3 tricks your brain plays on you and how to overcome them.
We all know that life is very different today than it was thousands of years ago in the hunter gatherer days. Yet even though our brains have evolved since then and our frontal lobe has grown significantly, there are some aspects of our brain that are quite unhelpful at times. I put together a few simple but powerful hacks we can use in our day to day to bypass some of these tendencies.
Since our brains have limited storage capacity, we’ve developed many heuristics (shortcuts in our brains) to save time and energy throughout the day. For example, when we look at a table we don’t go through a process of assessing what it might be. We simply know that it’s a table. Our habits are stored within the neural pathways in our brains, allowing us to operate on a kind of “autopilot”. For example, tying your shoes, locking your front door or driving a car. When we are in this autopilot mode, our brain isn’t recording new information. It doesn’t need to, as we already know what we are doing in that particular moment.
As energy efficient as that might be, it does mean that time goes by faster. This is because when we are not recording new information, our perception of time shifts. (This is why an actual 20 minutes of scrolling through instagram might feel like a mere 5 minutes.) The opposite is also true. When we are doing something for the first time or in a new way, our brain goes into “record” mode instead of autopilot, and time actually seems to go by slower. (This is why reading a very complex news article for 5 minutes might seem like it took 20). So what’s the learning here? According to evolutionary biologist Rebecca Heiss, if you want to learn more, enjoy more and gain time, force your brain to hit “record”.
Interrupt auto pilot.
Cook using your left hand (if you’re right handed) or vice versa.
Listen to music you’ve never listened to before while driving, running, walking etc.
Use a new machine in the gym.
Sit in a new part of the office.
Stand in a meeting.
Take a new route to get to a familiar destination.
(I also encourage you to check out my neuroplasticity workshop to learn more detailed info on actually changing your brain.)
Just like when you see a large truck in the distance it looks like a simple dark shape, and only when it comes closer do you see the driver, wheels, signage and windscreen wipers, our brains struggle with details when events are far into the distance. According to social psychologist Daniel Gilbert, if I ask you about your life in 10 years, you will be more likely to think about the big picture, and your choices that might be in line with your values today, “why” you might do something. You will be less likely to think about the small details around those choices, and more specifically “how” to execute them.
For example, you might agree that in 10 years you will have bought a new house, as it makes sense to invest in real estate and you will want more space and a big garden for your family. You might not be thinking about the details of your mortgage, how you will manage the commute to work, or where you will buy the kitchen cabinets. This is in many ways also something the brain does to preserve space and energy, but it can make things difficult when trying to plan in advance. When discussing a far into the future project at work, it might be extremely exciting when you’re in the “why” phase, but less exciting, less feasible or even more challenging when you move to the “how” phase. So what will help?
Move things to the present.
Trick your brain by bringing the future into the present. How would you solve something if the due date was tomorrow? Not only will you activate a more practical style of thinking, but you will also trigger a nice dose of epinephrine (similar to adrenaline) in your brain that can help you stay alert and focused.
Be aware of your own projection bias, which is the fact that we will always overestimate how much we will share the same beliefs, values and behaviors in the future compared to the present. Essentially, your “why” will change even when it doesn’t seem like that now. How can you leave room for flexibility when making decisions that affect the future?
Because we used to live in tribes, our brain perceives being “tribe-less” as dangerous. “Lifestyle architect” and author Eric Barker explains that loneliness makes our brains perceive threats 3 times as fast. By loneliness he doesn’t mean physically being alone, he means not having a feeling of connection to other people. So a lack of social connections will cause your brain to be on much higher alert, contributing to more stress in your body. (Did you know that people with busier social lives get less colds, and that the biggest contributor in recovery from heart surgery is your social support system?). Social connections lower the main stress hormone cortisol because when we feel part of a tribe, we feel safe. The concept of a tribe has of course changed over the years, but our brain (and therefore our health) still suffers when we are too isolated. In fact, new studies surrounding burnout are now implying that not enough social connection could be partly to blame.
Prioritize belonging.
How often do you feel part of a “tribe”? How many groups or communities do you belong to? Could there be space for more?
How can you increase a sense of belonging in your organization or team? (What common interests exist? sports, film, music, food, charity?)
How could you facilitate connections around you?
The next time you feel stressed, how much of that is connected to your social environment at the time? And what could you do to make a change there?
Because our brain is so tribal in its thinking, we are neurobiologically inclined to dislike people who look or sound different from us, as well as like people who are similar to us. (Stay tuned for my future post on unconscious biases). The most effective way to counteract this (probably not surprising), is to introduce our brain to regular contact with people who look and sound different from us. How much diversity exists in your friendship circle? At work? Where might some opportunities be to spend time with people that will help you overcome your brain’s biases?
The more aware we are, the more we can use tools to help us navigate certain situations, and even use our brain’s defaults to our advantage. (Also see Overwhelmed or demotivated? Blame your brain.)
Want to dive a little deeper and learn some more techniques? You know where to find me.
About the author:
Noreen Chadha is a transformational coach in the field of leadership and personal development, based out of Berlin. Using the concepts of mindfulness as well as basic neuroscience, she supports clients in their quest to grow and unlock their full potential.
