repeat four times.”7 It’s called controlled breathing, and it can tamp your stress hormones, sharpen your thinking, and maybe even boost your immune system—all in under a minute. Lighten up—Listen to a comedy
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