Most of us have trouble unplugging from e-mail and social media when not at work. Perhaps we feel a great deal of internal and external pressure to remain accessible to colleagues, bosses, customers and clients. This article by Daniel Levitin explains why our brains need breaks and how to take them so that we can rest and be more productive too.

And this is a good time to mention that I’ll be on vacation from August 25-September 8. I’ve set a goal to (mostly) unplug. Wish me luck!