Three Surprising Ways to Feel
Less Busy
Christine Carter shares
her tips for achieving relaxed productivity—and why you can't afford to ignore
them.
Busyness stinks.
Although people tell me all the time they
like feeling busy—perhaps because it makes them feel important and
significant—I’m not buying it. Would you ever choose busyness over a more
relaxed form of productivity? When life starts to feel hectic, here are a few
ways to dial back the overwhelm.
1.
Give yourself a shot of awe
When researchers induced feelings of awe in people—by showing them video clips of people
next to vast things like whales or waterfalls—it altered their perception of
time such that the people felt like they had more time on their hands. So much
time on their hands, in fact, that awestruck people become likely to give away
their time by volunteering to help someone out. They also report fewer feelings
of impatience.
Not sure where to find yourself some awe?
Look no farther than YouTube. Try searching “awe” and “whales,” or just
watch this oldie but
goodie video clip—it makes me feel awestruck every time. If
the concept of “awe” feels too abstract, try thinking about things that amaze
you. What makes you feel a childlike sense of wonder? Makes you feel elevated
or inspired? Now take five minutes to let one of those things work their magic
on your busy brain.
2.
Create an anti-busyness ritual
Researchers
believe that the brains in both humans and
animals evolved to feel calmed by repetitive behavior, and that our daily
rituals are a primary way to manage stress. This is especially true in
unpredictable environments or situations where we feel pressured, a lack of
control, or threatened in some way.
When the pace of life seems to be taking off
without you, create a ritual to help you feel more in control. What counts as a
ritual? Something you do repetitively in certain situations—usually a series of
behaviors done in the same order. Think of your favorite ball player’s pregame
ritual.
When I start to feel pressured for time, my
own “busyness ritual” kicks in: I stretch my neck (first by looking to the
left, and then to the right, and then by tipping my left ear to my left
shoulder and my right ear to my right shoulder). I exhale deeply with each stretch,
and then center my head, and straighten my posture. On my last exhale, I think
to myself: “I have plenty of time.” The stretching and deep breathing may be
what helps me feel calm, but also having and using
a ritual—any ritual—can help us feel more in control
and less overwhelmed.
3.
Find “flow”
Dropping into “the zone” or finding flow is the opposite of feeling busy. Time seems to
stand still—if we are aware of time at all. Flow isn’t as elusive a state as you might think, but it
does require that we stop
multi-tasking, and that we build a fortress against
interruption around ourselves.
I know, I know. You don’t have time to foster
awe, or create an anti-busyness ritual, or stop multi-tasking. You’re too busy!
Listen: You don’t have time NOT to do these
things. Busyness is a mark of what neuroscientists call “cognitive overload.”
This state impairs our ability to think creatively, to plan, organize,
innovate, solve problems, make decisions, resist temptations, learn new things
easily, speak fluently, remember important social information, and control our
emotions. In other words, it impairs basically everything we need to do in a
given day. So if you have important work to do, please: Take five minutes to
dial back your busyness.
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/3_surprising_ways_to_feel_less_busy?utm_source=GG+Newsletter+Mar+9%2C+2016&utm_campaign=GG+Newsletter+Mar+9+2016&utm_medium=email
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