How I reset my brain

Going from muddled to clear, as quickly as possible

If you’re feeling stuck for ideas and just can’t seem to get focused on the task at hand, it might be time for a brain reset. Feeling muddled can happen for any number of reasons: too much information, distractions overload, procrastination due to lack of enjoyment, or often in my case with a young baby - lack of sleep. But whatever the reason, there is a simple way to reset yourself and think clearly again.

Here are the things I’ve tried that don’t work for me:

• Staring at the screen in the hope that I’ll get a sudden brilliant idea - it never comes;

• Setting myself mini deadlines throughout the task to focus on getting it done - it’s exhausting to monitor the deadlines as well as do the work;

• Eating a procrastination snack or drinking coffee - leaves me feeling lethargic and even sleepier;

• Getting distracted by something else - it’s so hard to focus again afterwards.

Thankfully, I have come across things that do work for me:

As a self-proclaimed ‘hippy’ my first port of call is to get grounding on the grass, with no shoes or socks on, whilst listening to my favourite podcasts. Don’t laugh, it really does work. I wrote about it here if you are interested in how it works.

The next best thing that I’ve found is to completely detach from the topic I’m working on during a brisk walk.  Ideally that walk would be scenic and beautiful, like this one that I did a few weekends ago:

But those kind of walks are not feasible for me (or the majority of people I would imagine) during the week when they’re in back to back meetings for most of the day. So, in these cases, I go for a brisk walk around the block. 

When you go on a route that you know well, you can be more mindful of your movement (turning your attention inward to your body) and swinging your arms (to get those stagnant cells moving again). I would also be listening to something else at this point (especially if I’m feeling stressed by the task at hand). My favourite tune, an audio book, a podcast, anything really that takes my mind off the situation. Of course, you can just listen to the sound of the birds or the cars passing by instead if you prefer.

It doesn’t always have to be walking. It could be any kind of movement: lifting weights, doing some yoga, stretching, hanging, squatting, running up and down the stairs. Whatever movement makes you feel better and takes your mind off things for around 15-20 minutes, counts.

And, then after a few minutes of my brain focusing on something else, the most amazing thing tends to happen.

Insight is delivered.

It’s like magic.

The mind is like a vacuum - when you make space in it, it fills up with something else. This is why it’s also beneficial for me to write things down and get them out of my head. Usually the thoughts refilling the vacuum inside my head are insightful and useful.

After this interlude of focusing on something else, when you come back to the task at hand, you’re literally a changed person - your brain has made new connections, you’ve staved off the usual deterioration that comes with age and you can approach your task from a fresh perspective. Movement and exercise is such a simple yet powerful tool and, for me, it works every time.

To summarise, give your brain a quick reset by trying the following:

• Get grounding;

• Take a brisk walk / do some other movement;

• Write things down.

Different approaches will work for different people. Experiment and see what works for you, your workplace and the type of job you do.

When you find it, please let me know! I’d love to hear about your tactics.

-Selda

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about how to build a life you love, here are a few ways I can help you:

Personal guidance and coaching to find more hours each day:

🤝Work with me 1-1

Double your productivity and do more of what matters to you:

🚀Supercharge Your Productivity: Take the stress out of your week and juggle all of your jobs without working yourself to death

⚖️7 Proven Strategies to a Better Work Life Balance: Spend less time at work and more time on the things you really want to do

Today’s image from DALL-E: Woman reaching behind her to press a reset button on her head. (It took DALL-E nine attempts to get this image right!)