TEDxSalford

Holiday: Why Downtime Is Good For You

The bliss of a proper summer holiday and the massive pile-up of post-it notes accompanied by a dozen documents that won’t go away: not a good combination. Read on to see why you should let it all go this summer and chill out – totally.

Leaving behind a pile of papers and undone work eats you up; we’ve all been there. You can hardly resist taking the work home to finish it in order to fully liberate yourself from the chains of routine. The truth for most of us is that the work doesn’t really ever finish, does it? So why tilt at windmills, when there’s another project or email waiting before you’re done with the previous one.

That’s not the only reason why you should concentrate on yourself this coming holiday: go for a jog, write a poem or whatever ticks you, perhaps just enjoy the idle mind. Plenty of evidence shows that the benefits of spare time well spent can be remarkable, not only in reducing stress but enhancing creativity and cognitive abilities as well.

It’s too easy to be interrupted, whether it’s Facebook, your mobile or a co-worker; being constantly connected takes its toll and giving your brain the downtime it needs may reward you in surprisingly positive ways.

In fact, brain activity at rest is called Default Mode Network (DMN); a collection of brain regions active during resting periods. If daydreaming and reminiscing are the default mode, then perhaps it’s good to restore the settings every now and then. Recent research done in Tohoku University in Japan shows a connection between DMN and creativity and general intelligence. Read more about brain on holiday in Brainblogger.

I dare you: enter the holiday season with utmost confidence devoting every minute to yourself. You have everything to gain.

Here’s a selection of recommended talks to help you take the ‘leap of faith’:

1. Author and comedian John Cleese explains his experiences on the origin of creative power. Hint: it’s not your laptop.

2. Dissident Graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister shows what time off can do to creativity. Even if a one-year sabbatical sounds unfeasible, remember that it’s not about the quantity.

3. Jason Fried turns round the whole concept of working in the office and claims work doesn’t quite happen in the workplace. Managers and meeting enthusiasts, don’t take it to heart.

Happy summer holidays!