Over the course of the last few decades, our lives have changed beyond belief. Wedded to smart devices, many of us check our phones every few minutes, and respond to messages in a jiffy. It helps us feel in control. But the thing we often fail to realise is the toll this takes on our mental clarity. What were you doing before you got interrupted? And what will you do next?
Despite an increasing number of productivity tools and apps, many of us are somewhat less productive, or even less creative, not because we lack tools, but perhaps because we have too many tools.
So how do you keep up with the technological advancement, the tooling at your disposal and yet maintain mental clarity?
In this article, I’ll share some key tips I use.
1. BEGIN WITH YOUR BEST SELF
Many of us demand the best everything – the best devices, the best office working space, the best locations to work from, and so on.
Yet one thing we miss through it all is to check if we’re at our optimal.
So what I mean by beginning with your best self is to ask if you’re arriving to the ecosystem as prepared as you can be.
Have you had a good night’s sleep?
Have you eaten well?
Are you in the right frame of mind?
When immersing yourself in any ecosystem, the ecosystem can only do so much to help you if you’re suffering from brain fog within. If you wake up feeling sluggish, are lacking in sleep, are feeling depressed, or isolated, it’s that which needs addressed.
2. MAKE EXERCISE A WAY OF LIFE
Despite the benefits of exercise being well known and documented, it never fails to amaze me just how many of us act as though this somehow doesn’t apply to us.
Exercise has more to do with conditioning your mind than you realise. Research shows that exercise releases protein into the brain and can help with your memory and overall cognitive performance.
I’ve been exercising daily since over 25 years now, and truth be told, though I don’t go into the specifics of what it’s doing for me, I live the benefits so profoundly that I’d have it no other way. When I walk back home from the morning gym, it’s like all the dots have connected and I know I’m ready to take on whatever is coming my way.
3. DEVELOP ACUTE SELF-AWARENESS
Many of us spend a lot of time consuming content related to what’s on in the external world. From the moment we wake up, we have news pushed onto us – and everything from what’s happening in your team and your company, to your city, and the next big influencer, becomes your business.
As we switch from one notification to the next, feeling responsive, agile and aware, the one thing that takes a hit is your awareness of what’s on in your mind.
What were you looking to achieve from this day to begin with?
Why does that matter anyway?
That next big event in your space, is that helping you move towards your goal, or is that just a handy distraction?
Being aware of your goals and motives can go a long way in helping you dial up and down on the notifications that kill your clarity.
CONCLUSION
In a world crowded with gadgets and notifications all vying for your time and attention, achieving mental clarity feels increasingly elusive. Frustrated, many of us look around for solutions – that next calming app, the music to help clear our mind, the influencers and how they’ve focussed on their goals. While all of that may help so some degree, do yourself that favour and look within. That clarity is already there, waiting to be found once you purge the noise that you’re embroiled in.
