3 ways to slow down (it’s faster than top speed)

Between work, study, friends, fitness, family and significant others, you probably spend a lot of time on the go - not just physically but mentally too. Your busy mind is thinking, planning and problem-solving, and if you’re honest there’s probably a fair bit of over-analysing, self-doubting, stressing and worrying too. Being surgically attached to our smartphones means that any available down time is filled with texting, emailing, tweeting, scrolling, liking and sharing so even when you’re sitting still, your frazzled mind never gets a break.

Being a busy bee can make you feel super productive and organised but this is a sneaky trick your mind is playing on you. The reality is that all that busyness could actually be reducing your productivity and limiting your capacity for creativity and problem solving.

When you’re focused on a task, your mind can only handle about 90 minutes of hard thinking before it needs a break. If you’re forcing yourself to keep studying or working when your mind is calling for a time-out, you’re actually losing efficiency by becoming distracted and you’re more likely to make mistakes that you just have to come back and fix later! Getting more done in less time sometimes means taking a complete break so your body and mind have a chance to recharge.

What’s more, studies are pretty clear that when your mind has a chance for some quiet time, far from going into sleep mode and switching off, it actually gets to work on abstract thinking and coming up with creative solutions to tricky problems. You’ve probably had the experience of an answer coming to you in the shower or suddenly being hit by a bolt of inspiration when you’re out for a walk. This only happens when you let your brain take a break from all the busy thinking and the constant distraction of small screens.

If you know you’re caught in the busy trap and you need some tips to help you slow down to get more done, try a few of these suggestions:

1. Schedule breaks

Just like physical training, mental performance is all about the recovery time. Generally speaking, if you’re focused on a mental task you want to get up and have a complete change of scenery every 90 minutes or so. If you can go outside and breathe some fresh air, you’ll notice a big difference in your energy and focus when you come back to the job you’re working on.

2. Take a digital detox

A lot of our mind wandering and distraction comes from our compulsive social media and smartphone use. See if you can turn off your phone, put it in flight mode or use the “Do not disturb” function to have regular breaks from your phone. By giving it a break occasionally, you might notice an increase in productivity, creativity and intuition. As a bonus, you might suffer a little less from FOMO so you can put that energy into focusing on what’s great about you and your life.

3. Meditate

The best way to slow down a busy mind is to train it to sit and stay - much like training a puppy - by practising mindfulness meditation. Sitting and noticing your breath for 10 minutes might feel tedious but studies have shown it dramatically reduces mind wandering, increases focus and attention and can even have a huge improvement on academic results after just a couple of weeks. Mediation will also calm down the stress and anxiety in your body. Download an App like Smiling Minds or Insight Timer and get started today. You’ll notice the difference in no time at all.