When we think about mastering a new skill— whether it’s playing a musical instrument, learning a language, or perfecting a dance move—most of us focus on repetition. Practice makes one perfect, right? Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman sheds light on something even more fascinating: the power of pauses in supercharging our learning process.
The secret in the pause
Recent research highlights that brief pauses during practice are far more than just breaks— they’re integral to the learning process. Gap effects research has identified that resting for just 10 seconds while practising a skill allows your brain to replay and reinforce what you’ve just learned
Here’s the astonishing part: During these short pauses, your brain doesn’t just sit idle. Instead, it replays the skill you’ve been practising at lightning speed— 20 to 30 times faster than normal— and often in reverse. It’s like your brain is rewinding and reviewing your actions to strengthen the connections needed to perform them better.
Practicing without practising
Imagine you’re learning a new piano piece or perfecting your tennis serve. After a few repetitions, you stop for a quick break. During this pause, your brain’s neurons fire rapidly, mimicking the action you were practising. This neural replay reinforces the skill, essentially letting you practice without actively moving. Neural recordings show that during these rest periods, your brain becomes highly active, refining your skills and improving your learning, so your next attempt is even stronger.
Why does this work?
The replay and consolidation of the information by the brain during rest is the basic concept through which we learn. When we repeat a skill without pausing, our neurons may not have enough time to process and solidify the information but once breaks are introduced, there is a chance for the rearrangement and strengthening of those neural pathways related to a particular skill.
It’s like building a strong foundation: practising creates the bricks, but pausing allows your brain to cement them into place.
How to use this insight
– If you’re working on mastering something new, here’s how to apply this brain hack:
– Practice in small chunks: Focus on the skill for a few minutes.
– Take short breaks: Pause for 10 to 15 seconds of complete rest. Let your brain do its work.
– Repeat: Alternate between practice and rest.
This works for anything, from studying to actual sports, helping you progress faster while reducing fatigue.
The big picture
The insight of how the brain learns changes our approach to the skill-building process and practice. The discovery reveals that sometimes the most important work is to do nothing. By allowing your brain to optimize its processes during short breaks, you’re not only learning smarter but also paving the way for long-term mastery.
So, the next time you’re practising, remember: pausing isn’t slacking— it’s part of the strategy.