What do you think about at the beginning of your working day? Are you collected, organized, do you have a clear plan of action, are you in control? Not many people can boast of this. In the eternal time pressure it is so easy to forget something, new tasks fall one after another and sooner or later you need to stop and say “Stop!” Complete the unfinished so that it leaves you alone.
Just “clean up” what you started, finish something obvious and long overdue. Soon you will gain energy and clarity, understand which direction to move and what to do, and your brain will once again be ready to respond more effectively to any event.
Clear your inbox email or finally tidy up your desk drawer. Sooner or later this will have to be done anyway.
2. Don't worry about what you haven't done
Many people have the habit of making deals with themselves: making promises to themselves - and experiencing stress when they cannot be kept. There are two ways: either implement the agreements, or cancel them and conduct new “negotiations.”
Once the things “recorded” in our “memory card” will constantly put pressure on you, hanging out somewhere in the back of your mind. To ease this pressure, you need.
3. Assess your capabilities based on your to-do list.
You don’t know how many tasks and tasks you have - for today, tomorrow and the week ahead? In this case, you will not be able to calculate the time and understand what you are doing and what you are not doing. And not to mention the fact that new cases will fall from the sky. It won't stop. Never. Therefore, you need to develop a strategy for working with cases.
When you learn to track your tasks, you will be able to plan your time wisely and adequately estimate own capabilities. Another benefit: You will say “no” more often because you will understand how to prioritize and the importance of protecting your time.
4. To get to the intended place, you need to understand where you are.
- Tell me, please, where should I go from here?
-Where do you want to go? - answered the Cat.
“I don’t care...” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter where you go,” said the Cat.
Lewis Carroll, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
The Cheshire cat is right a thousand times. How can you understand that you are already at your goal if you don’t know where you were going? That's it. And a map is useless unless you know where you are. First you need to decide where to go and how long to go.
Correct assessment of the situation reduces confusion and facilitates orientation in the “space-time-task continuum.” To move forward, you need to decide what is important to you in this moment- in a company, project or life in general.
5. Unlimited possibilities are realized with limited means
Faster, higher, stronger - this approach does not always work. “More” and “better” will always loom before you, no matter how hard you rush forward. Especially if you are a perfectionist. In order to ride the waves, and not drown in them, the endless “whatever you want” should be driven into a physically feasible framework.
Even if you are going to accomplish the impossible, to reach your “ten”, it will still require a resource that can be calculated.
6. Having more than one commitment in your head is a cause of stress and failure.
Even if it seems to you that unfinished business does not hang over you like the sword of Damocles, this is far from the case. The subconscious will not let you relax: you will still remember all the things - important and not so important, personal and work-related. These are all stored in memory until you consciously complete them and decide what to do with them.
This way you will avoid the situation of underestimating or overestimating your capabilities. And, of course, you won’t forget about important matters, getting distracted by little things. An inventory of unfinished business should be carried out regularly. This is a good habit.
8. Completing something unfinished releases energy.
All the unfulfilled tasks, promises and obligations drain your mental fuel tank, taking it away from other, more important things. We don't even realize or track the moments when this happens. But when you deal with “stuck” things (or abandon them - after all, this is also a way out), then new energy, previously inaccessible to us, is released.
9. If a thought won’t leave your head, you need to do something.
To relax, you need to figure out what to do with open tasks. Because they will “sting” you, like a jellyfish that you picked up and won’t let go until you understand: a) what result you need, b) what steps to take.
Once you have your action plan mapped out, make reminders on your calendar or record it in some other way. This way you will be sure that all your affairs are in order. And in general, decide what “things are in order” means for you. This contributes successful implementation these very things.
10. Creativity occurs when there is room for it.
Nature does not tolerate emptiness and current does not flow through a damaged wire. When your mind is too cluttered big amount unfinished tasks, it is extremely difficult to achieve the state of flow so necessary for creativity.
Free your life from a mountain of things to do, and you will be able to awaken new, productive thoughts - they will appear as if on their own (but in fact - from your efforts).
11. The deeper the channel, the more powerful the flow
Millions of people long for immortality, but they themselves don’t know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Susan Ertz
Most people exist in a semi-stressed state so often and for so long that they have already forgotten that it could be otherwise, that it is possible to interact with the world in positive mode. The best way expand the horizon - take control of current affairs and the flow of incoming information and introduce into your practice those working methods that will help you exercise this control on an ongoing basis. As a result, you will gain a flow of creative energy that will help you focus on new perspectives. And you will be able to cope with truly grandiose projects.
When you clear the backlog of cases and optimize the system for working with them (and in personal life, and at work), you will feel harmony and a surge of energy that can be directed in the right direction.
12. Worry is a waste of energy
True generosity towards the future is devoting everything to the present.
Albert Camus
Remember this morning: you woke up, opened your eyes and... your thoughts immediately began to flicker. “I need to do this”, “Don’t forget to write eight letters!”, “I definitely have to finish the task before 12, and then two more” - a real mess. Remember: if you think about what you need to do (but haven't done it yet) more than once, you need to actively act. But how ?
Scientists have proven that our brain cannot help but control unfinished actions. Moreover, it not only keeps records, but also turns on the inner critic, feeding you thoughts about your own unproductivity (or even worthlessness - depending on who you are). This only worsens your mood and, instead of taking action, you plunge into apathy. Therefore, it is worth learning to turn off internal dialogue and not think about those problems that right now - at this second - you cannot solve.
Unrecorded, unclear and, as a result, neglected matters take hold of you and do not allow you to rest. It's time to turn the tide and gain power over them. The best and productive way to do a job is to be its master, not its slave. You can do it!
The rhythm of our lives is constantly accelerating, and we, willy-nilly, have to adapt to the world. Sometimes the brain simply cannot cope with the incoming information, but we are still forced to solve hundreds of different problems every day. Even our thoughts can have a negative impact: we constantly ask ourselves questions about others or about ourselves. personal qualities and often we cannot find an answer. All this leads to the fact that the brain reacts with feelings of anxiety and worry, as well as a feeling of worthlessness.
Psychologists usually call such an excess of negative thoughts mental intoxication, by analogy with physical intoxication with drugs or alcohol. Luckily, there are several exercises that can help combat this problem.
1. Put your thoughts on paper
It often happens that in order to get rid of an obsessive thought, you just need to write it down. So grab a clean notebook and pen, turn off your phone, and get ready to write whatever comes into your head. This technique is often called automatic writing. Its essence is that in the restless stream of consciousness lies one single thought, which serves as the key to everything. Write as much as you want, and then read and analyze everything you wrote. What main idea do your thoughts revolve around?
2. Go for a walk
Take 20 minutes for yourself. Go to a place you are familiar with for walking, so that you don’t have to wonder where to go next. Go with a calm step, not too slow and not too fast. Try to turn off your thoughts and concentrate on your breathing. Feel how it changes depending on the tempo of your step. Feel the wind blowing at your back or the heat from the sun. Immerse yourself, concentrate on the physical sensations.
This kind of distraction can give your brain time to take a break from mental problems. Use this method whenever the need arises.
3. Push problems onto paper
This method is similar to the first one listed only in that you again need a pen and paper.
Write down your problems as a cohesive list. Don’t divide them into major and minor ones, write them all down. After this, reading through what you have written sequentially, concentrate on each of the problems separately. Thoroughly remember how you felt at the moment the problem appeared, every emotion you had. Breathe evenly and deeply. Once you feel the weight of the problem on your shoulders, forcefully “exhale” it with your diaphragm. Imagine all your experiences coming out of your lungs like a cloud of red smoke. Do this for each problem on your list.
A stressful state can cause diseases of the cardiovascular system, a problem excess weight, depression and many other troubles. Many people begin to deal with stress in the wrong way: they start drinking and smoking, taking drugs, watching TV, not eating a lot of food. healthy food etc.
Instructions
Stop thinking about everything at once.
Don’t rush to do all the things that come your way at once. By ceasing to constantly think about the remaining tasks, you allow yourself to immerse yourself in your current activity, which has a beneficial effect on your life. nervous system and reduces stress.
Stop controlling everything.
Try to understand that not everything in our lives depends on ourselves. So think less about possible problems and focus more on business. Keep in mind that we experience stress not from the problems themselves, but from the inability to control them.
Accept people with all their strengths and weaknesses.
If you are often dissatisfied with the actions of your loved ones, then you should learn to perceive people as they are, with all their flaws. You need to understand that your character may also seem very difficult.
Meditate.
It is not necessary to use any special techniques. You can simply close your eyes for a moment and listen to the sensations of your body, your breathing, letting go of all thoughts.
Get some sleep.
Most people are susceptible stressful conditions due to chronic lack of sleep. Take pity on your body and arrange a day-off for yourself, during which you sleep longer than usual.
Eat right.
Frequent snacking and eating fast food negatively affects the state of the body, and therefore our mood. To ensure that you remain optimistic in stressful situations, you should start every morning with fruit and eat only healthy foods throughout the day.
Treat yourself to a cup of tea.
If stress takes you by surprise, allow yourself to relax a little with a cup of your favorite drink: tea or coffee. This will relieve your nervous system somewhat.
Take frequent walks.
The brain, sufficiently saturated with oxygen, does not begin to panic, but begins to search for a solution from the created problematic situation.
Ask your loved ones for support.
Video on the topic
What thought do you most often wake up with in the morning? weekdays? The answer will probably be something like “just not to be late!” or “what time is it?!” or “the annual report is due in just a month...”. You are endlessly worried about work, household chores, family issues and a bunch more various problems. There is no time to breathe and relax. The nervous system is exhausted. Perhaps it's time to ask yourself one very simple question: why bother? As Kurt Wonnengut said, “You can worry, but remember that worrying is no more useful than chewing gum when deciding algebraic equation" So how can you get rid of this unnecessary, but very obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Instructions
Learn to stop the flow of hectic thoughts in time. Close your eyes, or focus on a small stationary object of a neutral color located a meter away from you. Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose, then exhale noisily (if possible) through your mouth. Slowly count to 10. Then repeat inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. This will help you calm down and concentrate. Afterwards it will be easier to make a decision or reason.
Think positively. Your job is to think in terms of win/win. Look at everything only from a positive perspective. Is your daughter sick? This means that there will be a couple of days to finally be with her, you can take a mini-vacation from work and drink delicious chamomile tea with mint and read fairy tales for three days!
Learn to mentally protect yourself from negativity. In those moments when you are insulted or scolded, you need to imagine a soothing landscape and concentrate on the center object of this landscape. Learn to perceive only information that carries “ positive charge" This doesn't mean you shouldn't take criticism. Simply, you need to make it clear to others that their criticism will be taken into account in the form good advice, and not an evil grin. The ability to protect yourself from stressful situations will significantly strengthen the nervous system. Always remember that at least two people participate in a dialogue, each of whom equally has the right to dictate its terms of negotiations.
Unload your brain more often. The best way to do this is through meditation. Although, you can get by with less exotic methods: calm music, candles, soothing tea, a bath with a series, no telephone, TV or computer. By the way, the latter, or rather their excess, bring nothing but stress to the nervous system. In addition, it is also better to exclude alcohol and tobacco from the diet.
Video on the topic
Excessive movement, nervous twitching and screaming during sleep indicate brain overload. This is also evidenced by too scary and colorful dreams. There are several techniques that help “unload” the brain.
It's all about excess brain function
The key to this should be relaxation. For different people relaxation can vary significantly. It is worth considering that the usual methods (TV, friends, music, food, books) actually put additional stress on the brain. To truly relax it, you need to occupy your body with something and concentrate on this activity. For example, swimming can be an excellent option for relaxation. Not fast, but measured with concentration on breathing and movements. Regular swimming a couple of times will allow you to reboot your brain and clear it of impressions.A more classic version of this relaxation can be called yoga. Find a good yoga studio, take a class. This type of physical activity can significantly improve your overall well-being and make you more relaxed. An important component of yoga is meditation. Concentrating on internal experiences can relieve your brain, but it is important to do this under the supervision of a specialist.
Changing your habits will improve your sleep quality
If you don't have time to engage in these types of activities, try reconsidering your life schedule. Stop watching action movies before bed, don't resort to physical activity at least a couple of hours before bedtime. Do not consume unusual, heavy or spicy food before going to bed, the body throws all its energy into digestion, rushes to the stomach, as a result, the brain does not have enough oxygen to fully process the different phases of sleep, which can cause nightmares and sudden movements in sleep. Don't read before bed; in general, don't do anything that stimulates your brain for at least an hour before bed. It's better to do something mechanical - cleaning, for example. The less intense experiences you provide to your brain, the more restful your sleep will be.Crazy speed Everyday life extremely overloads our brain. Negative influence Our own thoughts can also have an impact, which is sometimes not at all easy to get rid of. This state of affairs ultimately leads to an accumulation of feelings of anxiety and guilt or a feeling of worthlessness and can end in a very unpleasant way. Psychologists call a large volume of thoughts and tasks, from which the brain boils almost in literally of this word - “mental intoxication caused by an excess of information and negative thoughts,” by analogy with physical intoxication, which can be caused by the abuse of medications or poor-quality products that have entered the body. Due to constant fatigue, sooner or later our brain stops perceiving not only unnecessary, but important information, but simply – it stops working at its normal pace. In fact, your brain, just like your body, needs real rest, because along with the unnecessary thoughts accumulated over the week, the feeling of stress will disappear.
Write letters!
“In any unclear situation, write letters.” In the end, it doesn’t matter at all to whom it will be addressed, because the key to success is to throw out on paper all the negativity that has accumulated in your head over the week. In addition, the presentation of problems in writing, an exercise that world psychologists have been practicing for many years. For example, writing is actively used in techniques personal growth and development. This great way make peace with the past, build the present and prepare for the future. You will be surprised, but in this way, from unnecessary thoughts you can get rid of it in just a few minutes. Prepare a piece of paper and start describing everything that has worried you so much for a whole week, without thinking about the meaning of what you wrote, and most importantly, without trying to evaluate it. Forget about style and literature, do not concentrate on your task - putting things in order in your thoughts. Don’t stop the flow of words from spilling out onto paper. When you fill out the page, move the letter away from you and close your eyes, normalize your breathing, which you probably have lost about the unpleasant memories. Then open your eyes and, without re-reading what you have written, throw the piece of paper into the trash bin (or out the window) to rid yourself of unnecessary bad feelings, and you will feel how it becomes easier for you, literally before your eyes.
Meditation
If stress keeps you from relaxing even on weekends, this is a great reason to try meditation. Meditation with correct execution not only helps to abstract from problems and clear your head of thoughts, but also to put a kind of blog on subsequent stressful situations, which cannot be avoided on weekdays, be it in the office or public transport. It just becomes easier for you to bear the influence of stress factors, and those things that once brought you into trouble. strong excitement, created tension, and as you practice, they will become mere trifles for you. Minor troubles will no longer seem like a universal catastrophe to you. By the way, just one session of meditation already has an effect on the nervous system: you experience strong relaxation and forget about problems, the main thing is to concentrate and not let thoughts about what happened to you today into your head.
Cold and hot shower
Have you ever wondered what could be attractive about hardening? ice water? The answer is simple: the same ones thrill, a person is given endorphins. We call endorphins hormones of happiness, but in fact this is not their main function. Among other things, they promote pain relief - the body begins to secrete extreme situation. A similar mechanism is triggered by cooling the body, since this is also stress for the body. A contrast shower is a much gentler and more accessible means of hardening the body than jumping into an ice hole in winter; each of us can do it. This procedure not only relieves stress and improves mood, but also protects against colds and venous diseases. By the way, not only a contrast shower, but also any water procedures may help relieve tension, such as a warm bath or swimming in a pool.
Music
You can listen to any music that gives you moral pleasure. The positive emotions we get from listening to our favorite tracks are directly related to stress relief and freeing the brain from unnecessary thoughts. Favorites musical sounds always, without exception, evoke a feeling of happiness and euphoria. Even sad and gloomy music can lift your spirits, provided that you like it, no matter how paradoxical it may sound. By the way, silence can also be called music. If you are tired of numerous sounds, stay in silence for a while and the tension will subside.
Walks
Long gone are the days when stress was some new word that was used only by adults who worked in areas of activity that pose a threat to life and/or health. Now it's stressful and chronic fatigue haunt almost everyone: from an eleventh-grader nervous about a difficult exam to any office worker who does not have time to fill out a report.
I myself for a long time I suffered from the fact that at the end of the working day I come home so tired that I don’t even have enough energy for my favorite hobbies. My head is literally overloaded with thoughts that have accumulated during the day, it seems as if today I have used all my potential, and now, like a phone that is completely discharged, I can only pass out.
And what is the result? Lack of time for what I really like, tiredness in the morning, the feeling that I’m not doing anything important, I just don’t have time to be productive. I soon realized that my brain was tired. What to do with this computer inside of me? The answer is simple: fix it. Realizing the scale of the problem, I realized that I needed to find a way to relax my brain, give it rest and gain new strength.
Let's get to know our brain
Still, it’s not for nothing that the gray muscle located between our temples is considered the most complex mechanism in the human body. We don’t think about how many tasks fall on our brain literally every second. Reach out for a cup of coffee? No, it’s not your fingers that will tense up first, but your brain. It would seem that everything is obvious: sleep is a rest for the brain. But even when we go into “sleep mode”, it does not stop working. So how can you calm your brain? First of all, we need to figure out what our actions cause such a powerful overload. There are several reasons that every person faces:
- It is not for nothing that the 21st century is called the age of information. It becomes more and more every day, and our bodies evolve much more slowly. The brain is by nature very greedy: it wants to receive as much information as possible, which is why people love rumors and gossip about the stars, as well as all hobbies from stargazing to reading. But it’s much more difficult to sort information, and sometimes the brain simply cannot cope with all the “garbage” that it receives.
- All employers are looking for reincarnated Caesars who will do three things at once. Multitasking is considered a sign good worker, but it does bring headaches and brain strain. Especially when the actions are multifaceted: talking on the phone on one topic and filling out a report on another - you’ll get confused, insert the wrong word and ruin many hours of effort.
- Obsessive thoughts. Just because a term may seem unfamiliar doesn't mean you haven't encountered the phenomenon itself. Questions about the meaning of life, how other people see you, whether you made the right choice years ago can be exhausting. And if they pop up in your head regularly - wait panic attacks, nervous breakdowns and other unpleasant diseases that cannot be cured with pills alone.
The reasons listed above are generally called brain intoxication. Imagine that everything accumulates little by little, like sediment from junk food or poison, and in total it affects the body. A logical question arises: how to give the brain a rest? How to reduce the effect of an endless flow of information?
Brain work and rest mode
Self-organization is important in everything. I used to be genuinely surprised that I felt exhausted after finishing an article at midnight, but now I understand why the brain gets tired. He has his own preferences regarding what time to work and what time to be lazy. Everything is just like people: owls and larks, right? Please note that each person is individual, so the duration of the phases and the time of their onset may vary, but the order remains the same.
- 6-7 am - Believe it or not, this is the most beneficial time to learn something new. Yes, get up early and go ahead, get knowledge!
- 8-9 am - having assimilated the information, direct your strength to solving problems related to logical thinking.
- 11-12 pm - lunch break. You want to eat and your brain to rest. Give him some food: classical music or an interesting audiobook will do. Don't forget about snacking on berries or nuts. The brain loves sweets.
- 13-18 hours - the brain is active and ready to conquer new heights. Get busy complex tasks that require focusing.
- 18-21 hours - gradually the energy accumulated during the day ends. Activity is declining.
- 21-23 hours - it’s better to leave all the work until the morning, and instead of loading yourself up with overtime, give yourself a brain massage, which will be discussed below.
Behind night will happen restoration of energy, and in the morning next day You will already wake up refreshed and ready to work.
Ways to calm your brain
If fatigue cannot be avoided, you need to understand how to get rid of it. It may not be easy to immediately figure out how to relax your brain after hard work, but believe me, after a week of exercise, you will thank yourself. At first you will have to overcome yourself.
Throw out anxious thoughts
Don't know what to give your wife for her anniversary? Is the boss acting atrociously by threatening layoffs? Did your favorite dog chew on your equally favorite slippers? Visualize the problem by writing down everything that worries you on paper. This method of calming the brain also works because in the process the realization comes: everything can be solved. Looking at a problem written down on a piece of paper, any person will instinctively be drawn to make a list of how to solve this problem.
If your list consists of some negative thoughts and memories, groundless worries, then deal with him in the most barbaric way. Burn it, tear it into small pieces, or whatever you want, destroy the very essence of the problem. The brain will remember this, make an association, and soon the previously disturbing thoughts will seem like a trifle that wasn’t worth a damn.
Movement is life
Have you ever noticed how annoying it can be to stand at a bus stop and just wait? It immediately seems that walking would be faster. This is all our stupid brain, which does not tolerate stagnation, drives us forward. Satisfy his desire and take a walk. The new impressions that you absorb with your eyes and ears will help you take your mind off your daily, already boring problems. Besides, Fresh air and natural sunlight will have a beneficial effect on the entire body.
This technique was developed by Francine Shapiro, who noticed that new visual pictures reduce stress from unpleasant memories. Here's what she writes about it in her book:
I also realized that even simple movements of the pupils back and forth can be effective. By changing our view physically, we change our view of the problem. I think therapists should start using this method.
Brain massage
There are many teachings about how points on our body are connected with internal organs, how they can be influenced, including how to relieve the brain with their help. To improve the performance of the brain and teach it to remember more information, you can do the following exercise:
- Put the big one together index fingers right hand and then bend them into different sides, while continuing to touch with the pads.
- Repeat the described movement with your thumb and middle finger, thumb and index finger, and so on.
- The exercise is repeated 20 times for each hand, and then another 10 for both hands at the same time.
These mechanical actions are quickly remembered, and their regular repetition stimulates brain function. Yes, it may seem that this has nothing to do with the cerebral cortex, but in fact our body - a complex system, in which all elements are connected and cannot function without each other.
Conclusion
The very desire to help your body is already commendable. Surely you, like me, have tried it many times various techniques in the hope of feeling better, but they were soon abandoned. However, you cannot expect instant results; consider the exercises described above as a treatment that will remove all unnecessary information and make you understand how to calm your brain.
Stress and workload are why the brain gets tired. But if you found this article, then you are on the right way, on the road to recovery. Self-development is not only about learning something, but also about constant movement go ahead, and on our website there are many articles talking about working on yourself.
The idea of unloading the brain was described in the famous book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. This technique will help you gain more control over your life and learn how to get things done.
Many people have the habit of leaving small things for later, and some big ones too. As a rule, these are important, but not urgent matters. They don't have a deadline, so you keep putting them off. These tasks can be related to finances (start planning your budget, try using applications to track expenses and income) or can be purely household (sort out things in the pantry, create a menu for the next week).
Small things periodically pop up in your thoughts, making it difficult to concentrate on important tasks. For example, you are thinking about some important project - and then again! - a thought suddenly arises in my head: “We need to clean out the closet, there’s so much junk in there.” You turn your thoughts to the pantry and the project fades into the background.
Small tasks like these constantly interrupt your train of thought and make it difficult to concentrate, thereby greatly reducing your productivity. Unloading your brain is a great way to deal with this problem. Here's how it works.
The principle of brain unloading
1. Take a sheet of paper and a pencil. Of course, you can create an electronic note, but handwritten notes are usually .
2. Listen to obsessive thoughts about unfulfilled tasks. Remember all the things that periodically arise in your thoughts, distracting you from work. If you can't remember everything, look for clues in your notes, on sticky notes - wherever you mark what needs to be done.
3. Leave the sheet on the table all day. Chances are you won't be able to remember everything you need to do. Therefore, leave the to-do sheet on the table for several hours or the whole day. As tasks come to mind, immediately write them down on a sheet and continue with your normal activities.
When the sheet is filled with tasks, you will feel that it has become easier to concentrate. The things you write down will no longer take up space in your mind, and if thoughts about them do arise, they won’t take up as much time. You just think, “I wrote this down, I’ll deal with it later.”
It may turn out that your list of not very urgent tasks will turn out to be really long - more than 100 items or so. Don't be alarmed, this is normal.
4. Make your list on Thursday or Friday. If your list contains more work-related things, make it on Thursday; if home or personal matters predominate, make it on Friday.
How does brain unloading occur?
So, in your hands ready list. What's next?
To-do list
Now we need to systematize things and distribute them into categories to make it easier to navigate.
First, mark all autonomous tasks - these are tasks that can easily be completed in half an hour or less. It’s better to write them down on a separate piece of paper. Let's call it “Activity Sheet”.
If some tasks are close to autonomous, but require more time - an hour or an hour and a half, you can break them into several parts and write them down on the same piece of paper. You can mark them with arrows to make it clear that they are related to each other.
Breaking down the activity Now you only have big tasks, which take at least two hours to complete. Think about which things on this list need to be done as quickly as possible, and which can wait. Write down things that you don’t have to do yet on a separate piece of paper called “Someday.”
Not very urgent matters Now you only have urgent and large tasks left. Write each of them down on a separate sheet of paper and break it down into separate steps that can be done in half an hour or less. That is, on each sheet with a major task you will have a sheet of autonomous tasks. Some of them may depend on others - that's okay, just make notes about it.
Once each major task has been broken down into self-contained steps, write down the first steps of each task on your activity sheet.
Final view of the activity sheet As a result, on this sheet you are left with long list short tasks that can be completed in half an hour or less.
Brain detox on Saturday
So, early Saturday morning you get out of bed, pick up the finished activity sheet and begin to do everything that is written there. Set yourself a goal to accomplish everything on your list so that these things no longer take up space in your head, distracting you from what is truly important.
Trust me, at the end of the day you will feel amazing. This day may be stressful, but at the end you will experience a lot positive emotions. This is the satisfaction that all the things that have been constantly put off are finally done, and the feeling of freedom from small tasks, and the pride that you have accomplished so much today.
You feel light, as if a weight has been lifted from you that you stopped noticing because it has become habitual.
Try doing this brain deload at least once a month. Spend one weekend getting everything done on your list, and on Monday you'll feel great and be able to concentrate much more easily. important things, nothing will distract you.
And the best part is that this effect lasts for a long time - from a week to a month, depending on how quickly your cases accumulate.