Overwork kills your creativity because an idle brain is anything but idle. When you take time to rest, your Default Network lights up, connecting pieces of your brain that don’t usually talk to one another. The result is often bursts of inspiration and creativity.

In the 2007 film “Music and Lyrics,” an absent-minded lyricist played by Drew Barrymore drives her high-strung musical partner a little crazy by insisting that they take breaks throughout the day. Each time they take a walk or run out for food, however, the lyrics come to her as if by magic.

Sometimes, as an editor, I identify with her character. I receive articles that I know can be great, but that read terribly. Often the elements are there, but intense restructuring is a prerequisite for enjoyable consumption. Reading it through gets all the pieces floating about in my mind, but knowing exactly which element should slice in where requires my subconscious to do some background work. While I’m thinking of something entirely different, I’ll realize I know exactly what to do.

It isn’t magic, it’s science

Overwork kills your creativity because an idle brain is anything but idle. When you take time to rest, your Default Network lights up, connecting pieces of your brain that don’t usually talk to one another. The result is often bursts of inspiration and creativity.

What’s the ideal time frame for focused work? Tony Schwartz, author of The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, advises 90-minute sessions punctuated by meaningful breaks. As a nation, we are not following this advice.

Not only are many of us skipping much needed breaks, we are often overworking to the point of exhaustion. Taking time to revamp, refresh, and relax is just as important to success as a motivated work ethic. Here are four more reasons to log off and tune out of work on a regular basis.

1. Overwork causes mistakes

Theresa Brown is a registered nurse. After working a twelve-hour shift, she was tasked with delivering chemotherapy and accidentally administered only half the medication. The patient was fine, but Brown is all too aware of the mistakes possible under the strain of overwork. The link between overwork and hospital mistakes that cost lives have been made over and over again, leading to calls to provide better support for nurses and ensure they are well-rested at work.

Most of us aren’t in danger of making life-and-death mistakes, but we should still heed the lessons learned. People who are overworked are not operating at their best. When you’re nearing your limit, but pushing yourself to finish one last task, ask yourself: would you rather do this now, or do it right?

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