How do I stop TM
getting distracted?
Pause
Sometimes we ruin our own plans by letting
ourselves get distracted; we find ourselves doing
something completely unrelated and unproductive, The “conscious pilot”
Pause
even though we were trying to get things done. part of the brain If you find your mind wandering, the first
step to take is to pause and become aware
It’s possible to overcome this. All you have of it. Observe the monkey and use your
to do is calm down your “monkey mind” Consistent
willpower to not give in to its whims.
and take back control. and analytical
Cautious and aware
Makes decisions slowly,
but really thinks things Meditation
The “monkey mind” through before deciding Works wonders for your ability to
part of the brain concentrate. Taking three full breaths while
exhaling slowly after each will help you
switch between tasks and focus on what
Only chas you’re doing.
es
after plea
sure
Has no sense of time
Rest
ly Sometimes you really are at the brink of
foc us easi your capacity to focus and need a break.
Loses
In that case, switch things up: if you have
been reading, go take a walk or put on
some music and dance. Put a time limit on
Constantly trying how long your break will be and when the
to multitask time is up, return to the unfinished task
and plan ahead for when your next recess
ive
m e ly sensit will be.
Extre ctive
a
and re
Plan
Sometimes you can’t seem to focus because
there’s something else on your mind, like
Clearing an upcoming audition or exam. In that
your memory case, make a plan of action. Making lists or
creating roadmaps to the desired results will
Your brain remembers and holds on to all your unfinished unburden your brain and help you feel more
tasks. If you promised a friend that you’d lend her a book, prepared.
you might forget about it during the day, but as soon as
you’re in bed and falling asleep — there it is! It will be
hard to doze off, because your “monkey mind” demands
that the task be done immediately. The lists we talked
Intervals
about on p. 32 will come in handy at times like these. Try working in intervals: 20 minutes of
hyper-focused, meticulous work, then
on 5–10 minutes of rest. This is the Pomodoro
Let’s say you were writing an essay Technique, and there’s an app specifically
when a friend started talking off
Changing focus is designed to help you employ it in a fun,
to you about his weekend plans. energy-consuming! game-like way.
You allowed yourself
to get sidetracked, and when you It might seem like you can easily do several tasks at once:
returned to your previous task, you watch a TV show, do a school assignment, respond to
couldn’t pick up where you left off text messages. But when you switch your focus from one
right away. It took you some time thing to another, your brain has to spend more energy
to get back into the groove. and make an extra effort, which ends up hurting rather
than helping your productivity.