Don't skip it: Why vacations are important for your brain

It's August. So that means there is a lot of room to park in the lots at work, and it's hard to reach people on the phone at work. Vacation in August is just as American as apple pie and baseball. 

But beware the false break. Make sure you have a real one. The summer vacation is more than a quaint tradition. Along with family time, mealtime and weekends, it is an important way that we can make the most of our beautiful brains. ...

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, there’s a reason: The processing capacity of the conscious mind is limited. This is a result of how the brain’s attentional system evolved. 

Article here (thanks, taxprof blog!). 

When does working too much become unhealthy? Do you work too much?

The American economy generally operates on the assumption that the more hours you work, the better an employee you are. But increasingly, researchers and workers themselves are saying that working to the point of burnout can be unhealthy, unproductive, and even dangerous — and some are advocating for large-scale solutions that tackle the problem at its source.

Article here (via taxprof blog). 

Two screens are not better than one (Or how using two screens can lower your productivity).

For years, techies have argued that getting an extra monitor or two for your desktop computer is an especially effective way to increase personal productivity. The logic seemed airtight: Two (or more) computer monitors means more room on your virtual desktop, which means more room to do your work. And more room to work would seem to mean faster work.

 ... But what if we’ve all been duped? What if more monitors and bigger monitors actually detract from, rather than improve, how you work?

From taxprof blog, article here.