I use the "make distractions harder" method. For example, I log out of facebook so when my mind wanders to it, I have to make an effort, and in that action I regain control. I have my candies hidden behind a wall of healthy food, so if I get up to get them, I can choose an apple first.
Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
81–90 of 370 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#82I think consciously deciding to take deep, controlled breaths is a good technique for resetting and calming your brain - especially when overcome with emotion that influences your decision-making. Perhaps not exactly what you're asking for, but it could be a "decorator" for the "functions" you are asking for/abount and those that other HN'ers are providing.
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#83Write down what I'm going to do. It happens that I can't really 'start' with work due to having too many things to choose from, or by not knowing how to really get started with it. What always helps is writing down on a piece of paper a step by step guide of what I will do. this can be very general. But just having the steps written down helps me get started. Kind of like a "todo list" except that I don't update it w…
And the corollary: write down what you have done. It can be (for me) hard to remember, giving rise to the mistaken feeling that you’ve achieved nothing.
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#84sleep
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#85what instantly helps me to start working, is to put my headphones on and to start music.
i do always hear one kind of music while working (fast, no vocals, e.g. goa). i think this setting helps my brain to understand "its time to work".
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#86I write everything down exploring all possible scenarios and outcomes. The great thing about writing is that it helps clarify thoughts which leads to actionable strategies. You take every possible outcome into consideration and as things unfold adjust your course likewise. It has helped me keep track of things and organize better. Oh and by saying write down I mean write with pen and paper. It's much more fruitful th…
[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#87With important decisions, I flip a coin. Then choose the decision I find myself hoping the coin lands on
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#88I use sensory cues that get me into the correct mode for each situation. The most simple examples are music and environment. If I'm starting a challenging task, I'll listen to particular tracks and lock myself away. My brain then "knows" to get into gear. Same with relaxation, I reserve some particular music and locations that I use strictly for relaxation. It works like the flick of a switch.
The other thing is lists of tasks to complete in a particular day. I keep it really simple, just a text list. I tell myself "when I get through this list, I can relax and do something I enjoy". It's important for two reasons, first is that it minimizes the costly context switch between completing tasks and high-level planning, second is that my brains "knows" that the sooner I complete the tasks, the sooner it'll get that dopamine rush which the human brain craves.
Overall, I find it very important to have my brain chemistry working for me rather than against me!
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#89Drink water,
Do your cardio,
Get sleep.
Not even joking.
If possible, reduce alcohol consumption
Re: Ask HN: What are your “brain hacks” that help you manage everyday situations?
#90My top 3, in order of how I try to apply them (i.e., if 1 doesn't help, move on to 2, etc.). I learned these all from reading various philosophy works, by the way, so perhaps cognitive hack #1 should be "read books". 1) Suspension of judgement (from Sextus Empiricus, Zhuang Zi, Ecclesiastes): avoid forming an opinion at all about things that are not evident. The way I do this is by thinking through an opposing argume…
I like this advice a lot, but the references and the formalized taxonomic names are a severe hindrance. Do you know any description of these ideas that uses more colloquial, modern terms for the taxonomy?