4 ways to make your brain work to its fullest

You are, of course, a busy person. You try to keep your life afloat, plus work. Think about whether your smartphone helps you to cope with the tasks at hand? What about 10-15 tabs in a browser? A stream of emails pouring in one after the other? And at the end of the day, you try to fall asleep and rest for the five hours you deserve, knowing that this is not enough. But you just don't have time for more.

If in the previous paragraph you recognized yourself, then Maria Konnikova has something to offer you: stop, take a step back and realize how dear your habits are costing you. The New Yorker, PhD in Psychology, knows what he's talking about.

I know I am fighting on the side of the losers. But I hope that at least someone hears my words that hyper-productivity makes us much less productive.

Maria Konnikova

Get enough sleep

Until now, sleep deprivation has not been fully studied. But science knows for sure that the main function of sleep is to remove the biochemical waste products of the brain that appear as a result of its activity. This means that a lack of sleep can cause the build-up of harmful amyloid beta proteins, which can lead to various diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

How to get rid of the habit of not getting enough sleep? You will have to change your lifestyle, which is not easy. It's not enough just to think, "I can't get enough sleep right now, but I'll do it this weekend." It won't work. Recovering from one sleepless night is easy, but chronic sleep deprivation takes a lot of effort.

How long should you sleep? An adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Stop eating internet junk

You were probably wondering how the Internet affects our brains? Doesn't the Net make us addicted, turning into a kind of drug? Status on Facebook, email, Twitter, an interesting article, and so on in a vicious circle. Maria Konnikova says that the main problem for Internet users is scattered attention. We constantly have to switch from one action to another, and this prevents us from focusing on important things.

How to get rid of this? Set a set of rules for yourself: half an hour email, half an hour Twitter, and so on. You can do it yourself, but if you know you may not have enough willpower, use aids.

Test your multitasking

Internet junk is just part of one big problem - multitasking. Modern culture encourages it and even forces us to do several things at the same time (for our own good). But have you ever seen an employer who needed someone with superior multitasking skills? Unlikely. Therefore, the advantages of multifunctionality are vague and are only in our heads. The main thing that needs to be achieved is complete concentration on one action. In this case, even if the task is incredibly boring, you will still feel much happier.

How to get rid of multitasking? For starters, try to develop the habit of noticing that you are doing several things at the same time. And, just like with the internet, discipline yourself to take turns solving problems.

Train mindfulness

The most memorable trait of Sherlock Holmes is his incredible attentiveness. The ability to notice details that are beyond the control of other people. And, as Maria Konnikova says, inaction is at the heart of Holmes' crime solving. Often he just sits in a chair and does nothing. The eyes are closed and the body is motionless, unless he plays the violin. This is what helps Holmes to be concentrated and attentive to all the little things.

How do you start thinking like Sherlock Holmes? According to Maria Konnikova, all that needs to be done is to start imitating the detective. Set aside 10-15 minutes each day to sit down and do nothing. Concentrate on your own breathing, on each inhalation and exhalation. This exercise will help develop your focus. Imagine that you are training a muscle and with each lesson it gets bigger and stronger.

Do not think that it is difficult or impossible to do all this. Start with small habits and move on to global change. Lack of sleep, multitasking, and internet clutter make us less productive, creative, and happy. Try to use yourself to the fullest on both the mental and physical levels.