How do you make your brain change gears?
April 2, 2017 7:33 AM Subscribe
Like a lot of people, I'm time poor and would like to get more stuff done with what free time I have: make that art, play that instrument, write that thing, etc. I don't waste much time per se, but in what I do have, the time it takes to switch between tasks and into the appropriate mental mode often negates actually getting much done, and this pattern can often discourage me from even trying. Do you have any tips/tricks for expediting switching between headspaces?
For example, I imagine having a studio/office/other dedicated space is handy for switching into a headspace/task by associating it with a physical space. This particular solution isn't practical for me as I share a small apartment with 3 other humans of various sizes, and space is at a premium.
I'm not after time organisation 'lifehacks', I'm across a lot of those, and time is a problem I think I've solved as much as I can given the commitments on my plate. I'm interested in focusing the mind as quickly as possible to doing a particular mentally intensive thing. Example things I aspire to do more: composing music; making art; academic writing; creative writing; programming; learning a language.
Why do I ask? I really miss doing the above things. I'm pretty good at/trained in the first few, and earn my living teaching a couple of them, but I want to do them in the time I have, and not let those parts of me wither away (and still keep up my job, do things with my small humans, etc.).
Advice and thoughts much appreciated.
For example, I imagine having a studio/office/other dedicated space is handy for switching into a headspace/task by associating it with a physical space. This particular solution isn't practical for me as I share a small apartment with 3 other humans of various sizes, and space is at a premium.
I'm not after time organisation 'lifehacks', I'm across a lot of those, and time is a problem I think I've solved as much as I can given the commitments on my plate. I'm interested in focusing the mind as quickly as possible to doing a particular mentally intensive thing. Example things I aspire to do more: composing music; making art; academic writing; creative writing; programming; learning a language.
Why do I ask? I really miss doing the above things. I'm pretty good at/trained in the first few, and earn my living teaching a couple of them, but I want to do them in the time I have, and not let those parts of me wither away (and still keep up my job, do things with my small humans, etc.).
Advice and thoughts much appreciated.
You could try and find a intermediate task. Like make a cup of coffee or tea, that task ends the previous project in your mind and clears it for the next project.
posted by magnetsphere at 7:55 AM on April 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by magnetsphere at 7:55 AM on April 2, 2017 [5 favorites]
You kind of have to retrain yourself to get back into the mindset. Anything that you really, really love and that feels like a little luxury/treat will help get the juices flowing. Bonus points for doing that little treat regularly, since you'll then see doing something enjoyable as a regular part of life. I was on a tightrope of "will have to declare bankruptcy if an emergency of more than twenty euros occurs" (I'm not joking) for the last three years, and since I knew it might last a while and didn't want to lose my creative side, I made a real point of doing things that were little luxuries on the regular. No joke, it saved my sanity. You don't have to spend money for things to feel luxurious. Sometimes a long bath or just sitting and listening to your favorite music does the trick.
posted by fraula at 8:00 AM on April 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by fraula at 8:00 AM on April 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
A mindfulness practice might help. You might also want to look into the various things studied and written about "getting into flow," or about flow states in general -- the underlying message is usually about mindfulness (as well as about choosing challenging and meaningful tasks, but you seem to have that part covered).
posted by lazuli at 8:01 AM on April 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by lazuli at 8:01 AM on April 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've had luck with reading short chunks of books or articles related to my hobbies. A couple of paragraphs from a book on painting inspires me and gets me focused on painting, and then I grab some materials and go for it. Looking through half-done work or project ideas has a similar effect on me.
It might also be helpful to "do a button" on your day job if you don't already. For me it's been helpful to write down all my loose ends/things to do next at the end of the day - then I know they are captured and I can mentally shut the door on work.
Some of these things, like learning a language, you can make some headway on just by committing a few minutes a day to Duolingo.
A short meditation ritual could be good too.
posted by bunderful at 8:02 AM on April 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
It might also be helpful to "do a button" on your day job if you don't already. For me it's been helpful to write down all my loose ends/things to do next at the end of the day - then I know they are captured and I can mentally shut the door on work.
Some of these things, like learning a language, you can make some headway on just by committing a few minutes a day to Duolingo.
A short meditation ritual could be good too.
posted by bunderful at 8:02 AM on April 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
One thing that helps is to have whatever tools you need ready to go, and leave yourself a hook to get started. For instance, I'll try to end a stint of writing by writing one or two sentences of the next paragraph, so that when I return, I can pick up by elaborating an idea that's already there, instead of having to start from scratch.
posted by brianogilvie at 8:06 AM on April 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by brianogilvie at 8:06 AM on April 2, 2017 [4 favorites]
I've had some luck using an essential oil diffuser add relating certain talks to certain smells. There are a lot of pre mixed combinations out there aimed at just this. You do need to use it for a bit before hand until your brain ties the smell to the task.
posted by wwax at 8:30 AM on April 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by wwax at 8:30 AM on April 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
What works for me is FIRST getting ready and THEN taking the transition time. So say I know I need to work on Project X, but I'm mentally a million miles from there and I know I need transition time. So first I'll get everything ready. I'll find the reference materials and put them in the right place, I'll put the laptop where I'm going to be working, I'll get the snacks I know I'll need, go to the bathroom, whatever. (These prep tasks don't take concentration, but not having them done before I sit down would mean that I couldn't get straight to the work.) Then I check what time it is, give myself 15 minutes or whatever to empty my head, knowing that everything is ready for me to start at the appointed time.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:47 AM on April 2, 2017 [14 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:47 AM on April 2, 2017 [14 favorites]
Back when I was a smoker, going outside for a cigarette break was a great way to mark the end of one task and gear up for the next, all while watching the world go by. After I quit, I struggled with transitions until I realized that I could still go outside for ten minutes and do the same thIng. That's my ritual, but the important thing is for you to find one that works for you. Getting out of the workspace, however, is key IMHO. Otherwise your mind just looks at all the stuff and churns.
posted by carmicha at 9:20 AM on April 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by carmicha at 9:20 AM on April 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
Oh and in inclement weather, I play a video game I like that has meditative qualities that get me into the zone. After about five minutes, there's a shift and suddenly I'm ready, to the point of being slightly impatient for the game to end.
posted by carmicha at 9:23 AM on April 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by carmicha at 9:23 AM on April 2, 2017 [1 favorite]
You say you don't want more time organization 'lifehacks,' but I'm curious as to whether or not you are specifically planning time to engage in these activities? I had a similar problem where I wanted to do these things, but I was always stuck in 'doing Important Things (tm)' mode and could never switch to these. What really helped me was to start the practice of timeblocking , and--here's the important part--specifically scheduling blocks of time in which I engage in the things I like/want to do. I schedule them on a weekly basis, so that I'm trying to do these things at the same time every week. That really has helped my brain switch because just having that schedule (and reminders on my phone) helps me realize "all right, now it's writing/reading/video game time."
Here's what my Google Calendar looks like. The pink is for my "habits," calendar, e.g. things I want to engage in more. Now, I almost never stick to this schedule and frequently move items around or skip them altogether if it's a busy week. But I think it has helped me considerably, I'm definitely engaging in these things more than I used to. It also helps when I put specifics to it; as you can see, for video games I'm committing to completing Broken Sword 2. That also helps make a switch because it's concrete. If you just have the vague idea of "I want to write/draw/compose/read" it can be a lot harder than if you have a very specific plan in mind. Write down specifically what you want to try and compose, program, make. If you don't know, then schedule that time as a brainstorming session so you'll have something for the next time. It doesn't have to be super detailed or rigid, especially not with creative endeavors, but just something as simply as "I want to write a story about x characters doing y thing" can help. You're not obligated to stick with it! But it may at least give you enough structure to be able to switch.
posted by brook horse at 9:58 AM on April 2, 2017 [13 favorites]
Here's what my Google Calendar looks like. The pink is for my "habits," calendar, e.g. things I want to engage in more. Now, I almost never stick to this schedule and frequently move items around or skip them altogether if it's a busy week. But I think it has helped me considerably, I'm definitely engaging in these things more than I used to. It also helps when I put specifics to it; as you can see, for video games I'm committing to completing Broken Sword 2. That also helps make a switch because it's concrete. If you just have the vague idea of "I want to write/draw/compose/read" it can be a lot harder than if you have a very specific plan in mind. Write down specifically what you want to try and compose, program, make. If you don't know, then schedule that time as a brainstorming session so you'll have something for the next time. It doesn't have to be super detailed or rigid, especially not with creative endeavors, but just something as simply as "I want to write a story about x characters doing y thing" can help. You're not obligated to stick with it! But it may at least give you enough structure to be able to switch.
posted by brook horse at 9:58 AM on April 2, 2017 [13 favorites]
Time blocking is a good hack in that it pre blocks out the time needed to do the things you want to do. I use kanbanflow with a built in Pomodoro timer. That way I can choose an activity, do consistent time blocks, take a break, then continue. Helps a lot to have that time frame completely devoted to one activity with no interruptions to get in solid concentration.
posted by diode at 11:19 AM on April 2, 2017
posted by diode at 11:19 AM on April 2, 2017
Assign yourself activities that do not require the use of words before you switch to a creative pursuit. For example don't make phone calls before you sit down to write, and don't have a meal with other people where there will be conversation, and don't listen to your French conversation practice tape and don't work alongside someone else preparing frozen dinners for the following work week where the pair of you will be talking about if the dish needs more onions. Instead do something like laundry, alone, or commuting on the bus with strangers who are all staring woodenly into their handhelds, or do your yoga to a tape that has music without words on it.
Words will crowd out thought. If you can choose to do tasks that do not require processing the meaning of speech, or trying to ignore speech, your brain will not have to switch gears from as far. If you can mentally start working during this speechless period, imagining the colours shading from magenta into crimson in your painting, or pithy spurts of dialogue for your writing. If you want to do creative pursuits you need downtime from interacting with people where you can retreat into your head. But you don't have to be alone in your shared apartment. You just have to be able to stay in your own head.
Mentally rehearsing goes a long way to helping with the transition. So before you sit down with Duo-Lingo, recount what you are doing: "I am trying to get the irregular verbs perfect this time, and retain those new reflexive verbs, there are eight or nine of them, I think that I got last time, and then the four awful once I haven't remembered yet... wasn't one of them the verb for putting on make-up? That was the meaning, but what was the word... Mucky- something."
And before you go back to an essay plan out: "The part I need to write next is going to bridge the idea of child abandonment with selective breeding, so compare it to the idea of culling - but not in depth or it will sound harsh. I want to emphasis that the parent is forced to this choice and simply can't afford to try and feed two kids now or they both starve..."
I save coffee for when I am about to do something creative. That is when I want my brain to have its peak functioning. So I have weak tea or non-caffeine beverages until the moment when I sit down at my desk to work on a piece of fiction.
The next time you are working at one of those creative pursuits successfully take a little time to observe how your body feels. Is your back supple? Your shoulders hunched with focusing? Is your jaw relaxed and your lips parted? Just as smiling makes you more cheerful, learning how to deliberately place your body into the physical mode for the creative pursuit can make a difference. If this is too difficult you might also be successful with doing a couple of minutes of stretching exercises while thinking about what you want to write, or code, or learn.
posted by Jane the Brown at 1:07 PM on April 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
Words will crowd out thought. If you can choose to do tasks that do not require processing the meaning of speech, or trying to ignore speech, your brain will not have to switch gears from as far. If you can mentally start working during this speechless period, imagining the colours shading from magenta into crimson in your painting, or pithy spurts of dialogue for your writing. If you want to do creative pursuits you need downtime from interacting with people where you can retreat into your head. But you don't have to be alone in your shared apartment. You just have to be able to stay in your own head.
Mentally rehearsing goes a long way to helping with the transition. So before you sit down with Duo-Lingo, recount what you are doing: "I am trying to get the irregular verbs perfect this time, and retain those new reflexive verbs, there are eight or nine of them, I think that I got last time, and then the four awful once I haven't remembered yet... wasn't one of them the verb for putting on make-up? That was the meaning, but what was the word... Mucky- something."
And before you go back to an essay plan out: "The part I need to write next is going to bridge the idea of child abandonment with selective breeding, so compare it to the idea of culling - but not in depth or it will sound harsh. I want to emphasis that the parent is forced to this choice and simply can't afford to try and feed two kids now or they both starve..."
I save coffee for when I am about to do something creative. That is when I want my brain to have its peak functioning. So I have weak tea or non-caffeine beverages until the moment when I sit down at my desk to work on a piece of fiction.
The next time you are working at one of those creative pursuits successfully take a little time to observe how your body feels. Is your back supple? Your shoulders hunched with focusing? Is your jaw relaxed and your lips parted? Just as smiling makes you more cheerful, learning how to deliberately place your body into the physical mode for the creative pursuit can make a difference. If this is too difficult you might also be successful with doing a couple of minutes of stretching exercises while thinking about what you want to write, or code, or learn.
posted by Jane the Brown at 1:07 PM on April 2, 2017 [3 favorites]
Two things:
1. Try to eliminate activities that suck you into "unproductive time". For example: sitting down to "watch a few minutes of television" can be an amazing time-suck.
2. I've found that taking a shower can be a really good way to shift gears into a new activity.
posted by doctor tough love at 8:02 PM on April 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
1. Try to eliminate activities that suck you into "unproductive time". For example: sitting down to "watch a few minutes of television" can be an amazing time-suck.
2. I've found that taking a shower can be a really good way to shift gears into a new activity.
posted by doctor tough love at 8:02 PM on April 2, 2017 [2 favorites]
Time blocking is a good hack in that it pre blocks out the time needed to do the things you want to do. I use kanbanflow with a built in Pomodoro timer. That way I can choose an activity, do consistent time blocks, take a break, then continue. Helps a lot to have that time frame completely devoted to one activity with no interruptions to get in solid concentration.
posted by diode at 11:19 AM on April 2 [+] [!]
I just want to thank you for introducing me to kanbanflow. I owe you my first born or equivalent.
So....one more vote for that.
posted by schadenfrau at 1:14 PM on April 3, 2017
posted by diode at 11:19 AM on April 2 [+] [!]
I just want to thank you for introducing me to kanbanflow. I owe you my first born or equivalent.
So....one more vote for that.
posted by schadenfrau at 1:14 PM on April 3, 2017
Try transitional tasks - something easy and fun that moves you into the activity you're about to focus on. Maybe think of it as warming up.
For music, it could be playing an easy fun song, or even doing scales if you can make them fun. For language, it could be a quick review of your previous week's vocabulary, or a read-through (out loud) of an older dialog you studied (something that's pretty easy for you now). For programming, it could be writing a super simple mock program (steps for making a sandwich, complete with variables) or a little chant of some of your favorite function names.
Whatever you pick, it should be
* easy
* fun
* doing the activity you want to focus on
Also, I find that actually naming transitions to myself can really help me shift. So, something like:
"Here I go. I'm about to make some art. First, I'll warm up." (Say this out loud, or at least say the actual words in your head.)
Now, spend 5 minutes doodling faces, or dogs, or whatever; maybe fill a page with big loose sketches.
Now, your warm-up is complete, and you can dive in.
posted by kristi at 10:51 AM on April 6, 2017
For music, it could be playing an easy fun song, or even doing scales if you can make them fun. For language, it could be a quick review of your previous week's vocabulary, or a read-through (out loud) of an older dialog you studied (something that's pretty easy for you now). For programming, it could be writing a super simple mock program (steps for making a sandwich, complete with variables) or a little chant of some of your favorite function names.
Whatever you pick, it should be
* easy
* fun
* doing the activity you want to focus on
Also, I find that actually naming transitions to myself can really help me shift. So, something like:
"Here I go. I'm about to make some art. First, I'll warm up." (Say this out loud, or at least say the actual words in your head.)
Now, spend 5 minutes doodling faces, or dogs, or whatever; maybe fill a page with big loose sketches.
Now, your warm-up is complete, and you can dive in.
posted by kristi at 10:51 AM on April 6, 2017
Response by poster: Hi everyone, I just wanted to drop back in to say thanks for all the suggestions - I've been trying them out in my slivers of time (even smaller at the moment due to a marking period at work), and am finding different ones helpful in different ways.
Also I wanted to share one I discovered myself in the process - I'm using it right now in fact - having a radio on with the volume just at the threshold of audibility. I'm finding it generates a kind of distraction that cancels out, or maybe occupies, distracting parts of my thought process, and lets what's left hone in on the task at hand. I do have to keep turning it down every 10 minutes or so though, as my ears acclimate to each new low level. Come to think of it, I may have just partially re-invented Eno style ambient music :)
Well anyway, that's a thing that's working for me, as well as several of the above. Thanks! You're the best hive mind a cheesetree could ask for.
posted by threecheesetrees at 7:01 AM on April 16, 2017 [3 favorites]
Also I wanted to share one I discovered myself in the process - I'm using it right now in fact - having a radio on with the volume just at the threshold of audibility. I'm finding it generates a kind of distraction that cancels out, or maybe occupies, distracting parts of my thought process, and lets what's left hone in on the task at hand. I do have to keep turning it down every 10 minutes or so though, as my ears acclimate to each new low level. Come to think of it, I may have just partially re-invented Eno style ambient music :)
Well anyway, that's a thing that's working for me, as well as several of the above. Thanks! You're the best hive mind a cheesetree could ask for.
posted by threecheesetrees at 7:01 AM on April 16, 2017 [3 favorites]
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