Sometimes it helps to do LESS

Here’s something you might not hear spoken aloud all that often…

Slow down, do less!

When it comes to building and sustaining habits and reaching goals, sometimes it helps to do LESS.

Of course having strong motivation and a sense of urgency can help drive us harder and reach our goals, but periods of rest and downtime is where a lot of the magic happens.

If you're familiar with how muscle is built, that should remind you of that process. Of course we need to challenge our muscles to stimulate growth.

But it's during our rest days when our muscles repair themselves, recover, and actually build.

As it turns out, our brain function is very similar!

It’s great to stimulate and challenge our thinking, but doing less and allowing ourselves vital recovery time is what can actually helps your brain become more creative and gain skills.

But here’s the thing…Downtime does NOT mean:

●     Scrolling endlessly on your phone

●     Binge watching TV shows for hours

●     Or even doing a puzzle or reading(!)

Instead, for these purposes, downtime DOES mean:

●     Vacuuming (exciting, I know)

●     Going for a walk (without music or a podcast)

●     Sitting on the couch and daydreaming

Or any other mindless activity! Literally DO LESS.

Mindless activities like these jumpstart your brain’s “default mode network”, which is linked to things like creativity, memories, a sense of “self,” and even ethics.

Have you ever had a problem you were stuck on and it was only when you finally STOPPED obsessing over it and started trying to do something else, the answer very often just...pops into your head.

Here are 5 ways to tap into your brain’s “default mode” more:

1.      Schedule a few minutes a day to just BE, even if it’s sitting quietly and letting your mind wander or going for a 5-minute walk without any external input.

2.      Use a mindfulness app to follow a quick, guided meditation.

3.      Take note of your environment...what colors you see, what sounds you hear, how your feet feel on the floor, etc.

4.      Designate a time to actually “worry” ...focus on the issues on purpose so they don’t sneak into your thoughts the rest of your day.

5.      Trust the process. We’re more distracted and overstimulated than ever, and it can take time to start feeling comfortable with doing less and letting your mind wander.

It’s all about trying to make small steps forward and improve a little every day.

Especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. Let me know which of the above suggestions you're going to try first!

REFERENCES:

www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/study-shows-how-taking-short-breaks-may-help-our-brains-learn-new-skills https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-downtime-is-essential-for-brain-health

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