Inactivity to Boost Productivity

An article published by Lifehacker and written by Thorin Klosowski refutes our preconceived notion that boredom, distractions and procrastination are bad. While this "Holy Trinity" in excess can have a negative impact on productivity, it helps our brain filter information better, foster creativity, and think outside the box. It is important to note that your brain and productivity are positively affected from boredom, distractions and procrastination in moderation.

When we work or study, we often have just too much information to process and a lot isn't remembered for more than a short period of time, if at all. So our brains try to adapt, you become bored as a device to sort out important, relevant information. A New York Times columnist wrote,

"Some experts say that people tune things out for good reasons, and that over time boredom becomes a tool for sorting information — an increasingly sensitive spam filter. In various fields including neuroscience and education, research suggests that falling into a numbed trance allows the brain to recast the outside world in ways that can be productive and creative at least as often as they are disruptive."

 Problems requiring insight are the most positively impacted by distraction. If you get stuck on a problem at off-peak times, clicking on random Wikipedia articles from the page relevant to your topic may help. As explained by Scientific American, 

"At off-peak times we are less focused, and may consider a broader range of information.  This wider scope gives us access to more alternatives and diverse interpretations, thus fostering innovation and insight." 

Procrastination is probably the most shunned of the "Holy Trinity", and is placed side-by-side with failure and poor performance. Very few people ever think of procrastination as a good thing for the brain or tasks. Procrastination can be great for decision making especially. Author Frank Partnoy explains his process, 

"1)Think about what the greatest amount of time you could delay before taking an action or making a decision. 2) Wait until the last possible moment in that time frame."

The time that you spent procrastinating gave your brain time to think about the problem and make decisions more effectively. If you are aware of how much time you actually need, then procrastination can give you time to develop a well-thought decision (whether it is a single problem or a paper). Partnoy adds a disclaimer,

"Some scientists have argued that there are two kinds of procrastination: active procrastination and passive procrastination. Active procrastination means you realize that you are unduly delaying mowing the lawn or cleaning your closet, but you are doing something that is more valuable instead. Passive procrastination is just sitting around on your sofa not doing anything."

Now that you think boredom, distractions and procrastination are good for you, you have to plan accordingly when you have a task at hand. Remember that the work won't get done unless you do it, and to take such breaks in moderation. Be aware of what you need to do, how long you have to do it, and how long you need to finish it. The best way utilize benefits of inactivity is to understand how long you can break without having trouble getting back to work and when you can afford to wast time. A good way to waste time is to take a walk, go to a coffee shop (while leaving your phone, computer, and headphones at home), or just take time, sit somewhere quietly and reflect on anything.




Source: "The Holy Trinity of Inactivity: How Boredom, Distraction, and Procrastination Are Vital to Healthy Living." Klosowski, Thorin.  Lifehacker.