Research library
Method
Active Recovery
Kaplan; Huberman
Brief restorative breaks rebuild attention better than scrolling.
Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1989) proposes that exposure to softly fascinating environments (nature, slow movement, eye rest) restores directed attention. Phone scrolling does the opposite.
What the research shows
Berman, Jonides, Kaplan (2008) showed a 50 minute walk in nature improved working memory performance versus an urban walk of equal duration.
Where evidence is weaker
Effect sizes from short office breaks are smaller than the headlines suggest. Five minutes is real but modest.
How Focus Capsule applies it
The recovery library offers 5, 10, and 20 minute routines. Rest debt tracks how much focus time you have spent without a recovery and nudges you when the ratio drifts.