So social distancing is the new normal. And of course, it could be way worse. We are not entirely in lockdown. But to be honest, it took me some time to adjust. To find a new routine. But I also felt like I should be massively productive. And it made me feel even more tired, although I’m mostly at home doing ‘nothing’. Last weekend, I participated in the webinar of Mark Tigchelaar on Focus. Topic: focus on/off. A particularly important insight: my brain needs time OFF. But how?
In these Corona quarantine times, I feel like I have so much more time to spend per day. No travelling, no concerts, no dinner parties, no yoga classes to teach. If you know me a bit, you’ll know I’m quite the active type (and I hardly watch any Netflix series). Being at home means I have time to read tons of books, catch up on series and movies. And participate in webinars! But somehow I just lacked the energy to be productive. Why am I so tired every day?
Mark Tigchelaar describes four focus leaks:
- Too little engagement;
- Too little energy;
- Too many internal triggers;
- Too many external triggers.
The engagement and energy (cumulated) are the extent to which you are resilient, and this should be more than the amount of internal and/or external triggers. This is the focus formula, as Tigchelaar calls it. In my current situation this means: if I can increase my energy and decrease the amount of internal triggers, I’m good!
My biggest learning of the webinar is on energy. You need to fuel your brain accordingly. To put it differently: you have to know how and when to take a break. Fun is not the criterium to fuel your brain! The part of your brain where you actually refuel is called the Default Mode Network. To achieve this, you cannot consume any new information and you have to consciously wander. This means no books, no podcasts, no instagram, no WhatsApp, no webinars…
Well, that explains my fatigue. My brain battery is empty before I know it. But how can I take a proper break? Dr. Srini Pillay (Harvard-Trained psychiatrist and brain researcher) advises to add no-stress zones to your day. Actually schedule a fifteen minute break. Start with one per day and increase them to three or four times a day. Brain fuel activities for these breaks could be:
- walking the dog;
- sit in your favourite spot on the couch and stare out of the window;
- painting or drawing;
- mind wandering or daydreaming;
- yoga and breathing exercises;
- meditation.
It doesn’t really matter whether you do these activities alone or together with someone. As long as it brings you a moment of peace and calm. Especially a positive-constructive daydreaming style is a good idea, according to dr. Pillay. It is associated with openness to experience, reflecting a curiosity, sensitivity, and exploration of ideas, feelings, and sensations. It helps to process whatever information your brain is working through as well. So I’ll try that one from now on. Which one sounds most appealing to you?
You can find the book of Mark Tigchelaar here, and the book of dr. Srini Pillay here.
Essence of Change 