ISBN 9781352005851. Visit macmillanihe.com for more information about this book
16
Do I …?
Plan enough downtime
Make time to stop, to dream, to breathe …
How does this help? ‘Downtime’ for rest, calm, daydreaming and sleep is essential for good functioning of the brain as well as for health and mental health. It supports learning, memory, metabolism, stamina and physical energy. Our circadian rhythms are set so that we function best if our sleep occurs at night.28 A regular sleep cycle boosts academic performance.29 The occasional night of disrupted sleep (such as for a party or to complete an assignment) won’t do much harm, but isn’t the best strategy. When we sleep, rest and daydream, our brains remain active in searching out answers, making sense of new material and laying down memories.30
Considering your responses If you tend to pack your days with similar tasks that require focussed thought, then use your diary to book time for good sleep, catching up on sleep you know you’ll miss, and for varied kinds of downtime. A more balanced use of time will help body and brain to work more effectively.
See also Ways 12, 15, 36 34 50 Ways to Manage Time Effectively
1. Do I tend to fill my days with activity? Yes
No
2. Do I have a regular, uninterrupted, sleep pattern? Yes
No
3. Do I give my brain time to refresh? Yes
No
To do. I will …
ISBN 9781352005851. Visit macmillanihe.com for more information about this book
It’s not all go! go! go!
Sleep at least 7–8 hours Students who achieve well have been found to sleep more – averaging around 9 hours a night.
Sleep to help recall Your brain recalls material better after sleeping on it.
Find ‘breathing time’ Schedule ‘downtime’ … during the day and week, to free your brain up to do its job.
Send your brain on errands Tell it what to work on for you during downtime, whilst you are not paying attention to that task.
A break, a walk, sports, daydreaming or domestic tasks – anything that doesn’t involve focussed thought can be ‘buffer time’ between tasks. That refreshes the brain and lets it work out things on its own.
Appreciate downtime It is a wonderful thing. You get to rest or have fun, whilst continuing to learn.
Plan enough downtime 35