Today, Andy Zhang, Decoda’s Summer Library and Information Management Technician, shares his research on the how the brain learns. 

Success is deeply influenced by how we learn, work, and care for our minds and bodies. Research shows that:

• Curiosity drives engagement^[1]
• Focus enhances productivity^[2]
• Deliberate practice improves performance^[3]
• Exercise boosts cognitive function^[4]
• Sleep strengthens memory and learning^[5]

Together, these five factors form a foundation for effective learning and high performance.

Curiosity(“Why Dont Students like School”, by Daniel Willingham)

“People are naturally curious, but curiosity is fragile” p.8

Our brains are wired to enjoy the feeling of figuring things out. We don’t like being stuck or just handed the answer; we enjoy the satisfaction that comes from solving a problem ourselves. This is how curiosity helps us learn. The best learners and performers use this to their advantage by taking on challenges that gradually get harder and breaking complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Each success keeps their curiosity going, triggers the reward cycle, and makes difficult learning sustainable.

Focus(“Deep Work”, by Cal Newport)

“Let your mind become a lens, thanks to the converging rays of attention; let your soul be all intent on whatever it is that is established in your mind as a dominant, wholly absorbing idea.” –Antonin-Dalmace Sertillanges

Focus plays a key role in how we learn and absorb information. When our brain is constantly switching between tasks, it struggles to process and retain what we’re trying to learn. To truly understand something, we need to give it our full attention. Setting aside uninterrupted time, even just 90 minutes, helps our brain dive deeper into the material and make stronger connections. By avoiding distractions, we create the mental space needed for meaningful learning and lasting progress. This can be as simple as putting on earplugs in noisy environments or as elaborate as setting up a monastic retreat in a remote cabin.

Practice(“Great at Work”, by Morten Hansen)

“Do Less, Then Obsess”

When it comes to self-improvement, it’s important to start small while keeping the key goals in mind. For example, if you decide to learn calculus, it’s not enough to just read a calculus textbook. You should identify what aspect of calculus you need to achieve your goals. Then you have to work through it bit by bit, chapter by chapter, and problem by problem. Focus on what you can learn right now and stay grounded in the process. Give yourself time to build a strong foundation in the subject. Break your learning into small parts, and choose one or two key things to track that will be the key indicators of success. Keep improving those areas with each round of practice. If you stay consistent, your progress will build up and your skills will grow over time.

Exercise(“How the Brain Learns”, By David Sousa)

Moving your body helps your brain learn better. Our brains can’t focus all day without a break, and our bodies aren’t made to sit still for too long. Physical activity, like walking or stretching, gets your blood flowing and helps your brain work better by releasing a special chemical called BDNF(Brain Derived Nerotropic Factor), which supports learning and memory. So if you’re having a hard time paying attention or coming up with ideas, a bit of movement can help you feel more alert and ready to learn again.

Sleep(“Why We Sleep”, by Matthew Walker)

Sleep plays a powerful role in helping us think clearly and perform at our best over time. It’s not just rest, sleep helps our brains grow and stay healthy. While we sleep, our brains strengthen new memories, connect ideas in new ways, and clear out unneeded information.

To store new knowledge in long-term memory, our brains need uninterrupted sleep. During this time, memories held in short-term areas are gradually transferred to long-term storage, helping learning take root and endure.

Certain stages of sleep help the brain link new information with what we already know, often leading to fresh ideas and deeper understanding. These overnight mental processes are why we say “sleep on it”; our brains can continue working even while we rest. Sleep is a built-in system that boosts creativity and problem-solving, allowing new insights to emerge during our most physically restful moments.

At the same time, sleep clears away the emotional and mental clutter we collect throughout the day, reducing stress and improving clarity. In short, consistent, high-quality sleep is essential for learning, creative thinking, and staying mentally sharp.

Conclusion

To learn well, we need to take care of our brains. The brain is a complex and messy organ, constantly changing and not always efficient. Yet, it still allows us to think, move, and make sense of the world around us. To keep it working well for as long as possible, we have to actively support it with healthy habits and regular care.

Resources

Curiosity Is a Superpower — If You Have the Courage to Use It  | Big Think

Daniel Goleman on Focus: The Secret to High Performance and Fulfilment

Deliberate Practice: Achieve Mastery in Anything

The #1 way to strengthen your mind is to use your body | Wendy Suzuki

Why you’re so tired

Works Cited

Davidson, Cathy N. Now You See it: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn. Viking, 2011.

Hansen, Morten T. Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More. Simon & Schuster, 2018.

Newport, Cal. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Grand Central Publishing, 2016.

Sousa, David A. How the Brain Learns. SAGE Publications, 2016.

Walker, Matthew. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner, 2017.

Willingham, Daniel T. Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom. Wiley, 2021.

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^[1] (Willingham)

^[2] (Newport)

^[3] (Hansen)

^[4] (Sousa)

^[5] (Walker)