Information overload is everywhere,
from non-stop news to rat-a-tat email inboxes. At the receiving end of this
deluge of verbiage is thehuman brain—your brain—
metaphorically endowed with a vacuum cleaner that sucksup information; a container for short-termmemory; a blender for integratinginformation; a memory bank for storing long-term
information; a garbage disposal for getting
rid of information; and a recycling machine extraordinaire.
Using each of these functions effectively is critical if one wants to manage
information overload ̶ simply using your brain for crossing items off your
to-do list is poor use of a very sophisticated machine. Yet few people build
the habits and lifestyles that allow for their brains to function at their
best.
At the core of managing information overload is the ability to know which
function to use, and how and when to use it. The six principles below can serve
as a guide to the proper brain hygiene for managing information overload on a
busy work day.
Setting
the vacuum cleaner: If
you leave the brain’s vacuum cleaner on its default setting, it will pick up
every piece of information on its path. You need to fine-tune its feedback
setting from “global” to “local”.
Local feedback means that you reflect on what just happened. Global
feedback means that you reflect on all prior activities. Training your brain
for local feedback makes it a more efficient multitasker, allowing it to manage
more information and do more tasks as well. So when your day is chockfull of
things to do, take a brief “unfocus” break. During that time, take stock of
what you last completed to simply evaluate how it went, and how it might relate
to the next task. Avoid thinking about the entire day.
Placing
a filter on the container: Short-term
memory is like a cup filled with ideas. It has limits.
So it’s especially annoying when information you don’t need to remember takes
up space in your memory cup or distracts you. For that reason, you need to
filter information throughout the day. There are two ways in which you can do
this: proactive
and reactive.
TMI (“Too much information”) is a form of self-talk that constitutes reactive filtering.
It sends a message to your brain to not absorb what you just heard. Proactive filtering is
a kind of preparation for your brain. Rather than waiting for the TMI moment,
you prepare your brain to ignore it. The ding on your Facebook page, for
example, is something you can decide ahead of time to ignore, or you could turn
notifications off on your computer too.
Turning
the blender on: You
can make space in your brain by connecting ideas. When you do, they become
paired, and your brain can handle more information. When you are focused, your
brain is in collection and not connection mode. You
need to build unfocus times into
your day to turn your brain’s connection circuits on.
When you have too much information coming your way, do the
counterintuitive thing—add another task
into your day. But let this task be something fun that turns on your connection
circuits. For example, walking gives
your ideas some legs—it boosts connections and creativity. And
walking outside beats
walking on a treadmill too.
Cement
your memories: Long-term
memory can be made in minutes by
using a technique known as spaced learning. Rather than working non-stop, build
deliberate distractions into your day. It can confer huge benefits. It empties
your short-term memory cup quickly. And it cements what you need to learn much
faster than if you persevered with your work non-stop. This lightens the load
of information deluge.
Turn
on the garbage disposal: We
often fear that we cannot remember things. Yet, there are also things that we
cannot forget either.
For example, a brief reprimand can stay on your mind all day long. And when you
mess up too, even if nobody else knows, it can worry you too.
As we get older, we get less
good at deliberate forgetting—paradoxically,
troublesome memories linger longer (in part because we have a general worry
about our memories fading so we automatically strain to remember.) One strategy
is to substitute memories quickly. As soon as the troublesome memory starts to
form, turn on your favorite music, or look up your favorite image. Calling deliberate
or directed forgetting, you can effectively disrupt troublesome
memories early so that they never take hold.
Activate
the recycling machine: Your brain
consumes 20%
of the body’s energy even though it only uses 2% of the body’s volume. This
means that when your body lacks energy, your brain will suffer too. This is
probably why conditioning your body with yoga can improve
your quality of life, or why exercise helps your
body manage its energy more effectively. Doing either also gives your brain a
break. Building time in your day to take your mind off your work will help to
rejuvenate your brain.
When you organize your day with these principles in mind, you will have a
new, improved day sculpted to manage
information overload. There are many more ways to build strategic unfocus into your
day. But to start this exercise, simply break up your workday into 45-minute
segments with 15 minutes in between each segment. Exercise at the beginning or
end of your day. During your first break, do proactive filtering. In all other
breaks, check in with yourself to see if anything is disturbing you. Use
reactive filtering (TMI) and thought substitution (positive for negative)
early. When things start getting overwhelming, go for a walk to make
connections or use local feedback control. Practice using these techniques
often, and you will likely increase your brain’s efficiency significantly, and
you may improve your quality time at home as well.
- Srini Pillay
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