Being Preoccupied throughout the Day Does Not Mean Getting More Done
Pause content consumption to be more efficient
“Hustle”
“Make the most of every minute.”
“Be productive”
“Run, run, run.”
These thoughts have been embedded in the chipset of our minds (NGL drew this idea from Neuralink). We live in a world where we constantly have our hands full. Our minds are bent on being preoccupied with an activity, maybe a fruitful one, or just binge-watching or scrolling on social media. This culture has grown onto us so much that we try to multitask by consuming content at every possibility.
This multitasking culture has been normalized to the extent that we tend to multitask while attending to menial tasks or when the situation doesn’t really demand it. I am not dissing the idea of multitasking. Maybe your work demands it. Your responsibilities demand it. Your ambitions demand it. Fair enough.
What about content consumption and multitasking that can be omitted? We have an inherent compulsion to feed our minds with some content just because we can. Even the idea of a 2-minute break results in picking up our phones.
Scrolling on Instagram or social media while eating just because my other hand is free.
Listening to music or reading something while commuting because I can.
Listening to a podcast while doing the dishes or any chores because I want to “Be more productive.”
Sounds relatable?
We all have been there. I am not totally against this. We all have a lot on our plates. We are racing against time to make the most of it. But we need a break.
We often deem that consciously giving our mind some break is pointless. Here’s why you should be giving.
Eureka moment
Remember, you were trying so hard to recollect the person’s name or the place but couldn’t?
But you remembered it, out of the blue at a later point in time.
Or you were stuck with a problem at work, and you racked your brain to come up with a solution. But the Eureka moment or commonly “it-struck-me,” happens after you stop pressuring the brain to produce results.
“When you’re completely stuck on a problem, setting it aside can lead to new ideas or even flashes of insight,” says Mark Beeman, chair of psychology at Northwestern University and author of The Eureka Factor
This happens because we want to churn the brain and exploit it to produce the best results at all times.
There is an immeasurable difference between data and information in computer science. Putting it in plain English, data is a set of raw and unorganized facts. It could be from the video you saw or an article you read. You learnt about something in the form of bare facts and figures, which is technically meaningless. Information is when we process this data and turn it into something meaningful. It is when we question the data and analyse it to draw insights from, is when we are turning it into something meaningful.
We need to give our brain some time to ingest the contents that it has been fed with. When we take breaks, the brain automatically goes into the rewind state and processes the data. It needs this time to process. We do process it partially while being exposed to the content, but we REFLECT only when we give it some time to breathe and incubate the data.
The loudness of the silence
We are attuned to listening to others, seeing others’ lives, updating ourselves about the world, and consuming every moment. How often is it about YOU? SELF REFLECTING. ASSESSING YOURSELF. About how you feel? When will we listen to ourselves? When will we observe and see ourselves and listen to our thoughts?
“Me” time is not necessarily when you please yourself by indulging in your desires. It need not be sitting idle and doing nothing. It can be as simple as doing menial tasks along with listening to your thoughts. Let your thoughts run wild. We are partially harnessing its potential. We can direct the unused rest to our thoughts. This is achievable while doing chores because we do not deploy the complete capabilities of the brain and we have trained ourselves to multitask even herculean undertakings.
The science behind journaling works in similar ways. Most people complain of not having the time to journal or are too drained out by the end of the day to reflect. Again, I am not suggesting using this as a complete replacement for journaling. Journalling is more scrupulous and intense, but this simple practice of breaking the vicious cycle of consuming media throughout the day might be insightful.
We have romanticized “2-am-thoughts” and the silence of the night. Most people generate the best ideas late at night or early in the morning. This is because the mind is relaxed and we are not keeping it preoccupied with consuming media. But to be honest, if we shut our minds to the outside turbulence once in a while, then this state of “2-am-thoughts” can be lived in the day.¹
Apparently, cognitive scientists have found out that there’s a phenomenon called “pattern recognition” that takes place in the brain only when it is in a very relaxed state. In this process, the brain is relaxed enough to make new connections and allow new neural pathways to form. This helps us find creative solutions for problems we otherwise might not have thought of.²
Conclusion
Freeing your mind from the shackles of constantly consuming to channelise the energy can be work wonders during a jam-packed workday while we are juggling different tasks at hand. On the contrary, letting your thoughts run haywire on a leisurely day might make you a victim of overthinking. Hence, learn to draw boundaries in case you are falling into the abyss.
Footnotes
[1]: We tend to come up with better ideas at night because of the chemical changes that occur in the brain. These chemicals induce better creativity by transitioning the brain into a relaxed state. Here, I am only trying to imply that we can externally create a conducive environment.
[2]: https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Why-Do-My-Best-Ideas-Come-Night-44901748
