All work and no play could make for a mediocre researcher, according to a study (K. J. Eschleman et al. J. Occup. Organ. Psychol. http://doi.org/sfg; 2014). Workers who also engage in creative activities such as painting or playing music perform more effectively in their job, says lead author Kevin Eschleman, a psychologist at San Francisco State University in California. Creative activities outside work also help employees to bounce back from stress and to learn new skills, he says. Eschleman and his co-authors surveyed 433 US workers in various occupations, including 92 active-duty US Air Force captains. Eschleman advises scientists to take up leisure activities to help their conscious mind to detach from workplace pressures and their subconscious to find different approaches to their research.