Recharging with idleness

Possessing the techniques of a discipline allows us to adopt high-level strategies. In my previous article I introduced four disciplines that help us understand how to approach focused work sessions. However, each of us, throughout the day, experiences moments when, drained of energy, we feel the need to be carried away by idleness.

Idleness is the father of all vices.

This phrase probably doesn’t sound unfamiliar to you—it may have been part of your childhood or something you associate with a loved one. But what does idleness have to do with the world of work? You might be surprised to learn that laziness is essential for the proper functioning of our body, just like vitamin D.

Turning off the brain

While it’s true that there are methods to balance focused work sessions and secondary activities, we also need to include another type of activity within our workday. In this case, it is our laziness that guides the kind of occupation we dedicate to our free time. Once the workday is over, we should disconnect from thoughts related to work. So, it’s forbidden to check emails after dinner or mentally replay discussions from meetings. Below we’ll look at three main reasons why it’s necessary to turn off the brain.

Reason #1: It helps with decision-making

According to popular Chinese culture, one should never make decisions in moments of extreme happiness or extreme sadness. In general, our subconscious is often cited as the perfect agent for making decisions in a distracted state. And it is precisely on this basis that, in 2006, social psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis proposed the Unconscious Thought Theory.

This theory suggests that for decisions requiring well-defined rules, the conscious mind must be involved. To perform, for example, a mathematical calculation, our mind must strictly follow the rules of mathematics. On the contrary, for decisions that involve a large amount of information, contradictions, or constraints, the unconscious is better suited to handle the matter. Being distracted and idling therefore allows our right hemisphere to naturally untangle inherently complex situations.

Reason #2: It helps recharge energy

You’ve probably experienced this too. When I spend hours in nature—whether hiking in the mountains or walking in the park—I always come out rejuvenated. In 1980, two psychology researchers at the University of Michigan theorized the Attention Restoration Theory, seeking to define attention fatigue. Focusing, in fact, requires directed attention. To demonstrate the effects of ART, in 2008 a study was conducted on two groups of people: one free to walk around a large city center, and another inside a forest. The experiment showed that the group in the forest achieved better results on subsequent cognitive tests. Attention is a finite resource—walking through a city consumes a significant amount of it, since one must stay alert to the inherent dangers of the urban environment. The same recharging effect can be achieved by talking with a friend or listening to music, while the draining effect occurs, for example, when we waste time checking emails after dinner.

Reason #3: It replaces otherwise unusable time

I often compare our attention to a tank: activities that require focus drain it, while restorative activities refill it. Our attention tank has a capacity that varies depending on many factors, such as genetics, age, or training. Like an athlete, a knowledge worker can also train to increase their hours of sustained attention. However, even the best “attention athlete” must admit that by the end of a demanding workday, their tank—though large—is depleted. It is therefore completely useless to try to tackle work issues that require further focus. We can conclude that the time we dedicate to recreational activities is, in any case, time that couldn’t be used otherwise.

The shutdown ritual

We’re at work, our attention tank is running low, we see the reserve light flashing—we must end the work session and turn off our brain. What if we have an unfinished task? Here are two possible solutions:

• Have a plan. Take notes on how you intend to resume the task the next day, through an algorithm or a sequence of steps.
• Capture the moment. Pause the task at the most opportune time, so that all surrounding conditions are in a balanced state that will be maintained until the next day.

As seen with rituals, the shutdown ritual can also be accompanied by an activity that seals its sacredness and importance. Reciting a phrase or repositioning objects on your desk will make everything feel more official and help your mind internalize it as a habit.

Bibliography

[1] Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work. Piatkus.