It’s been a big week for royal baby news. First we found out that Meghan Markle gave birth to a healthy baby boy from a gushing Prince Harry,and now we know the full name of the newest member of the royal family: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. We’ve also been treated to our first glimpses of the little one with his debut photos. And if you’re having trouble concentrating at work because you’re tempted to scroll through pictures of Meghan and Harry’s bundle of joy, there’s actually a scientific reason why you should (temporarily) give in.
Taking cognitive micro-breaks at work has been proven to give your brain a moment of pause and fun — and they can actually improve your job performance, according to a 2018 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology. That’s why a brief trip to the water cooler, a chat with a coworker, or a look at the family photo on your desk all help you come back to your work feeling refreshed.
New research from the University of Oslo has also found that looking at infantile “cute” attributes evokes heartwarming, joyful, and touching feelings. That explains why so many people are experiencing little bursts of joy today as they look at the new photos of Archie — and why, if you’re one of them, you can then return to work and experience improved performance.
In other words, don’t feel guilty about taking a few minutes to look at the pictures of Archie today — you’ll be more focused for the rest of the workday.
Follow us here and subscribe here for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.
Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington here.