The Benefits of Being Busy: Sharper Minds and Better Memory

Our lives are jam-packed with activities, and the more connected, driven, and ambitious we are, the busier we become. We are constantly encouraged to unplug, take a break, slow down, and engage in “me” time. While these are essential for our mental well-being, busyness has its advantages.

Researchers found that staying busy improves mental processing, enhances reasoning skills, and strengthens memory, both short and long term. It boosts overall mental functioning, resulting in sharper minds and better memory.

In a recent study by researchers in Texas and Alabama, they tested 330 healthy men and women aged 50 to 80 by asking about their daily schedules and performing cognitive tests. They discovered that regardless of their educational attainment or age, those who had a busy lifestyle had a healthier brain.

The researchers hypothesized that a busy schedule could imply an engaged lifestyle that facilitates cognition. They observed that busyness correlated positively to working memory, processing speed, episodic memory, crystallized knowledge, and reasoning.

But how does being busy improve memory? The brain, like a muscle, requires exercise, and engaging in mentally stimulating activities can provide that. Scientists believe that the amount and types of mental stimulation affect cognitive processes directly, especially in memory improvement.

Several mental processes come with a hectic schedule, including multi-tasking, problem-solving, reasoning, analyzing, interruption and re-engagement of thought, planning, strategizing, linear thinking, global thinking, and computation. Dr. Sarah Festini of the University of Texas at Dallas stated, “We show that people who report greater levels of daily busyness tend to have better cognition, especially with regard to memory for recently learned information.”

Episodic memory, the ability to recall specific events, and working memory, which is the immediate conscious perceptual and linguistic processing of short-term memory, are the cognitive processes busyness helps improve.

The study also showed that the busier the individual, the higher they scored in cognitive tests regardless of age. This performance gap was more pronounced among older participants.

Despite the positive effects of being busy, it is essential to note that the research only focused on how mental engagement can improve memory and cognitive processes. It did not investigate the negative effects of a hectic and mentally-taxing lifestyle. Having a cram-full schedule of activities doesn’t equate to a sharper mind.

According to Gary Small, MD, Director of the UCLA Longevity Center and author of The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program, “In our fast-paced, wired world, many of us live our lives in chronic stress.” As a result, our brains secrete stress hormones, such as cortisol.

Chronically elevated stress hormone levels shrink the hippocampus, which impairs the formation of new memories. While being busy may improve memory, a harried life could have less positive consequences for our metabolism and hearts.

Thus, we need to use busyness responsibly. For those with additional mental capacity in their schedules, engage in activities that can strengthen memory and overall brain function. Some activities include taking a class on an interesting topic, trying a DIY project or learning a new skill, exploring new and diverse activities, planning events, engaging in physical exercises, and volunteering.

In conclusion, busyness helps improve memory and cognitive processes, but it also has its drawbacks. Therefore, we should use it wisely and engage in activities that challenge our brains in a positive way.