Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1093246
78 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2019 ing the Door himself when it was time to leave, he exclaimed, "You know, it's such a beautiful day that I think I'll walk." The Importance of Work Breaks When I read that story as a boy, I couldn't believe how dumb it sounded. It seemed to me that even if there was technology that could someday transport you like the "Doors" in the story, no one would ever favor it over the sheer joy of being in the great outdoors. The "Door" would certainly be a great time saver, but in the end, people would always prefer the natural beauty around them instead of being enslaved by technology. That thought abruptly came back to me the other day when I was walking down the sidewalk and got shoulder slammed by some- one whose attention was on their smartphone instead of looking where they were going. It made me realize that the very scenario I had scoffed at in junior high was now being played out in everyday life. This got me to thinking about other similar scenarios as well. How many times have parents taken electronic entertainment away from their kids only to be greeted with screams of anguish exclaiming, "What will I do now? I'm so bored!" As adults, we aren't much better when you consider just how easy it is to immerse ourselves in technol- ogy whether for work or entertainment. Typically, I espouse the virtues of technol- ogy, which shouldn't be too surprising in a publication like this; I am a great fan of exploring new ways to leverage technology in our lives. But in an unusual reversal of my regular opinion, I'm suggesting that maybe we shouldn't be afraid to take a step back from all of this technology. For those of us who design PCBs all day long, getting ourselves caught up in and even lost in all of this technology can be a very easy thing to do. I've known many designers who have worked long hours and not realized how much time had passed. You may remember the story I told in my column two months ago where I went back to work after a swim party to check on something, and without realizing it, ended up working the entire night through. I was extremely surprised to find that night had turned into morning, and people were showing up for work. It was made more embarrassing because I was only wearing a swimsuit and flip-flops, which wasn't exactly acceptable office attire even in Oregon. I say all of this to myself just as much as I do to anyone else—take a break. You aren't at your best if you are exhausted, and you aren't doing your body any favors either. I recently read an article [1] that reported move- ment breaks are essential for your health and can also help prevent decision fatigue. Taking a break can also restore motivation, increase productivity and creativity, and help consoli- date memories and improve learning. So, take a break; put away the technology and refresh yourselves from time to time. Set an Example In the story, Richard is a young man who learns the value of stepping outside and taking a break. With this month's issue focusing on the youth of our industry, I hope that they also learn the value of taking a break in addition to all of the other education, training, and prac - tical experience that fledgling PCB designers must acquire. Too many times, we've heard about young people burning out and dropping out of technical programs and careers because they've become overloaded to the breaking point. This doesn't only happen to young peo - ple; all of us could learn from young Richard and learn to take better breaks. I also strongly believe that those of you who are responsible for new designers in our industry must insist Taking a break can also restore motivation, increase productivity and creativity, and help consolidate memories and improve learning.