Five effective ways to help your brain relax.

Many people consider absentmindedness a bad habit, but research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) shows that periods of mental "wandering" can help the brain reduce stress, clear cerebrospinal fluid, and restore creativity.

When you're feeling down, don't rush to reach for your phone; instead, let your mind wander as a way to relax. - Illustration

In the modern world , many people rush to their phones as soon as they feel bored, even if only for 10 seconds. But constantly having to pay attention to your phone can reduce work efficiency because the brain cannot afford to be distracted.

When we're browsing social media or busy with work, our brains are forced to focus on a constant stream of information. This prevents the brain from entering a state of distraction, where the mind isn't focused on the task at hand. It is in this state that the brain can perform tasks such as brainstorming ideas to solve work-related problems.

Being absent-minded isn't a bad habit.

Many people often view distraction or inattention as a bad habit or a sign of laziness. According to a research team led by Professor Zinong Zhang at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, periods of inattention can help the brain reduce the effects of stress.

By scanning the brains of study participants while they were in a focused state after periods of sleep deprivation, researchers found that participants became more distracted. Furthermore, when they were distracted, a region in the brain called the locus coeruleus (blue spot) acts as an alarm system, helping them stay alert by releasing noradrenaline, a chemical that keeps the brain awake and causes blood vessels in the brain to dilate.

When the participant becomes distracted, that alarm system temporarily shuts off. At that moment, the blood vessels in the brain dilate and expand – and that expansion pushes the surrounding cerebrospinal fluid out, much like squeezing a balloon to release the water.

The role of cerebrospinal fluid

Cerebrospinal fluid is essentially a clear liquid that surrounds and fills the spaces within the brain. Imagine it like the water in a dishwasher. While the brain works throughout the day, it produces waste products—like the trash at a restaurant.

During deep sleep, cerebrospinal fluid flows through the brain and flushes out that waste, much like the rinse cycle of a dishwasher. If you don't sleep, that rinse cycle never runs, and the waste accumulates.

Therefore, the brain becomes "desperate" and attempts to perform rapid flushing cycles while you are still awake. These are the moments when you lose focus – the brain temporarily sacrifices your attention to push a wave of cleansing fluid through.

Five effective ways to help your brain relax.

1. Engage in simple, repetitive activities like gardening or knitting: Gentle, repetitive activities like gardening, knitting, or walking can help free the brain from information overload. The mechanism is that when the hands are busy with tasks that don't require high concentration, the brain has more space to process information creatively.

2. Reframe boredom and distraction as a signal: Don't rush to grab your phone every time you feel bored. Instead, view distraction as a natural and healthy brain response that helps "reset" your ability to focus.

3. Choose meaningful topics when relaxing your mind: Allowing your mind to wander purposefully—for example, thinking about long-term goals or visualizing future plans—activates the planning centers in the brain, which is more effective than complete distraction.

4. Disconnect from your phone: A simple measure is to limit your phone use during breaks. When electronic devices are unavailable, the brain is forced to find ways to process the free time, thereby activating natural recovery mechanisms.

5. Tell yourself that being distracted isn't laziness: Distraction helps reset the brain to make room for brainstorming. Remind yourself that staring into space isn't "laziness." It's an important physiological process for eliminating and preventing long-term brain problems. This mental shift helps reduce feelings of guilt for doing nothing.

With new findings from MIT, letting your mind "wander" is no longer considered a bad habit but is actually a physiological need of the brain. Experts recommend that everyone should proactively create quiet moments throughout the day, instead of constantly filling every free moment with their phone.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nam-cach-giup-bo-nao-thu-gian-hieu-qua-20260203074632442.htm