Why Zoning Might Be Good for You
We all have moments when we have nothing to do in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, at the auto mechanic’s, or during quiet hours at work. Usually, when this happens, we instinctively reach for our smartphone to browse social media or check email, as doing something seems more productive than doing nothing .
While we think zoning is unproductive or boring, there is evidence that it is much more enjoyable and productive than we think. In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , researchers found that people consistently underestimate how pleasant it is to just sit and wait in a quiet room without doing anything.
Zoning is more enjoyable than we think
In the first experiment, participants were asked to wait 20 minutes in a room with closed windows, without access to their belongings, including a smartphone, where they were only allowed to sit on a chair. Before that happened, they were asked how much they thought they would enjoy doing it.
Researchers have found that people consistently underestimate how much they like to sit and think. In a series of related experiments that included changes such as turning off the lights to block out any visual stimuli, participants again consistently underestimated how engaged or enjoyable they thought it would be to sit and think.
As the authors write in the article, “This underestimation of simple thinking also led participants to actively avoid the pending task in favor of an alternative task (such as checking the news on the Internet), despite the fact that their experiences were not statistically different.”
Whenever we have a few moments when we have nothing to do, we reflexively reach for our smartphone to scroll through the news, social networks or messages. But a few minutes just to sit and think can be more enjoyable than we think, and it can provide an opportunity for reflection.
As study co-author Kou Muruyama told Healthline : “In today’s digital world, it’s so easy to kill time when you have free time, but it can be a good idea to immerse yourself in thinking in such a situation. “. He also said that previous research has shown that taking the time to let your mind wander can help people become more creative and better problem solvers.