Your brain is not an iPhone
We treat our brains like we treat our phones: we expect to use them whilst they’re still charging. Whilst this might work for Apple our minds don’t function this way. In this post I’ll show you why the relentless drive to create is actually harming your productivity and what to do about it.
The problem.
Along the way we’ve got our definitions mixed up. Too many people confuse ‘being productive’ with ‘relentless creation’.
It’s understandable; our whole culture is geared towards this way of thinking. Social media encourages us to post regularly and taps into the dopamine hit we get from people liking our posts and following us. The working world rewards us for the number of units sold, projects delivered etc. But here’s the thing: we’re measured in the volume of tangible artefacts we have to show for our efforts. We’re rewarded for the number of thingswe create. This pushes us to relentless creation and herein lies the path to toxic productivity.
Why is this a problem?
When we’re relentlessly in pursuit of the next ‘thing’ to demonstrate our contribution, we stop giving ourselves thinking space. Why does this matter? Over time, the quality of our creations goes down as we substitute quality for quantity. We stop having fresh ideas, so our creations become stale and lack originality. After a while people notice, so we try to create even more to prove them wrong. The moment we do this, we’re in a vicious cycle.
The solution
Make time to actively disconnect. As a self-professed workaholic, I really struggle with this but once I’m through the uncomfortable stage, it makes the world of difference.
‘Disconnect’ sounds a bit ethereal so here are some practical unproductive things I do that recharge my brain in the background and help me come back refreshed and inspired:
· Schedule a TV binge
· Go out for a walk with no headphones or phone
· Meditate (I recommend brain.fm)
· Reading
· Running
None of these are original but my point is, give yourself permission to do these mundane things without trying to squeeze productivity out of them. Be present in the absence of productivity. Lean into it, don’t fight it, however hard it might feel.
Closing thoughts
You are not an iPhone. You don’t need to use your brain whilst you’re trying to charge it. Only you know how often and for how long you need to recharge but don’t cheat yourself. Investing this time in letting your brain refresh will ultimately pay dividends. The secret hack is doing less to do more.
