Four calls in a row, no gaps. By the last one you're nodding along without hearing a word, and the day isn't over.
What's happening
Without a break, the tension from one meeting carries straight into the next one, and it stacks. Short breaks help more than people expect. A 2022 review of studies by Patricia Albulescu and colleagues found that micro-breaks of ten minutes or less boosted energy and reduced fatigue.
The tool: the five-minute gap
Set your calendar to end meetings five minutes early by default (most calendars call this "speedy meetings").
In the gap, stand up and look out of a window.
Reach your arms overhead and roll your shoulders back a few times.
Drink a glass of water before the next call.
When to use it
Between every pair of meetings. Protect the gap the way you'd protect the meeting itself.
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