Down Time
Research that began in 1900 and which continues to this day shows that we tend to remember things more clearly and consistently when we have periodic down time.
In terms of our memory capabilities, this benefit seems to stem from a process called "consolidation": we take in information, tuck some of it away in our short-term memory, then process and encode it for longer-term memory storage during our consolidation period.
We consolidate our memory while sleeping, but also during cognitive down time, like while taking a walk, quietly sitting doing nothing, looking out the window, meditating, having a quick nap, or otherwise just giving our brains a break so they've got extra energy to work through all the stuff we've learned recently.
Interestingly, research has also shown that spaced-learning—spreading our periods of memorization and consolidation out, rather than bunching it all up into shorter, focused periods of cramming—works a whole lot better, which suggests that engaging in shorter periods of study or research or practice might be more ideal, especially if followed by periods of mental down time so our brains can chew on what we've learned and store it away, optimally.
Down time has also been shown to nudge us toward a more motivated psychological state, can help us manage stress and avoid burnout, can allow us to engage in "diffuse thinking" (which can help us make creative connections and see things from different perspectives), and can help us clear our minds, resetting our cognitive states so we're not overwhelmed by what we've been doing before getting started on something new—while also feeling overall happier.
Unfortunately, while down time offers many benefits, it's also often associated with laziness or unproductiveness—two things that are frowned upon in many workplaces, and which are often associated with negative attributes (thus, even if we have the time and desire to shift to this mode of more passive processing, we may hesitate or have trouble doing so, lest we be perceived as bad employees or worthless members of society).
Research suggests we're at our best when we work in a focused way for a short period (about an hour) before taking a mental break, shifting into a more mind-wandering state.
Most workplaces don't allow for that kind of flexible overtly productive cadence, though, so there's a lot of exhaustion, overwhelm, burnout, and even physical injury suffered on the job due to over- and imperfect-work that might otherwise be avoided.
Integrating more cognitive down time into our schedules, may be beneficial if we hope to work (and think, and function) more efficiently and effectively, even if periodically slowing down and doing nothing intuitively seems to be counter-productive in that regard, and may be frowned-upon by some.
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