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WORK SMART

457 SHARES

THE SCIENCE BEHIND

DAYDREAMING AND HOW

YOU CAN RETRAIN YOUR

BRAIN TO FOCUSOUR BRAINS AREN'T DESIGNED FOR THE TYPE OF WORK WE DO,

WHICH IS WHY WE'RE ALWAYS DISTRACTED. BUT TWO RULES CAN

HELP YOU RETRAIN YOUR BRAIN.

BY STEPHANIE VOZZA

The secret to productivity isnt getting more things done; its gettingthe right things done. It sounds simple, but the problem is that ofce

workers are interrupted, or sel-interrupt, about every three minutes,

according to a study rom the niversity o !aliornia, Irvine, as

reported in the Wall Street Journal. These distractions get in the way

and derail your intentions.

"#esearch has shown that our minds are wandering $%.&' o the time,"

says #asmus (ougaard, coauthor o One Second Ahead: Enhance YourPerformance at Work With Mindfulness. "Its not hugely surprising that

the )orld (ealth *rgani+ationpredicts work-related stress, burnout,

and depression to be among the worlds most prevalent diseases by

."

http://www.fastcompany.com/section/work-smarthttp://www.fastcompany.com/user/stephanie-vozzahttp://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324339204578173252223022388http://science.sciencemag.org/content/330/6006/932.full?sid=3d27f229-6e05-4828-b560-1516e79f2a4dhttp://www.amazon.com/One-Second-Ahead-Performance-Mindfulness/dp/1137551909http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-Ahead-Performance-Mindfulness/dp/1137551909http://www.who.int/mental_health/advocacy/en/Call_for_Action_MoH_Intro.pdfhttp://www.fastcompany.com/user/stephanie-vozzahttp://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324339204578173252223022388http://science.sciencemag.org/content/330/6006/932.full?sid=3d27f229-6e05-4828-b560-1516e79f2a4dhttp://www.amazon.com/One-Second-Ahead-Performance-Mindfulness/dp/1137551909http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-Ahead-Performance-Mindfulness/dp/1137551909http://www.who.int/mental_health/advocacy/en/Call_for_Action_MoH_Intro.pdfhttp://www.fastcompany.com/section/work-smart

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nortunately, part o the problem is that our brains arent built or

todays world, says (ougaard. ")e still have a brain well suited or a

hunter lie, where work had a singular ocus," he says. "*ur brain is not

designed or the kind o work we now do, especially in ofces. The

deault or our brain is to want to do all o it at the same time, and we

arent naturally able to cope with that. rom a neurological point o

view, we need an upgrade."

THE DEFAULT FOR OUR BRAIN IS TO WANT TO DO ALL OF IT AT THE SAME TIME,

AND WE ARENT NATURALLY ABLE TO COPE WITH THAT.

/nother reason our brains like to wander is that it receives a reward

each time it "accomplishes" a new task. #esearchers rom (arvard

niversity oundthat multitasking provides a dopamine in0ection to the

brain. 1opamine is a naturally produced neurotransmitter that is

directly linked to addiction, and when its released, it provides a sense

o grati2cation and en0oyment.

"3ven small insigni2cant things like checking email give your brain a

dopamine release," says (ougaard. "4ultitasking trains the brain to

welcome distractions and all o the inefciencies it creates. 5hiting

back and orth between tasks oten eels e6citing, even though its

physically draining and stressul."

7oosting productivity and ocus re8uires working against the brains

natural tendencies. "9ou have to override the brain wanting to do more

at a time, especially the small, insigni2cant things," says (ougaard.

This is done through mindulness training, which involves two rules.

TWO RULES OF BEING MORE MINDFUL

1. Focus on what you choose.The 2rst rule is to recogni+e that the

overwhelming ma0ority o distractions are irrelevant and can be set

aside in the moment, says (ougaard. In act, almost all distractions

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/organization/recovering_from_information_overloadhttp://www.mckinsey.com/insights/organization/recovering_from_information_overload

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can be let go, and by consciously choosing where to ocus your

attention, you avoid becoming a victim o distraction.

"4indulness training is the ability to notice distractions without getting

distracted by them," he says. ")hen a distraction arises, you see it and

can let it go."

SHIFTING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TASKS OFTEN FEELS EXCITING, EVEN

THOUGH ITS PHYSICALLY DRAINING AND STRESSFUL.

4indulness helps you ocus on long-term goals versus short-term

grati2cation, says (ougaard. "9ou can mindully discern in the moment

what is important and what is urgent," he says. ")hat is important is

oten not urgent."

2. Choose distractions mindfully.The ne6t rule is to be strategic about

when you will handle distractions, because at some point, youre going

to have to answer the emails or talk to the coworker who needs to ask

a 8uestion. The key is to recogni+e that you are in control o

distractions and not the other way around.

9ou have three options when it comes to a distraction, says (ougaard:

1. Let it go completely

2. Deal with it at a specific time in the future

3. Fully turn your attention to it

"9ou do only the right things in the right moment," he says. "I

suddenly your boss comes in the door, you recogni+e that this

distraction is more important than what youre doing now, and you

make the conscious choice to shit your ocus."

HOW IT WILL CHANGE YOUR BRAIN

7y ollowing these two rules, youll strengthen your brains prerontal

corte6, which is the part o the brain that gives you the ability to steer

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at will, ocus on the tasks at hand, and gain intentional control over

"digital weapons o mass distraction," says (ougaard.

4indulness training helps us overcome action addiction by helping

maintain priorities. "4ost o us have action addition; its that dopamine

craving," says (ougaard. ")ere spinning our wheels with insigni2cant

things. 9ou run ast without achieving anything. Its so widespread, and

its the main threat to mental eectiveness and productivity."

)ith practice, youll improve your ability to ocus or longer periods o

time, and part o it is due to our brains makeup. 4indulness training

increases the level o serotonin in our brain, a chemical that balances

out the negative eect o dopamine. "5erotonin is the antidote, and it

makes it easier or us to rerain rom things we crave, and gives us

better impulse control," says (ougaard.

Madness and Genius:Cosmologist Janna Levin on

the Vitalizing Power ofObsessiveness, from Newtonto instein

https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spots-madness/https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spots-madness/https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spots-madness/https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spots-madness/https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spots-madness/https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spots-madness/https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spots-madness/https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/01/janna-levin-how-the-universe-got-its-spots-madness/

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Are all of natures greatest secrets encrypted in our own selves?

BY MARIA POPOVA

One ap!"#$%#& e(#n#%#!n !( )ane$$ #$ "epea%#n* a

+ea#!" %a% a$ p"e#!-$/ e %! #$app!#n%#n* "e$-%$ !e" an !e" a*a#n,

e0pe&%#n* a #((e"en% !-%&!)e ea& %#)e. F"e- &!#ne %e &!n&ep% !( 1"epe%#%#!n

&!)p-$#!n2 a"!-n %#$ n!%#!n. B-% I3) a p!$%4F"e-#an !p%#)#$% 5 I +e#ee

%a% 6e "epea% !-" pe"#!-$ pa%%e"n$ n!% !-% !( +#n &!)p-$#!n +-% +e&a-$e %#$

#$ !6 6e e!e. T#$, a(%e" a, #$ !6 e!-%#!n 6!"7$ #n a $en%#(#& $en$e 5

"epe%#%#!n is#%$ p"#)a"/ "##n* (!"&e. O"*an#$)$ !n/ ee" &an*e +/ &!-n%e$$

#%e"a%#!n$, )a7#n* $-+%e an #)pe"&ep%#+e $e(4%"an$(!")a%#!n$ 6#% ea& %-"n

!( %e "ep"!-&%#e &/&e 5 aap%#e &an*e$ #n %e $e"#&e !( %e#" !p%#)a

$-"#a, #%e"a%#e #n%#)a%#!n$ !( &!n%#n-a +e%%e")en% 6#$pe"e #n%! %e ea" !(

%#)e -n%# %e !"*an#$) e)e"*e$ a$ an en%#"e/ ne6 &"ea%-"e.

S#n&e !-" +#!!*/ an !-" p$/&!!*/ a"e so symbiotically entwined, %#$

%!! )-$% +e !6 !-" &!n$!-$ne$$ e!e$ an !6 an/ )ean#n*(- &an*e

&!)e$ a+!-%. Te #$%!"/ !( #nn!a%#!n !((e"$ pen%/ !( %e$%a)en%$ 5 )!$% !(

%e pe!pe 6e &ee+"a%e a$ *en#-$e$, 6!$e +"ea7%"!-*$ (!"ee" &an*e !-"

-ne"$%an#n* !( %e 6!" an !-" e0pe"#en&e !( #(e, a+!"e -ne" Da#

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F!$%e" Waa&e3$ de2nition o true heroism5 1)#n-%e$, !-"$, 6ee7$,

/ea" -p!n /ea" !( %e 8-#e%, p"e$e, 9-#!-$ e0e"$e !( p"!+#%/ an &a"e 5

6#% n! !ne %e"e %! $ee !" &ee".2 :a"#e C-"#e %!#e #n e" a+ -n%# e0&e$$#e

e0p!$-"e %! "a#a%#!n +e*!% %e (#n#%-e !( e" (e$, 6!/ -np"!%e&%e +/ e"%6! N!+e P"#;e$. T"a#+a;#n* a$%"!n!)e" :a"#a :#%&e )ae e"$e(

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/rt by >auren #edniss rom %adioactive, an illustrated celebration o4arie !uries lie and legacy

An artist needs a certain amount of turmoil and

confusion&$=!n# :#%&e !+$e"e #ncontemplating madness and

the creative mind. B-% pe"ap$ %e $#n*-a" %-")!# !( &"ea%#e *en#-$e$ #$

p"e$e/ %#$ &!)p-$#!n (!" #%e"a%#e +e%%e")en%, 6#& )a/ *#e %e #-$#!n!( )ane$$ %! %e !-%$#e 6!" +-% 6#& "e)a#n$ a &en%"a #%a#;#n* (!"&e #n

%e #n%e"#!" #(e !( *en#-$.

T#$ "ea%#!n$#p +e%6een *en#-$ an )ane$$ #$ 6a% %e!"e%#&a &!$)!!*#$%

an a$%"!p/$#$%Janna Levine0a)#ne$ #n a p!"%#!n !( How the

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Universe Got Its Spots: Diary of a Finite Time in a Finite

Space>'u(lic li(rar#? 5 an #n(#n#%e/ "e6a"#n* an -n-$-a +!!7, +!%

"#*!"!-$ an /"#&a, a*!6 6#% the triecta o what makes great

science writing.Le#n, 6! &a"a&%e"#;e$ e" (a$na%#!n 6#% %e )ane$$ !( )a%e)a%#an$ a$

1)!"+# +-% a")e$$2 an 6!ne"$ 6e%e" 1+"-$e$ 6#% #n$an#%/ a"e

!&&-pa%#!na a;a"$,2 6"#%e$