Studies show that even in our free time we often don’t do what we like best - we do what is easy. Which of these do you often say: “I am distracted and put off”; "I make plans, but do not fulfill them"; "I do things ... but the wrong things"?
The problem often boils down to one word - “hyperactivity”.
Maybe this is not exactly the definition you expected to hear. But hyperactivity is a problem that people have been pondering over for millennia. And yes, this problem is bigger now than ever.
What is it? What can we do about it? Neurobiology and the ancient wisdom of Buddhism and Stoicism have answers.
Your overactive brain
Maybe you are lazy, or maybe not. But one thing is certain: you have a brain.
Studies show that even in our free time we often don’t do what we like best - we do what is easy. Your brain does not want to waste energy. So you are always lazy. The problem is that the world is not lazy and changeable.
Everything requires our attention. We would like to make a plan and follow it implicitly or to achieve goals without distractions, but the world seems to be working against us.
World versus
The world does not act in our long-term interests. Imagine that you are walking along the street and every store is trying to get your money right now; you have a phone in your pocket and every application wants to control your attention right now.
Most of the entities in our lives really want us to make mistakes in their favor. Your lazy brain is happy to simply respond to this ongoing bombardment of irritants. But when you react immediately, you usually make the best choice. And although you definitely do something in your interests, you rarely achieve your goals. This is because when you react, you are not in control of your life. In fact, the reaction is the opposite of control. You see something fun and follow it. You see something scary and run away. In any case, your environment determines your behavior.
Reaction
The irony is that we so often say to others: “Do not tell me what to do!” And yet too often we let the world around us determine our actions. We do not start with plans and decisions, we respond.
And while technology has exacerbated the problem, this problem has existed forever. About 2000 years ago, the Stoic philosopher Epictetus said the following: “If a person gives your body to a passerby, you will be furious. Nevertheless, you pass your mind on to anyone who comes and offends you, leaving you alarmed and troubled. Aren't you ashamed of it? ”
More often we need to retreat, and not give a lightning reaction. But how do we do this? Check out the tips.
Control the environment
Brian Wansink is a professor at Cornell who studies eating behavior. One of the main things that he found in the habit of overeating is that this rarely happens due to hunger. This is usually due to the situation. Why do we eat more than necessary?
You eat less when food is farther, and more when it is closer. Professor Brian says: “People would eat half as much if we just removed a plate of sweets from the table and set it at a distance of two meters.”
Therefore, when you need to finish the job, put the phone on the other side of the room. Removing distractions is much more difficult. When you are surrounded by fewer things that you will respond to, you will become less hyperactive.
What do you need to do when you are faced with something that puts you in a hyperactive mode?
Take it easy
Pause for a few seconds. As Marcus Aurelius said a long time ago: “The first thing to do is to stop. The next thing to do is to carefully consider the task at your fingertips and remember that your main goal is to be a good person. ”
And modern science agrees with this. All these emotions will not help. Albert Bernstein, a clinical psychiatrist, says that peace is the key to making the right decisions. The basic idea is that in many situations you react with instincts programmed into the dinosaur’s brain, rather than thinking through a situation.
Neuroscientists say stress puts your prefrontal cortex - the rational part of your brain - offline. Simply put, stress makes you stupid. And that is why a simple reaction often makes you do stupid things.
OK, you paused. But you cannot just stop yourself every time something tempting appears. So what's next?
Think about your goals
Make sure the most important thing remains the most important. Even the ancient Stoics knew this. Epictetus said: “First, tell yourself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do. Those who play sports, first choose the sport they want to practice, and then do the job. ”
The ancient Buddhist practice of mindfulness is based on the same. Joseph Goldstein, one of the leading experts in this field, said something very similar: “Where is this action going? Do I want to go there? Is this thought that has come up useful to me? Does she serve me or others in some way or not? Is it just a game, perhaps fear instincts or things that are not very useful to me or others? ”
And modern researchers in the field of neurology agree with both statements.
Thinking about your long-term goals, when you are tempted by something, gives your brain a sense of control and releases dopamine, which will make you feel better and more motivated.
Alex Korb, a neuroscientist at the University of California, said: “You need to remember what your long-term goal is and what you are trying to achieve. If you remember this, then you can actually do your homework, and not go to a party, because then your brain says: “Oh yes. I work to achieve this. I’m doing something meaningful to myself. ”
So, you are calm and think about your goals. Now the hardest part.
Make an informed decision
It’s hard to refuse fun distractions. Resisting the urge to put off is really hard. So take a second to consciously decide not to give up. Neurobiology proves that a pause helps to avoid making the wrong decision.
Follow your long-term goals. Neurobiologist Alex Korb says: “When the prefrontal cortex is disconnected from stress, we do what pleases us. Ask yourself: “What can I do now to get closer to the goal I'm trying to achieve?” By taking one small step towards this, you will feel more manageable.
Summarizing
To resist distractions and learn to concentrate, you must:
- control the situation: you cannot react to what is not there;
- keep calm: stress makes you stupid. Stress and reaction to it leads to stupid behavior;
- think about your goals: focus on what is really important;
- make a smart decision: when you do this, your brain will better withstand stress, and your productivity will increase.
You do not need to respond immediately. You do not need to react to this amazing smell and eat all the cookies. You can pause, stay calm, think about your goals and decide what to do right.
We are all so afraid of getting bored that we are running to any distracting factor.But when we truly communicate with the world and concentrate on our goals, we are never bored.