Why Taking Breaks Help Your Brain Absorb More Information

Information has never been so abundant, or so accessible. By some estimates, Americans now consume more than 12 hours of media each day, and digital content—everything from TikTok videos to podcasts—accounts for two-thirds of that total.

This information glut has led to questions about the human memory capacity to handle such a flood of novel input. While it’s often assumed that the more we take in, the more we must retain in the form of greater knowledge or understanding—sort of a "more is more" view of information consumption—research suggests our brain needs regular breaks to properly digest what it consumes.

So-called "offline states"—when a person isn’t thinking about much and their attention is free to wander—give the brain an opportunity to revisit and process its recent experiences, said Erin Wamsley, a Furman University cognitive neuroscientist.

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.