eli5 why do we “forget” long practiced skills after a period of time of not using said skills? and how can we regain those skills

Question

i noticed that after the holidays my math plummeted and teachers told me its because of the break i took… why does this happen and how can i regain those skills acquired prior to the break

In: 356

Answer 1

So there is one thing I can recommend you that Ive been doing,
though I dont even like doing it
Sometimes you need to choose to make things harder for yourself

Let me explain
Ive always been good at math and Im very good at calculating things in my head
So I do that whenever I get the chance
Even if I have a calculator or my phone, if its reasonably solvable by calculating it myself, Ill do it
Not because I want to, but because I can
Of course Ill make mistakes etc. but the point is, its not that I actively practise math,
but that I use every oppertunity I get to use it
Even if its only once or twice a month, I do this with most of my skills
Whenever I feel I havnt done x in a while Ill just take dip into it
Thats why I think ‘Use it or lose it’ is very accurate for two reasons
First, you will have a hard time retaining a skill that you never use
Second, because its not ‘Practise or lose it’
While I think practise is praise worthy, it takes time and energy which many,
myself included, have very limited amounts of
That is why I much prefer this ‘just actually use it once in a while’ approach