Here are few tricks that help me fight "busy brain' and "monkey mind" and cruise through my day.
Do work or important tasks in separate, distinct sequences.
Immerse yourself in a necessary distraction sequence when needed, but DON'T mix the two-
that's a prescription for failure. An electrical circuit can only carry so much current.... until the breaker pops.
Stash your phone. Remember Pavlov.
Anyone who 'wears' their phone is potentially lame or at best handicapped by it.
Yes, I know, we must all be immediately connected, but at one time we never were, and everyone got in touch just fine.
Think of yourself as a sophisticated engine.
It needs to rev, it needs to idle, it needs to cruise, and, it needs to rest.
As you drive through the terrain your day, realize that you must adjust your RPMs to accommodate various conditions- hills and valleys, sharp turns, dead ends, and full stops.
Pace yourself. Change your oil. Top up the gas tank...use Premium.
Every day is an unfurling road, and distance travelled is a relative concept.
It's less about the destination and more about the journey.
I enjoyed your comparison with the engine. "...distance travelled is a relative concept" -love that one. I am with you, I also try to focus on one task and then move on to the next. I need to put all my notes/papers/ToDo lists out of sight...otherwise I jump back..."oh, I could quickly do that...which I see there on my list"
Bingo. I see people walking and scrolling their phones while they’re walking (same as driving and calling someone hands free). I wish they would focus on their environment (walking) or on the moment (driving and paying attention to the road or scenery around them).
G'day Bernadette, I've been reading your posts for quite some time- always brilliant, thank you.
I am a designer-craftsman and definitely agree with and relate to your "slow clock" theory. Whether ripping 2" oak on my table saw, welding tight beads to steel angle bar, or hand-planning hard Maple, the time flies when you are locked into hand-mind coordination. The satisfaction [and enjoyment] achieved when you're submerged in work with total focus, makes it hard to call it "work" at all. Cheers! Roger Sherry plankroadstudios.com
I'm glad you're here, Roger. Do you have any tips for us about how to slow down time when we're not engaged in an immersive creative practice like woodworking?
How do you stay present as you go through your day?
A little late, but i did the challenge. I found the downsides outweighed the upside for me in the end. My biggest internal fight was around how i listened to podcasts and audio books. I realised that i am always listening to something while doing what Jane McGonigal calls “busy work.” While i am sure it pushes me out of flow, there is something i love about multi tasking like this. I realised that if I didn’t multi task i would never find the time to just sit and listen to a podcast. I continue to be aware of this and am trying to do more “one thing only”, so thanks for that
Bernie's prompt and gentle nudge kickstarted my thinking on this topic. It was exactly the motivation I needed to shift my balance from primarily consuming content to actively creating it. The post felt almost personally written for me - addressing precisely the challenges I've been facing with passive consumption habits.
I've committed to creating more than I consume going forward, which already feels more fulfilling and purposeful. As part of this journey, I've started curating a thoughtful collection on this topic in Sublime. This collection will serve both as inspiration and accountability as I work toward becoming more of a creator.
The create vs consume balance is something many of us struggle with in today's information-rich environment. It's easy to fall into endless scrolling, reading, and watching without producing anything ourselves. Yet the act of creation - whether writing, designing, building, or any form of expression - often brings deeper satisfaction and growth than mere consumption.
I'm curious how others maintain this balance. What strategies have you found helpful in shifting from passive consumption to active creation?
For most of my life running or walking, usually first thing in the morning and especially in nature, have been my practice to foster a sense of presence, to pay attention and to be open to what may bring inspiration for my next piece of art work or project that I am working on. Some days I decide on a particular colour to notice during my walks and mentally record all the variations I see. Other times I pay attention to shapes or small details. When I begin the day in the studio I take what I’ve seen and create a simple colour study or small sketch - a visual diary entry you could say, of what I’ve noticed. These studies not only help me focus, but also often become the jumping off points for larger works.
Another simple practice I’ve discovered (this can be done anywhere) is to rotate between seeing, hearing and feeling. You can say the words in your mind or out loud and then you pause and notice. There is so much beauty in the ordinary and I’ve found this is a wonderful little tool to become present to the world around me.
Well, this practice is sometimes about slowing the moment down to gather inspiration or sometimes just about slowing the moment down and redirecting my overwhelmed, busy brain to a quieter place. As I focus and name to myself what I see, hear and feel, my mind stops multitasking (trying to solve problems, making lists, planning, etc..) and begins to get lost in the noticing. It’s a way to get in tune with myself and my surroundings and by the time I get back from walking I feel refreshed.
Hi Bernadette, So good to see you here on Substack. How wonderful you got to try pottery and got lost in it. Attending to do one thing seems to become an art in itself. It should be normal...but people prefer rushing through everything. You can't rush through pottery... a perfect gift to slow down.
oh yes! Photographing is a great tool to "stop time", or to get lost in time and just be focused on one thing.
FOR EXAMPLE: When I go for my daily walk in nature... it seems different when I just return after an hour without stopping - or, if I stop and photograph(just with my phone). I notice things, pay more attention to things in nature around me, stop, look closely, and find a nice angle to capture it. At the end, this walk feels more immersed, filled, and much longer than the actual one hour I walked.
Great reminder & I’m impressed by your pottery, what a great gift!
I’m a frequent single-tasker these days. My life is richer for it. (Though one or those ‘tasks’ is sometimes vague-scrolling.) It helps when I am too tired to multi-task, as I often realise that my slow day is more vivid in my memory and I was more effective to boot. I sometimes say aloud, “Right now I am…” when I find myself trying to optimize. It might be “chopping vegetables” it might be “walking to the shops” it might even be “doing nothing for 10 mins (rest)”. Hearing the reminder refocusses me.
Hmm… it started from reading about brains / learning and that saying things aloud means you get extra practice because you think it, say it, and hear yourself say it so its a 3 for 1 deal. Then during the lockdowns talking aloud was practically company some days… and I’ve just kept on. Being my own best friend and wise counsellor, maybe?
Done. I'm in for your challenge Bernadette (thanks for the motivation; ps. I, too, enjoy your email newsletters. I save each one of them into a file to re-read in the future).
I can give you one update today (I started early) - instead of listening to a podcast to create some white noise while I work on my project, I’ve stopped this. All in on the project!
Well, Bernadette,
Here are few tricks that help me fight "busy brain' and "monkey mind" and cruise through my day.
Do work or important tasks in separate, distinct sequences.
Immerse yourself in a necessary distraction sequence when needed, but DON'T mix the two-
that's a prescription for failure. An electrical circuit can only carry so much current.... until the breaker pops.
Stash your phone. Remember Pavlov.
Anyone who 'wears' their phone is potentially lame or at best handicapped by it.
Yes, I know, we must all be immediately connected, but at one time we never were, and everyone got in touch just fine.
Think of yourself as a sophisticated engine.
It needs to rev, it needs to idle, it needs to cruise, and, it needs to rest.
As you drive through the terrain your day, realize that you must adjust your RPMs to accommodate various conditions- hills and valleys, sharp turns, dead ends, and full stops.
Pace yourself. Change your oil. Top up the gas tank...use Premium.
Every day is an unfurling road, and distance travelled is a relative concept.
It's less about the destination and more about the journey.
Such great tips here, Roger. And the analogy of the engine is very helpful. Thank you!
I enjoyed your comparison with the engine. "...distance travelled is a relative concept" -love that one. I am with you, I also try to focus on one task and then move on to the next. I need to put all my notes/papers/ToDo lists out of sight...otherwise I jump back..."oh, I could quickly do that...which I see there on my list"
Bingo. I see people walking and scrolling their phones while they’re walking (same as driving and calling someone hands free). I wish they would focus on their environment (walking) or on the moment (driving and paying attention to the road or scenery around them).
With a new freelance job for the next month or so, I’m in need of single tasking practice. I’m in.
Good to hear this landed at the right time for you Dave. I'm looking forward to seeing how people make it work it practice.
G'day Bernadette, I've been reading your posts for quite some time- always brilliant, thank you.
I am a designer-craftsman and definitely agree with and relate to your "slow clock" theory. Whether ripping 2" oak on my table saw, welding tight beads to steel angle bar, or hand-planning hard Maple, the time flies when you are locked into hand-mind coordination. The satisfaction [and enjoyment] achieved when you're submerged in work with total focus, makes it hard to call it "work" at all. Cheers! Roger Sherry plankroadstudios.com
I'm glad you're here, Roger. Do you have any tips for us about how to slow down time when we're not engaged in an immersive creative practice like woodworking?
How do you stay present as you go through your day?
A little late, but i did the challenge. I found the downsides outweighed the upside for me in the end. My biggest internal fight was around how i listened to podcasts and audio books. I realised that i am always listening to something while doing what Jane McGonigal calls “busy work.” While i am sure it pushes me out of flow, there is something i love about multi tasking like this. I realised that if I didn’t multi task i would never find the time to just sit and listen to a podcast. I continue to be aware of this and am trying to do more “one thing only”, so thanks for that
Thanks for coming back, Lee.
Do you make time to listen to yourself?
I am very good at this. I have an alarm that goes off every 3-hours for the sole purpose of taking a moment and checking in with myself.
Bernie's prompt and gentle nudge kickstarted my thinking on this topic. It was exactly the motivation I needed to shift my balance from primarily consuming content to actively creating it. The post felt almost personally written for me - addressing precisely the challenges I've been facing with passive consumption habits.
I've committed to creating more than I consume going forward, which already feels more fulfilling and purposeful. As part of this journey, I've started curating a thoughtful collection on this topic in Sublime. This collection will serve both as inspiration and accountability as I work toward becoming more of a creator.
https://sublime.app/collection/create-consume
The create vs consume balance is something many of us struggle with in today's information-rich environment. It's easy to fall into endless scrolling, reading, and watching without producing anything ourselves. Yet the act of creation - whether writing, designing, building, or any form of expression - often brings deeper satisfaction and growth than mere consumption.
I'm curious how others maintain this balance. What strategies have you found helpful in shifting from passive consumption to active creation?
I'm glad you wrote and posted this article. Count me in!
I look forward to hearing how your week goes!
Hello Bernadette,
I am enjoying your posts very much - thank you!
For most of my life running or walking, usually first thing in the morning and especially in nature, have been my practice to foster a sense of presence, to pay attention and to be open to what may bring inspiration for my next piece of art work or project that I am working on. Some days I decide on a particular colour to notice during my walks and mentally record all the variations I see. Other times I pay attention to shapes or small details. When I begin the day in the studio I take what I’ve seen and create a simple colour study or small sketch - a visual diary entry you could say, of what I’ve noticed. These studies not only help me focus, but also often become the jumping off points for larger works.
Another simple practice I’ve discovered (this can be done anywhere) is to rotate between seeing, hearing and feeling. You can say the words in your mind or out loud and then you pause and notice. There is so much beauty in the ordinary and I’ve found this is a wonderful little tool to become present to the world around me.
All the best,
Marion
So glad you're here, Marion. I love how you infuse your work with what's present in your surroundings.
Can you say more about the practice of seeing, hearing and feeling?
Could you give us an example?
Well, this practice is sometimes about slowing the moment down to gather inspiration or sometimes just about slowing the moment down and redirecting my overwhelmed, busy brain to a quieter place. As I focus and name to myself what I see, hear and feel, my mind stops multitasking (trying to solve problems, making lists, planning, etc..) and begins to get lost in the noticing. It’s a way to get in tune with myself and my surroundings and by the time I get back from walking I feel refreshed.
Hi Bernadette, So good to see you here on Substack. How wonderful you got to try pottery and got lost in it. Attending to do one thing seems to become an art in itself. It should be normal...but people prefer rushing through everything. You can't rush through pottery... a perfect gift to slow down.
I'm glad you're here, Claudia.
Does photography stop time for you?
oh yes! Photographing is a great tool to "stop time", or to get lost in time and just be focused on one thing.
FOR EXAMPLE: When I go for my daily walk in nature... it seems different when I just return after an hour without stopping - or, if I stop and photograph(just with my phone). I notice things, pay more attention to things in nature around me, stop, look closely, and find a nice angle to capture it. At the end, this walk feels more immersed, filled, and much longer than the actual one hour I walked.
Sounds delightful, Claudia.
I'm in.
Please let us know what how it goes, Dane.
Great reminder & I’m impressed by your pottery, what a great gift!
I’m a frequent single-tasker these days. My life is richer for it. (Though one or those ‘tasks’ is sometimes vague-scrolling.) It helps when I am too tired to multi-task, as I often realise that my slow day is more vivid in my memory and I was more effective to boot. I sometimes say aloud, “Right now I am…” when I find myself trying to optimize. It might be “chopping vegetables” it might be “walking to the shops” it might even be “doing nothing for 10 mins (rest)”. Hearing the reminder refocusses me.
Oh, Michelle. I like your idea of declaring aloud what you are doing in the moment. How did you come to start doing that?
Hmm… it started from reading about brains / learning and that saying things aloud means you get extra practice because you think it, say it, and hear yourself say it so its a 3 for 1 deal. Then during the lockdowns talking aloud was practically company some days… and I’ve just kept on. Being my own best friend and wise counsellor, maybe?
I love the idea of being your own best friend, Michelle.
Done. I'm in for your challenge Bernadette (thanks for the motivation; ps. I, too, enjoy your email newsletters. I save each one of them into a file to re-read in the future).
I'm glad you're here, Nick and thanks for reading.
I look forward to hearing about your adventures in single-tasking this week!
I can give you one update today (I started early) - instead of listening to a podcast to create some white noise while I work on my project, I’ve stopped this. All in on the project!
Did it make a difference, Nick?
I'm taking a podcast/audiobook sabbatical this week to what difference it makes.
In my opinion? Yes. I’m not distracted by the ideas coming from listening to the podcast. My brain can focus on one thing instead of two.
Great question. I am very good at this. I have an alarm that goes off every 3-hours for the sole purpose of checking in with myself.