When all the students tackled the same problems a second time, those who had done a simple, boring task during a break had more creative ideas than those who were assigned a tough cognitive puzzle, those who rested, or those who didn't take a break, says the study, co-authored by Jonathan Schooler, a psychology professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

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She says she can't understand why Ms. Harris doesn't just take a break for a few years and then write more.

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I've worked in the private sector and in every company I've worked, you couldn't take a smoke break paid or not paid.

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