Daniel Levitin wrote the article Hit the Reset Button in Your Brain for The New York Times. This article explains that our conscious minds have a limited capacity for processing information, therefore explaining the overwhelming feelings we experience as a result. Levitin references the fact that our brains have two dominant modes of attention, task positive and task negative. Both modes of attention crucial to the other, citing that some of the most important discoveries have been made during task negative thinking. The third component to this network of this attentional system is our attentional filter. It is used when we browse through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Vine, Instagram, and text messages and "we find ourselves not sustaining attention on any one thing for very long — the curse of the information age". Every time we go engage in these mindless activities on our social media we force our brains to compete for resources for more important things such as in our current situations, our school work.
It is recommended that we take the time to mindfully "partition" our "day into project periods". Social networking (Facebook, email, etc...) should be done at designated times during the day rather than constant interruptions throughout the day. By taking this advice we will give our minds-- ourselves the opportunity to be more productive and creative. This increase in creativity will happen to us " naturally while we tame the multitasking and immerse ourselves in a single task for sustained periods of, say, 30 to 50 minutes".
Levitin notes that a walk in nature, listening to music, or even a nap can do so much more for us than mindless browsing as it activates our task negative system which in turn does wonders for our task positive system (which is where we are actively focusing and engaging our attention and mind on a project or task at hand).
In an extension of thought from this article, we can see this actual neuroscience coincide with some philosophical advice and teachings; where it is prescribed or encouraged that we relax and mediate in some teachings or in others that we take moments in our day to engage our breathe and let that be the reset connection between us and the moment we are actually living in. It is encouraged that we take these breaks and habitually give moments to ourselves of mindful rest. These are all methods of giving our mind a break and a true opportunity to reset itself so that we may function, think, and maybe in turn live better and more meaningful lives.
It is recommended that we take the time to mindfully "partition" our "day into project periods". Social networking (Facebook, email, etc...) should be done at designated times during the day rather than constant interruptions throughout the day. By taking this advice we will give our minds-- ourselves the opportunity to be more productive and creative. This increase in creativity will happen to us " naturally while we tame the multitasking and immerse ourselves in a single task for sustained periods of, say, 30 to 50 minutes".
Levitin notes that a walk in nature, listening to music, or even a nap can do so much more for us than mindless browsing as it activates our task negative system which in turn does wonders for our task positive system (which is where we are actively focusing and engaging our attention and mind on a project or task at hand).
In an extension of thought from this article, we can see this actual neuroscience coincide with some philosophical advice and teachings; where it is prescribed or encouraged that we relax and mediate in some teachings or in others that we take moments in our day to engage our breathe and let that be the reset connection between us and the moment we are actually living in. It is encouraged that we take these breaks and habitually give moments to ourselves of mindful rest. These are all methods of giving our mind a break and a true opportunity to reset itself so that we may function, think, and maybe in turn live better and more meaningful lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment