Get busy doing nothing

If your boss discovers you nodding off at work, don't worry — just tell them that you're doing them a favour because napping is, in fact, the secret to greater productivity.

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This may sound counterintuitive, yet according to cutting-edge neuroscience, naps, hourly breaks and plenty of time to daydream are a few of the best things you can do for your brain.

"We've got the whole dichotomy of work and rest totally wrong," says neuroscientist Dr Joseph Jebelli, author of the new book The Brain At Rest. "Rest isn't a luxury. It isn’t downtime. We need to get out of this mentality of thinking that rest and work are at odds with each other. Rest will help you with long-term productivity."

In 2001, the neurologist Marcus Raichle discovered the brain's "default network", regions spanning 20% of the brain that show lower levels of activity when we're engaged in a task and higher levels when we're awake but daydreaming, recalling memories or just thinking.