Instead of trying to fit more in, allowing our mind space to wander and come up with ideas & plans that make us more effectively productive.
To feel the effect, try this for 2 weeks (because research shows it takes about 8 days for the mind to fully calm down & rest):
<ul>
<li>Limit screen time.</li>
<li>Disconnect from the internet or digital devices for a set time during the day, or a certain day of the week.</li>
<li>Rediscover boredom</li>
<li>Scatter focus - let your mind deliberately wander.</li>
</ul>

Overstimulation is the enemy of focus

It's not just about fewer distractions but also about the mind being less stimulated.
If we are distracted in each moment, those moments of overstimulation add up to create a life that feels overwhelming
Scatter focus - let your mind deliberately wander, get bored. Boredom is moving from high stimulation to low stimulation - doing something that doesn't take up most of our attention.
Because of where it wanders to (48% of the time towards the future as shown by research)... the mind connects different ideas & comes up with new plans - essentially makes us more effectively productive.

Scatter focus to be more productive

It becomes so easily a habit because our brain craves these distractions - it's a mechanism in our mind called the 'novelty bias'.
Research shows, that one of the pleasure neurochemicals, dopamine, is released when we stop & check emails, notifications, social media updates. That means, our mind rewards us with dopamine for seeking these distractions.

Novelty bias - the reason we can't stop checking notifications

The root cause of distraction is an overstimulated brain. 
Research shows working on computer with smartphone near, we focus on one thing for only 40 seconds before getting distracted or interrupted...& with chatboxes open, it comes down to 35 seconds.
We are in a hyperstimulated state bouncing between different screens in our life - phones, tablets, computers, smartwatches.... because they are very stimulating to our mind.

Distraction is just a symptom

"The state of our attention
is what determines
the state of our lives."

Research shows, when we just let our mind wander, it goes to 3 main places: past, present, & future.
But we think of the past only 12% the time (in that too we are often recalling ideas), 28% we think of present, and thoughts of the future takes up 48% of the time. The remaining 12% occupies ideas not rooted in time.
It's called the mind's perspective bias.
That's why we usually plan out the day essentially before it even begins - "what needs to get done today?".

Mind's perspective bias - Where does our mind like to focus?

The latest research is clear: the state of our attention determines the state of our lives. So how do we harness our attention to focus deeper, get distracted less, and even become more creative? Chris Bailey, author of the recent book Hyperfocus, talks about how our ability to focus is the key to productivity, creativity, and living a meaningful life. Follow Chris on @chris_bailey Chris Bailey was recently described by TED as possibly “the most productive man you’d ever hope to meet”. He is the international bestselling author of Hyperfocus and The Productivity Project, which have been published in sixteen languages. Chris works with organisations around the globe on how they can become more productive without hating the process. To date, Chris has written hundreds of articles on the subject of productivity, and has garnered coverage in media as diverse as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, The Huffington Post, Harvard Business Review, TED, Fortune, Fast Company, and Lifehacker. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

The latest research is clear: the state of our attention determines the state of our lives. So how do we harness our attention to focus deeper, get distracted less, and even become more creative? Chris Bailey, author of the recent book Hyperfocus, talks about how our ability to focus is the key to productivity, creativity, and living a meaningful life.

Follow Chris on @chris_bailey Chris Bailey was recently described by TED as possibly “the most productive man you’d ever hope to meet”. He is the international bestselling author of Hyperfocus and The Productivity Project, which have been published in sixteen languages. Chris works with organisations around the globe on how they can become more productive without hating the process.

To date, Chris has written hundreds of articles on the subject of productivity, and has garnered coverage in media as diverse as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, The Huffington Post, Harvard Business Review, TED, Fortune, Fast Company, and Lifehacker. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

TEDx is an international community that organizes TED-style events anywhere and everywhere -- celebrating locally-driven ideas and elevating them to a global stage. TEDx events are produced independently of TED conferences, each event curates speakers on their own, but based on TED's format and rules.

TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy). 

For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request here: https://media-requests.ted.com.

CHRIS BAILEY

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