Brain scientists are practicing it, too! Only Successful People Know the Outrageous Benefits of Washing Dishes
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates share a hobby: washing dishes at night!
Although the truth is unknown, an urban legend has been passed down from generation to generation that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates have one thing in common: they both wash dishes at night. When I mentioned this to brain scientist Dr. Shuntoku Kato, he made the interesting comment that “Successful people are always successful in their leisure time as well. Washing dishes is leisure time? What in the world does this mean?
Dr. Kato is a well-known advocate of the “brain number” system, which classifies the brain into regions according to function. We asked him to explain the many benefits that come from washing dishes.
Washing dishes at night, an “unusual” activity, relaxes the brain.
The “washing dishes at night” is a great way to relax the brain. Whether Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates, if they are so busy, they must have conversations with many people during the day.
When you talk to people, you use your auditory and communication systems, but washing dishes involves using your hands and eyes, so you use your motor system, your visual system, and your comprehension system, which are different from those used during the day.
This is a very fresh experience that stimulates curiosity and makes you feel more alive. It is not just an extension of what you did before.
A state of “nothingness” obtained while awake
The brain is not as simple as just lying down to relieve fatigue, but rather, the brain relaxes when the parts of the brain that were being used are no longer used.
By using the brain in a different way than it is used in everyday life, the brain that was being used earlier is quieted in the head. It is very difficult not to think about anything when you are awake because of the way the brain works, but this state is close to a state of nothingness, and naturally, the brain as a whole becomes more balanced.
Using both hands facilitates the generation of ideas.
In the sense of doing something you don’t normally do, it might seem that housework such as throwing out the trash would be a good idea, but that’s not quite true.
When you throw out the trash, you only have to use one hand, but washing dishes uses both hands. Right-handed people use their left brain and left-handed people use their right brain, so both brains are activated and the motor system is used at the same time. The part where you operate both arms separately is important, and it helps to change your mood, improve your concentration, and make it easier to generate ideas.”
Touching water can flip the switch.
Using water also has great benefits. It is said that the sensory system and “emotional brain area” are stimulated.
The skin senses are stimulated more when you touch water than when you touch a computer,” he says. By experiencing water, you come back to yourself and your emotional state is regulated.
In addition, the order in which dishes are washed and how they are placed on the shelves is not a constant process. The dishes we use and the way they get dirty are different every day, so we get a stimulus similar to that of the natural environment.
Washing hands and wiping tables are similar, but the act of “washing and getting clean” is also a switch for him.
Nighttime is effective if you want to be introspective, morning if you want to switch it up.
It is also important to note that at night, it is dark and difficult to see what is going on around you, making it easier to become more introspective. This naturally leads to a deeper confrontation with oneself. However, washing dishes right before going to bed is not a good idea.
Washing dishes is not a simple task. If you use your body or eyes before bedtime, melatonin will not be produced and you will wake up, so it is best to do it two hours before bedtime if possible.
Dr. Kato’s routine includes washing dishes first thing in the morning. Washing dishes in the morning has advantages over washing dishes at night.
He says, “It is easier for people to turn on and off when their body’s behavior is the norm. So when I do the dishes in the morning, it’s easier for me to realize that when I’m done washing the dishes, I’m going to do this or that.
I used to be indecisive, putting everything off and thinking, ‘Oh, what a hassle.
He used to get scolded by his wife for making a mess in the kitchen, but now that he does it himself, he is more attentive, which is a nice bonus that his family appreciates.
How was the depth of dishwashing? If we face it from a different perspective, you and I can both become successful! Maybe?
Toshinori Kato is a neurologist, medical doctor, and director of Kato Platinum Clinic. Visiting professor at Showa University. In 2006, he founded Brain School, Inc. He has diagnosed and treated more than 10,000 people using the Kato method of MRI brain imaging (brain phase diagnosis). He also works on improving developmental disorders and dementia. He is the author of the book, “Clear Your Room and Clear Your Head! The Tidying Up Brain [new edition]” (Jiyuukokumin-sha), “How Middle-aged and Older People Can Sleep Well Until Morning” (Achievement Publishing), “Helpful Book for People Who Cannot Remember Names” (Shufunotomo Publishing), and many others.
Interview and text by： Chimasa Ide
