/lit/ - Literature

>>23428786
If you read up on memory encoding or integration, or the theory of learning in general, you find that rest periods are crucial for learning new things or working through new problems because your brain doesn't form many new connections while you're actively using it.

This is why epiphanies tend to come to us in the shower, while driving, while doing simple chores, while trying to go to sleep, or the day after a good night's sleep.

It's very important to take breaks when taxing your brain for this reason, and it's crucial that you stop using your brain during your breaks. Don't pull out your phone or launch a game because that's just switching your stimulus from whatever you're working on to whatever else you're focusing on.

You want to stop and let your mind wander. Zone out. Stop focusing.
Spend 10, 15, or 20+ minutes on this and then consider your task again and you may find that you have new insights or realizations. But you may not. Sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes it takes hours or days of letting your background processes in your brain toss ideas around before everything starts clicking.

PS: Meditation is the best for this, but proper meditation can paradoxically take a lot of focus to learn how to perform correctly.