Thrashing, Context Switching, and the Joy of Simple Things
Have you ever heard of thrashing? This is a problem that started happening when multitasking operating systems started surging back in the 1970’s. Basically, the problem was that instead of simply working, the computer would spend more time alternating data between the memory and the disk.
Thrashing happens when the OS spends more time managing memory than running the programs. And even though it's less likely today, it could still happen today when your RAM gets full and the OS uses the disk to compensate fot it. That's when your computer freezes.
A simple example is imagining that your computer only has 1GB of RAM and you have multiple programs open: Google Chrome, Microsoft Word and a video editor. Each of them require at least 1GB of RAM to run smoothly, which means, you would need at least 3GB of RAM to have all of them open simultaneously.
To compensate for the lack of RAM, your OS will have to alternate the data stored in it with the disk whenever you change among programs. When you're browsing on Chrome, your OS will load the data for Chrome on RAM, but as soon as you switch to the video editor, it will now have to store Chrome's data in the disk and load the data of the video editor to RAM. And well, that takes time.
There's nothing new about this. As I mentioned, it's a problem we've been dealing with for more than half a century. But it wasn't until I read Algorithms to Live By by Tom Griffiths that I understood that the same happens to human beings.
Whenever we switch contexts, our brain also needs to kind of reload all the necessary information to perform the new task. That's why we hate being overwhelmed with meetings all week and messages coming from micromanagers multiple times a day. Switching contexts makes us unproductive.
I don't know about you, but I literally freeze when I need to abruptly switch contexts. While I was writing this story, for example, I was interrupted by my wife and it took me around 15 seconds of just staring at her to actually process what she was talking about. And then at least other 15 seconds to switch back to writing.
The bigger the context, the more difficult I feel it is to alternate. After spending an over a week on holidays, I took around 10 days to fully switch back to being productive at work. But unfortunately, for our brain, adding more RAM is not a possibility.
I believe this is actually why people procrastinate to take on those personal projects, play these games they want to play so badly, or do other complex tasks and end up doing simpler tasks like doom scrolling or watching something on TV they will forget about as soon as they wake up the next day. Switching contexts is expensive.
But doing simpler tasks doesn’t have to mean doom scrolling or zoning out in front of the TV. Simpler tasks can still be fulfilling and enjoyable. For me, it might mean playing Game Boy Advance games, where the mechanics are straightforward, and I can dive right in without a having to reload a full context back in.
For someone else, it could be tending to a small garden, doodling in a sketchbook, cooking a new recipe, or even assembling a puzzle. These activities let us recharge without the mental toll of switching between big, demanding contexts. They remind us that simplicity can be refreshing, not mindless.
In the end, it’s about finding balance, picking tasks that are easy to engage with, but still bring joy and meaning. And for me, that’s what keeps me in love with video games: not the complexity of new titles, but the simplicity of something like a Game Boy Advance game that fits seamlessly my life.
