You can’t be the Captain, the Crew and the Cartographer– Stop Trying!

You wake up in the morning, ready to take on the day ahead. You attend your daily line-up of meetings. You ace that presentation that gave you a few sleepless nights. You interact with several clients who can find no reason to complain. And just like that, another fulfilling day at work has been sailed. 

But what is happening in the background? Why is no one talking about that? 

Do you find it frustrating to complete everyday tasks? Think about it. When you open that food delivery app, how easy is it for you to choose what to order? When a dear one comes in with a sad story, do you find yourself listening actively? How often does your browser have an overwhelming number of tabs open? And each one seems to be equally important? You are an efficient worker. So why has something so basic begun to feel so difficult? 

You may be experiencing what science has described as cognitive overload. It occurs when the amount of information out there crosses your capacity to process it. It is like a ship with the perfect engine but a cluttered deck– you can surely sail but definitely not at your best. 

Let us try to understand this further. 

Your brain is powerful. But just like every other organ in your body, it has its limits. 

When you are engaged in a task that demands serious attention, your brain decides to treat everything as “background noise”. In scientific terms, the engagement is known as “effects of concentration” which adapt to the challenging nature of the task in order to deliver the optimal level of performance. This is accompanied by suppression of peripheral data processing in order to minimise distractions. Sounds like a mouthful? Try to relate it to everyday life. Hanging out and laughing with friends over some childhood memory while also searching your phone gallery for that one picture that is the sole reminder of that incident does not seem difficult right? On the flip side, recall a moment when you were working on a project like your life depended on it. In that moment, do you think you would have paid attention to even your own name being called out? 

This experience does not remain isolated to your “thinking” activities. The sense of overload has a tendency to switch on the emotion centre of the brain known as the amygdala. This over-activation of emotions takes over the part of the brain responsible for making sound decisions and ends up hijacking it. This is what is known as the “amygdala hijack”. The result– increased levels of stress, anxiety and impulsivity- often leaving the person distracted and socially disconnected. Just like that captain trying his best to anchor at his destination but losing himself in the map along with a malfunctioning compass. 

In today’s era of constant stimulation and glorified hustle culture, it is not uncommon to be feeling this way. But do not worry, we will not be giving you the same traditional advice of minimising distractions, improving time management or simply just sailing through.

So what can be done instead? 

1. Clear the deck

   
   

   Does every task need your attention right now? How many of them actually have a deadline? More importantly, which ones of those actually feel fulfilling? Prioritise and eliminate your to-do-list by asking yourself such questions. Instead of navigating uncharted waters, update your map. Take 5 minutes every night to list down how you want your following day to look like. Remember, you have limited mental resources. Planning will ensure that you use them to the best of their strengths. 

   
   

2. Catch the right currents

   
   

   According to Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow, the best engagement occurs when skill meets challenge. Play on your strengths and structure the most challenging tasks during your most productive hours. This has a twin-fold benefit– release of happy hormones such as dopamine owing to accomplishment as well as decreased chances of cognitive exhaustion. 

   
   

3. Let yourself feel the breeze

   
   

   Positive emotions, by their very nature, have been associated with an increase in the available mental resources. This also means an enhanced capacity to think and act. How to achieve this? Do something purely for the sake of happiness. It could be beginning your day with a gratitude journal, reading a comic book, talking to a loved one or simply allowing yourself to enjoy just a few moments of pure solitude. 

   
   
   
   

   The waters will keep changing. Today’s storm may eventually become tomorrow’s calm. The only constant remains you and the steering that you hold. But next time when the ocean seems oddly turbulent, it may be fair to ask yourself: am I flourishing or just functioning?