I work on research, trying to get grants and publish papers and the like, I really like my job, could not think about doing anything else. When the weekend comes, or just free time I have the problem that I can not stop thinking on research, it does not matter what. Sometimes it is that I feel so relaxed during the weekend that new ideas come to my mind and then I can not avoid to write them down or think a bit more about them. My wife obviously does not like this, but I try my best.
Do you experience the same and do you know how to avoid this?
Answer
I agree with @PeterJanson's answer, but I'd like to add my 2 cents on it:
Often, I find myself "constantly" thinking about a problem when I'm stuck or I'm not sure how to approach it. Often, it's because I've got tunnel vision on the problem. That is, I'm only thinking about it from a limited number of perspectives and can't think of other possible approaches to the problem. I used to spend long hours thinking about a problem (even outside of normal work hours) without ever really getting anywhere on it.
When that happens, I find it's good to pursue other activities that stimulate my brain to think outside of the box. That could be anything from reading semi-related research papers to playing video games to engaging in stand up comedy! When I challenge my brain to approach other problems from new perspectives, I find those same skills help loosen my brain to engage in research in new ways as well.
While I never really stop thinking about research, I find these other activities help me engage in research with fresh eyes and renewed energy. And ultimately, that has lead me to better research results and liberates me from "overthinking" the problem during my leisure time.
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