When 119 people were asked whether they would like a break from smelling a nasty odor or just have the experience over and done with in one go, 90 people said, “Breaks, please!” The vast majority-82 out of 119 also said they wanted a break from an irritating noise such as that of a vacuum cleaner. They wanted a break because they believed the experience would be less irritating with a breather.
It seems like a reasonable prediction, but it is wrong. When people actually experienced the noise of the vacuum cleaner, those who were given a break suffered more overall. The break interrupted the natural habituation to the unwelcome noise. The lesson is that if you need to complete an unpleasant task, such as cleaning your toilet or vacuuming your carpet, it might be wise not to chop up the experience. Once you take a breather and come back, the smell will be worse, the noise louder, and the experience grimmer overall. Avoiding breaks will facilitate habituation and so make such tasks less unpleasant.
