Creating time refers to the ability to allocate and utilize time in a purposeful manner. Time management is the practice of planning and organizing one’s time to maximize productivity and achieve desired outcomes. Reading, on the other hand, is an activity that not only expands our knowledge and stimulates the mind but also requires intentional allocation of time. Interestingly, mind-wandering, which involves allowing the mind to wander freely and explore our thoughts, also plays a role in enhancing creativity and problem-solving. Balancing these elements and incorporating them into our lives can lead to a more efficient use of time, increased personal growth, and improved overall well-being.
In a Stolen Focus by Johann Hari, the idea of and connection between reading and mind-wandering is discussed. To start, Hari expresses his worry about the decline of sustained reading and its correlation with focus. He points out that “reading books trains us to read in a particular way—in a linear fashion, focused on one thing for a sustained period” while reading from a screen trains us to read in a different way, we tend to frequently skim and jump from one thing to another (Hari 2022, p 81). Later, Hari goes on to talk about his interview with Raymond Mar, a social scientist who has studied the effects that reading has on our consciousness. Mar’s research involved figuring out the connection between reading novels and understanding other people. He found that people who read more novels tend to be better at reading other people’s emotions. Hari declares, “empathy is one of the most complex forms of attention we have—and the most precious” because “empathy makes progress possible, and every time you widen human empathy, you open the universe a little more” (2022, p 88).
While immersing oneself in a piece of literature is a valid approach to understanding attention, there is another form that is essential for complete cognitive functioning. This form is known as mind-wandering, a spontaneous and involuntary mental state where attention becomes detached from the present moment and becomes absorbed in internal thoughts or daydreams. How does this phenomenon of mind-wandering help us fully function? Johann Hari explains what three important things are happening during mind-wandering that he discovered from his interviews with two researchers at McGill University, Nathan Spreng and Jonathan Smallwood. The first thing is, it helps us slowly make sense of the world. For example, when you are reading a book, “having enough mental space to roam is essential for you to be able to understand” what you are reading (Hari 2022, p 95). The second thing is that when your mind is wandering, it is able to start making new connections and even produce solutions to problems. In fact, “many great breakthroughs don’t happen during periods of focus—they happen during mind-wandering” (Hari, 2022, p 96). The third thing is, during this time your mind will typically engage in “mental time-travel,” where it wanders over the past, tries to predict what might happen next and help you prepare for it. All in all, deep focus and mind-wandering may seem like contrasting cognitive states but they are both valuable and important for us to fully function. Deep focus allows us to immerse ourselves fully in a task, enabling concentration, productivity, and problem-solving. Mind-wandering, on the other hand, nurtures creativity, introspection, and the exploration of ideas. When balanced and utilized strategically, the interplay between deep focus and mind-wandering can enhance our cognitive abilities, foster innovation, and lead to a more comprehensive understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
References:
Hari, J. (2022). Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again. Crown.