The holidays are coming and I don't know about you, champion, but I have big plans
for this summer. I will finally have time to do everything that I cannot do during the
year! I'm going to catch up on my languages. I have many pending things to review,
so I will take advantage of the summer to do it. Also, I have 32 books on my reading list,
I want to learn to paint with acrylic paints… I want to do more yoga,
I want to go for walks on the beach every day, do more jogging, and also…
Hey! Slowly! Not planning too much? How do you want to do all this and rest?
From the outset, you will have to eliminate half of the things on your list if you
do not want to end up busted ... Remember: who covers a lot, little squeezes.
We're kicking off another week with Automatic Spanish, a podcast that helps you go from the passive state
of only understanding Spanish to the active state of speaking Spanish easily and effortlessly.
Champion, doesn't it also happen to you that you try to cover too much? On the list of things I
want to do this summer, there are many that involve intense work for memory:
learning languages, reading and even painting are intense work for the mind.
However, it always happens to me that I forget that, as far as memory is concerned, "less is more."
Exactly, "less is more." However, the normal thing is to do the opposite,
right? Most students, when the exams approach, study all day
without ceasing to try to memorize everything, accompanied by liters and liters of coffee and
Katovit pills. We have always believed that if we did not know the lesson we had
to put in more hours, right? Well no! According to scientists, this assumption is incorrect.
Recent discoveries have shown that taking regular breaks helps us memorize.
In fact, those who incorporate regular breaks into their study routine memorize up to 50%
more than students who study several hours without a break. As you can see, my dear, "less is more."
Until now, it had been thought that deep sleep at night was what allowed
information to pass from short-term memory to long-term memory. Therefore, it
was logical for a student to study all day like a madman, without stopping. Because
all that information was supposed to be consolidated during the night break.
However, incorporating a few minutes of rest between intense sessions
of concentrated study has been found to be equally beneficial. Yes, the benefit of
regular breaks is colossal. Those who incorporate a 5-minute break
between work sessions have been shown to improve memory efficiency by 50%.
Scholars already began to work on this issue at the beginning of the 20th century. Several experiments
have been done in different countries, in different universities ... and all have reached
the same conclusions: that taking short breaks between sessions of intense
intellectual work improves memorization by up to 50%. In addition, rest has been proven to
benefit both young and old, and even people with neurological injuries.
And it is that studies have been done with healthy people and with people who suffered from amnesia, dementia and
Alzheimer's. And in all of them an improvement in the retention of the studied material has been observed.
Obviously, this is very good news for you too, my dear, because you can
take advantage of these discoveries and apply them to learn Spanish more
effectively. 50% more efficient! You imagine? Well, well, now we will tell you how you can
incorporate it into your learning routine, but first we will consider these “5
minute breaks” in more depth . What have scientists discovered about "rest"?
Well, scientists have discovered that there are "breaks" and "breaks." That is,
they have done experiments to determine what kind of rest really benefits memory.
For this they have divided the participants into several groups. The first group did nothing
during the break, literally nothing. The second group has been allowed to relax by
looking at the phone, replying to their friends on social media,
writing some WhatsApp, etc. And the third group had to imagine a situation or
an event in their head. It could be a past, present or future event. It did not matter.
The results were unequivocal and impressive: looking at the phone or
reliving situations or events in her head resulted in a decreased ability to
remember. Those who looked at their mobiles or imagined things have memorized much
less than the people who closed their eyes and literally did nothing.
These experiments showed that any mental effort
must be avoided during the 5-minute break. It is important
to minimize any intellectual activity or any "interference" during breaks.
Then, it is clear to us: during the pause you do not have to do anything. Literally:
nothing. From now on we are going to call this type of rest “deliberate rest”.
Deliberate means voluntary and intentional.
Yes, the only goal of a deliberate 5 minute break is to stop altogether. Do nothing. For
me ... the impact of this discovery was deeper in my life than I would have believed.
Incorporating deliberate rest into my learning routine not only improved my results,
it also put an end to my migraines. Yes, my migraines are over once and for all.
Brilliant. That's killing two birds with one stone:
improving memory and ending migraines.
And say it! You don't know what relief not to have to suffer more from headaches. But,
back to "deliberate rest" ... I have done several tests during my study and work
sessions , and what works best for me is to sit comfortably in my chair and close my eyes. If thoughts come to
me and the little voice in my head does not stop talking, then I try to relax even
more, perhaps visualizing a quiet beach, or a forest, the movement of a gentle wind
between the leaves of the trees, things like that. What I am trying to achieve is that my mind
relaxes as much as possible and that I do not think in words. Don't make any mental effort.
Sure, because the goal is to quiet the mind to memorize more.
Consolidate memory. It is as if it were a short meditation or a visualization.
So we already know that not only sleeping at night benefits our learning, but also
“deliberate breaks” during the day. Scientists have noted that during both breaks
the neural activity is similar: there is greater communication between the hippocampus and areas of the
visual cortex. But now the question is: how can you apply it in your learning routine?
There is a technique called "Pomodoro" that perfectly combines
work and rest intervals . "Pomodoro" means "tomato" in Italian. The name of the technique
comes from the tomato-shaped timers used in cooking.
The technique has 6 (there are 4) simple steps: 1) You choose a task that you would like to do 2) You
start the clock and work on the task for a pomodoro, 25 minutes, until the alarm goes off
3) Then, you take a deliberate 5 minute break. 4) When the
alarm goes off again, you put another pomodoro to work, another 25 minutes. And so over and over again. As simple as that.
It is important that every 4 pomodoros, you take a longer break (usually about 15 minutes),
right? There are 3 short and 1 long breaks. Now the question is:
how do you keep track of pomodoros? How can you easily measure time?
For this there is a huge number of applications, both free and paid.
Champion, search the Play Store of your mobile. Simply put in the search engine "pomodoro".
Choose the application that you like the most and start optimizing your time and improving your memory.
Like any new activity — or new routine, if you prefer — it may seem strange at first.
Nothing happens. Give yourself a few days to try the pomodoro technique. Give it a try because
I swear it's worth it. The benefits are huge! First, short breaks give your
brain time to recharge. Because beware: studying for a long time without breaks
is counterproductive. Study binges are counterproductive. A deliberate break is like
a "reboot" for a computer. I feel that after 5 minutes, my brain starts to wake up.
Second, pomodoros make it easier to concentrate and stay focused:
25 minutes is enough to get things done,
but not too long to get your mind bored and wandering.
Third, pomodoros help you avoid interruptions and distractions. Typical
distractions are social media or chats with your friends. Plus,
pomodoros help you beat procrastination. Because with
pomodoros you train your mind to be more self-disciplined and not so easily
distracted . Wow, you stop thinking about shrews while you study.
And fourth, pomodoros allow you to keep track of how you use
your time. This way you can control if you are really dedicating the necessary
time to your goals or if you are wasting it.
And this leads us to other psychological benefits that impact different areas of your life.
Because with the Pomodoro Technique you make the most of your precious time. As a result, you'll
meet deadlines, keep your promises, and exceed the expectations of your co
-workers and family. And this, treasure, is pure gold to feel happy and fulfilled.
I would also like to highlight that the Pomodoro Technique helped us improve planning,
break the habit of multitasking,
keep motivation high, and decrease physical and mental fatigue.
Bottom line: taking deliberate breaks regularly
helps improve memory by up to 50%.
So, tell me charm: do you think it is worth improving your results by 10, 20 or even
30%? For many students, a 10-30% improvement will make a difference in their grades.
Imagine incorporating the Pomodoro Technique during exam time at the University,
or during the preparation of an important project in your company or, why not,
while studying languages. Close your eyes for a moment and visualize yourself with 30%
better results. All this is possible if you apply this strategy that we have shared with you today.
Yes, champ, in this age of over-information, it's not just our cell phones that need
regular recharging. Our minds clearly need it too.
Treasure, you have everything to win with the Pomodoro Technique. Are you going to try it? Or if you already know it
and are already applying it, what benefits have you observed? Let us know in the comments.
And we end with the motivational phrase for this week,
some very wise words from the French philosopher Jean de la Bruyère:
"Those who misuse their time are the first to complain about its brevity."
Treasure, don't forget that you have at your disposal the
free transcript and the flashcards that accompany all of our podcasts.
Thank you very much for joining us. We will see each other again next Monday.
I wish you have a great week. A kiss!