MODERN THINKING
isn’t these days) our perception
of time becomes flawed. We think
time has run away from us - “Cripes
I’ve been on the laptop for an hour,
whereas the reality is, it’s only been
50 minutes. That sense of time
loss increases our stress response.
Unplugging from our technology
more frequently helps us to regain
a more valid idea of how much time
has really passed.
b) We can change our language from
a statement “I don’t have time!!!!”
to a question “I’m a bit busy right
now, when would be a better time to
start that new project?” What are you
telling yourself about how much time
you have available?
2
Apply a new frame of
reference.
Those sweaty palms, pounding heart,
churning gut and elevated breathing
we recognise as our body’s response
to stress. But what if instead of
associating that with feeling afraid
or stressed, you chose to reframe it
as a sign of you body gearing up to
meet a new and exciting challenge?
Your conscious choice to insert a
positive spin to those physiological
changes helps you to dial down the
negative and stay connected to your
executive suite of higher thinking
skills to think better, maintain focus
and achieve more. Because let’s face
it, we feel those same sensations
when we are really happy or super
excited by something good - it’s just
our interpretation that changes.
3
Tune out regularly.
Because stress is a normal part
of being, knowing how to effectively
regulate our emotional response
requires a daily routine of tuning out
to help us keep things in perspective.
Too much stress acts as a magnifier
to all our problems including the
perception of time poverty. Your
response to “just one more thing”
will very much depend on your state
of mind at any given moment. Taking
time out to chill, relax or just press
pause is a great way to be able to
apply a more measured response to
whatever comes next.
Far from being a time waster, tuning
out gives you the time to think things
through, to consider what’s what
and what’s next. Stepping into your
thinking-space helps diminish the
impact of stress and returns time in
your favour. Some have told me how
their best time to ‘just be’ and think
is found at 35,000 feet. But we don’t
all have to jump on a jet plane to find
our own thinking space.
Mindfulness meditation has become
a very popular means of reducing
stress with the added bonus of
better attention and clearer thinking.
A fifteen to twenty minute practice is
all that is required to help make your
day a stress free zone. If meditation
is not your thing, twenty minutes
of aerobic exercise helps to burn
off excess stress hormones and
elevates mood. Swimming, running
or just being outside in a green
space can be very calming.
One of the other best tune-out
stations is sleep; taking a 20
minute power nap or ensuring you
get a good 7-8 hrs of good quality
uninterrupted shuteye. By harnessing
the power of slumber you can better
regulate your emotions and stress
and rediscover all that time you
thought had gone missing in action.
Dr Jenny Brockis specialises in brain
and organisational health. She is the
author of Future Brain: The 12 Keys
to Create Your High-Performance
Brain (Wiley) available online and
at all good bookstores. Visit www.
drjennybrockis.com
June 2016
ModernBusiness
49