Aorere Science Mentoring Program

How to be calm, happy and 10 times smarter very quickly?

~~~Keep things simple and grouping many items into a single familiar bigger item.~~~

We all have experienced stage fright at some points. When we present, we quickly overload our brain. We had to remember all the information, sense audience's engagement, avoid making mistakes, and the list goes on and on. The more we are worried about the presentation the worse we perform because the brain is too full to be fluent.

Our conscious mind is a slow and tiny processor with capacity of about 110 bytes per second. that is why we can’t read two books simultaneously. It is very sensitive to information overload. We may experience mental break down when there are many uncertainties with serious consequences. Uncertainty is a major cause of anxiety.

The world is changing at a rapid rate in our lifetime, yet our individual genetic make up has been static during the same time period. How could we cope with the rapidly expanding amount of information with our static genetic make up? An answer is to hang the information on a familia framework/mental model. One way to free up our conscious mind is to connect all parts into a single big item then all the sudden we free our brain to cope with demands.

A secret to happiness is to unload our brain. Can you connect all the dots into a single familiar item ? So all those many dots that occupy our short term memory become a single item and thus we free up huge amount of brain processing power. This can happen within seconds by having frameworks or mental models to hang on for many things that we do routinely.

Look at the bike below as just a single item. It is easy for our brain to process. When we dissemble the parts then we realise how complex the parts are. Trying to remember each individual part will soon overwhelm our short term memory, unless you imagine the bike and put those parts on the bike frame. This is how you can remember many things using memory palace.

Keeping it simple

Keeping it simple makes you calm, happy and smarter. Steve Jobs often quoted Leonardo Davinci's quote “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. We see this concept applied in Apple stores, Louvi Vouton stores where a product was displayed on a large stand. Very easy for the brain to process. It was an easy experience that our emotional brain likes. So the brain will miss the same experience and thus revisit the stores.

Practice make perfect is all about consistently strengthen the connection of neural network responsible for particular task so that it is very easy and requires tiny amount of brain processing power to execute the task.

So keep things simple and connect the dots into a single familia item. You will feel at ease, calm, happy and wise.

Photo credit: iStock photo

Find Beauty Amongst Our Imperfection. Embrace Who We Are.

I have the privilege of learning many stories from my patients. Many of us struggle with self esteem. You are not alone. Everyone experiences challenges in life. Anxiety is present in everyone of us.

We were often told we were not good enough by our parents, teachers and other people who were meant to be helpful. They pointed out our shortfalls with good intention that we would improve. Inadvertently the sense of inadequacy, when repeated enough, becomes a belief that influences our behaviour subconsciously. Without mindfulness, self-doubt can be the theme of our lives.

Things on social media make us feel the grass on the other side is much greener. We are bombarded with many moments that make us feel inadequate.

Our rational mind is very fragile. A small stress or self-doubt can tip us off balance and set us down self criticising rabbit hole, and our self esteem gets shattered.

I often use the moon analogy talking to my patients. The imperfection on the moon surface is what makes the moon the moon that we love. A bright light high up in the sky with artificially perfect surface will never take the place of the moon.

We have difficult life experiences, and sometimes these experiences contribute to our anxiety. At the same time we have so many talents, much kindness and love that make us beautiful. Both our life challenges and positive qualities make us unique, just like the craters on the moon that make it so unique.

There is only one of you, just like the moon. Find your beauty amongst imperfection. Embrace who you are.

Photo credit: Healthline