The Power of Downtime

We all know that stress at work can be worsened by the constant interaction we have with smart phones once we leave the office. But did you know that our downtime periods could also be in jeopardy by our time filling habits.

What used to be a 5 minute coffee break has turned into a “Do I have time to check my bank account” or “Can I complete the next level in 5 minutes?”

“At the University of Michigan, a study found that people learned significantly better after a walk in nature than after a walk in a dense urban environment, suggesting that a barrage of information leaves people fatigued” (Matt Richtel, The New York Times, Sep 2010)

The problem is that due to advances in technology, this walk in nature now entails a text to a friend, checking the train times and sending an email whilst listening to an MP3.

“People think they are refreshing themselves, but they are fatiguing themselves” says Marc Berman, a neuroscientist at the University of Michigan (New York Times Sep 2010)

This multitasking can be taxing for the brain. What we class as relaxation time has turned into an invasion of our much needed downtime. This overload of information prevents our brains from processing and maintaining it.

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