Jean Piaget, the giant who changed the paradigm of cognitive psychology by proving the developmental stages of children. Behind his great academic achievements was a unique dual-rhythm habit. 📝
Piaget sat in his study early every morning and wrote at least four pages using only a pen and paper. This writing was not an organized text for others, but a process of expressing fragmented knowledge into physical words to clear the working memory of the brain. When his cognitive resources were cleared after writing, he walked for hours in the peaceful Swiss nature and lakeside in the afternoon. Surprisingly, whenever his soles were stimulated in time with his steps, the complex subjects he wrote in the morning were organically harmonized and refined in his brain.
Today, BuildSelf analyzes the cognitive science behind Piaget’s morning writing and afternoon walk routine and suggests a 3-step action guide for modern people.
Historical & Academic Evidence
This content is based on Jean Piaget's Biography 'Autobiography' & Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
1. Harmonizing Working Memory Externalization and Default Mode Network
When we try to solve complex problems by thinking alone, the brain’s working memory space quickly reaches its limit and becomes overloaded. Piaget’s morning writing was a process of forcibly reducing the brain’s cognitive load by recording concepts on an external medium (paper), which is called ‘working memory externalization.’
The afternoon walk right after clearing the working memory activates Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) through physical activity. At the same time, it starts the ‘Default Mode Network (DMN),’ which lights up when the brain is in a daydreaming or contemplative mode. In this process, the fragments of knowledge written down in the morning are randomly recombined in the subconscious mind, leading to elaborate logical systems and creative insights.
2. 3-Step Practical Routine for Modern Professionals
Morning Brain Dump Hand-Writing
Before starting your morning routine, prepare a notebook and a pen. Write down tasks, ideas, or what you studied yesterday for 15 minutes without stopping. The key is to pour it out without worrying about grammar or quality.
Afternoon Screen-Free Contemplative Walk
In the afternoon, put on comfortable walking shoes and walk slowly for 20 minutes with your phone in your pocket. Focus on the physical touch of your steps and the wind, letting the topic you wrote about in the morning float naturally in your mind.
Jotting Down the Refined Idea in One Sentence
Immediately after the walk, capture the core keyword or insight that emerged in your default mode network state, and write it down in one sentence in your log to prevent it from evaporating.
3. You must balance input with output and cognitive refresh
Modern people put a lot of information (input) into their brains through smartphones, but lack output time to think and organize by themselves, and contemplative time to rest the brain. Like Piaget, give your brain room to operate through a balance of morning writing (output) and afternoon walks (refresh).
📌 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do I have to handwrite? Can I type it digitally? ▼
Typing is fine, but handwriting stimulates the fine muscles in your fingertips, which activates cognitive regions of the brain (especially the frontal lobe and somatosensory cortex) much more strongly and improves focus.
What if there is no natural environment nearby for walking? ▼
Even if there is no park or lake, walking on city sidewalks, quiet alleys, or even a quiet hallway without your smartphone will trigger the same cognitive benefits of physical stimulation and default mode network activation.
