Boost your Productivity with Focus and Diffuse thinking

 How to Boost your Productivity using Focus and Diffuse Thinking

Based on the course “Learning how to Learn” by Barbara Oakley.

Have you ever felt that there are sometimes in life when your brain seems to get stuck with certain problems or decisions?

Some may call it Brain Fog or simply just a state in which productivity seems to disappear. It is truly a problem since it also affects memory and logical thinking, consequently, influencing any activity which requires concentration.

However, do you know the real cause for this? and how can it be solved? That is what we will be reviewing in this article, in order to boost your learning and productivity with certain techniques that will not only help you to eliminate Brain Fog but also to enhance your brain capacity when being focused.

Let's start by understanding that the Brain has 2 ways of thinking, The Diffuse and Focus mode. These 2 don't share space in your brain, therefore, you can be either on Focus or Diffuse mode, but not both at the same. Studies show that Diffuse mode is incredibly helpful when we are trying to learn something new, and is also associated with Creativity and disruptive thinking. On the other hand, the Focus mode works with things we are already familiarized with, and also logical problems. Nonetheless, Focus mode consumes much more energy than Diffuse mode, consequently, studies dating from 1990 show that we can't focus for more than 90 minutes before needing a break, and Brain Fog happens precisely when we exceed this period of time, and try to force our brain to concentrate even more.

Examples of Focus Thinking:

• Writing an Essay or Solving a Math problem
• Reading or Studying 
• Speaking in Public
• Practicing a Specific Martial Art Technique 

Examples of Diffuse Thinking:

• Thinking about the topic in the shower or when walking
• Unconsciously reading
• Repeating several times your speech before the event
• Fighting against an opponent

Now, the solution seems to be simple, just take a break. However, the problem relies on taking an “Effective” Break, since it's widely known that the majority of people consider that Reviewing social media or playing an online game, is like a break, which of course isn't the case. An “Effective” break consists in switching from Focus to Diffuse mode, American Inventor “Thomas Edison” knew these principles, and every time he felt stuck in a problem, he used to try to sleep while holding a small object in his hand, which would then clatter to the floor and wake him up just when he started to doze off. Therefore, he would wake up and his brain would be totally renewed. Even tho this technique seems promising, other studies show that even a small break of a few seconds could help if the strategy is appropriate. 

Here's a compilation of the best techniques you can use to change from Focus to Diffuse mode:

• Pomodoro: Even tho this one doesn't physically change from focus to diffuse, it will help to remember when you need to take a break. It consists of a timer of 25 minutes being focused and 5 minutes of a break.
• Going for a Walk or Exercising: This one is surely the best since German studies show that doing physical activity is associated with improving cognitive performance, attention, and memory, as well as brain structure. Even in older adults is shown that it increases the size of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and emotion. Even if it's just a quick walk around the building or the block, can help
• Listening to Music: Not every type of music helps but Classic or non-lyric music can be useful.
• Sleeping
• Driving

Finally, when it comes to problem-solving, knowing how to successfully change from Focus to Diffuse mode can really help, most of the best brilliant ideas come when we are in Diffuse mode, which may sound kind of sarcastic because is the moment in which the brain is relaxing. The last thing I would like to mention is that we have 2 main ways to solve problems:

1. Sequentially, which each step leads to another in order to reach the solution. It’s based on the focus mode and it could perhaps be the least effective.
2. Holistic Intuition, which involves skipping steps and returning back in order to use your emotions and learned experiences to get to a conclusion. It’s based on intuition and uses the diffuse mode.

To sum up, we need both modes to maximize our daily productiveness, both are used in different scenarios and have the same level of importance. If you are stuck on a task or simply feel that you cannot concentrate, remember that maybe the best choice would be to go for a walk or just listen to some relaxing music. The key is how to switch from one to another without wasting too much time or effort, it's all about practice.