In the above video, Maria Cano talked about the importance of having downtime. Here’s a summary:

Our Brains Need Rest

When our brain switches from task to task, it burns up oxygenated glucose at a faster rate than usual. However, we need this glucose to learn new things, remember things, and stay focused. Ironically, when we fill our day with back-to-back tasks, hoping to get more things done, we might end up becoming less productive as our brain starts to run out of fuel.

What is Downtime?

Downtime is unstructured time with no targeted goal and no focused attention. Scrolling on social media, watching videos, listening to music, and even meditating are not considered downtime as you would have a specific goal in mind and require focus of attention. Downtime is really about letting your mind wander without any specific purpose, almost like daydreaming.

Benefits of Downtime

Having downtime can lead to more creativity, allowing your brain to make unexpected connections and giving rise to new ideas. It can also give rise to sudden realizations, or what some people call ‘aha’ moments. You might suddenly remember something important or find the solutions you need for your problems. With the rise of artificial intelligence to help boost our productivity, creativity in the workplace will be valued even more than before.

Takeaway: remember to take short breaks (no phone, go for a walk, drink tea and stare at nothing) in between tasks!

Some Reflections

I wholeheartedly agree with the importance of having downtime. Sometimes, my phone would run out of battery while I was outside, and I was forced to do nothing and let my brain rest. Yes, it’s often an unintended situation; I almost never intentionally include downtime in my daily schedule. But it is when my brain starts to wander aimlessly that I start getting interesting ideas and even find a way to solve some of my problems. Downtime really helps my brain to organize the information in my head, which would otherwise be a jumbled mess. In the next article, I talked about how important it is to organize the information in your head (summary: it enables you to express your thoughts more clearly to others). I wonder if it feels weird or awkward to intentionally set aside some downtime in my daily life. Maybe I should try to have some downtime after every meal as that’s the period of time where I’m most unproductive.