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Lately I've been using timers daily

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Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#61
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I need to be very tired to just stare out the window. Get fidgety and somehow anxious. But a motorcycle ride or a nice drive? Even doing the dishes? Now we’re talking! The mind and body are occupied in a mostly autonomus task so the rest of your brain can process and digest. It’s great. Dare I say I almost enjoy doing chores now. Another great option for me is boxing. For those 3 minutes in the ring, you are _not_ th…

Sorry to be that guy, but IME the fidgety & anxious feeling is almost always some need in one’s life that is being unmet. If you sit with that feeling it often becomes clear exactly what the source is. YMMV especially if you’ve experienced some serious trauma.

Oh from what I've read it's probably just undiagnosed ADD (for me).

Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#62
this is seriously true. if I’m trying to solve a problem, getting nowhere, then I go the toilet or get something to eat, very often when I sit back down a solution will just appear in my head. do not underestimate your subconscious

Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#63

This is the pomodoro method.

Its not. Either you don't understand pomodoro or the method outlined in the submission, but they're not the same.

It's close enough. Half the benefit of pomodoro is training your brain to quantify the passage of time in reality, vs what it feels like in your head. Only then can you begin to reliaby estimate how long it'll take to do complete tasks.

Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#64
Taking a break from work and just going for a walk/bike ride in a forest or visiting some interesting place while traveling and working remotely often gave me really great ideas that helped me to solve problems at hand much faster than sitting in an office, fighting with a problem. Like what would take me a week to solve was often done in a day when changing scenery.

Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#65
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I need to be very tired to just stare out the window. Get fidgety and somehow anxious. But a motorcycle ride or a nice drive? Even doing the dishes? Now we’re talking! The mind and body are occupied in a mostly autonomus task so the rest of your brain can process and digest. It’s great. Dare I say I almost enjoy doing chores now. Another great option for me is boxing. For those 3 minutes in the ring, you are _not_ th…

Sorry to be that guy, but IME the fidgety & anxious feeling is almost always some need in one’s life that is being unmet. If you sit with that feeling it often becomes clear exactly what the source is. YMMV especially if you’ve experienced some serious trauma.

In my experience, sitting with the feelings pretty reliably leads to panic spiraling. I just don't think my brain is as capable of pulling back a level as yours seems to be. And I'm not sure how to change that.

Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#66
post #19

Stop listening to podcasts. Enjoy the quiet. I use to fill up my day with listening to podcasts during all non-work time (e.g. driving in the car, exercising, even showering). It overloads your brain if it's having to process info during every waking moment. You brain just needs quiet time to think, relax and explore. I'm way more relaxed, creative and find unique solutions to problems now, than before.

I'd add cut off browsing news/reddit and scrolling social media. It also overload the brain with garbage.

Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#67
post #35
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know a few people who seem to always be in negative moods... and when I learn about them, it appears, that basically every waking moment of their lives, there is _some_ form of... signal just being beamed directly into their brain. Whether it's all day long with headphones on playing music, or podcasts, or TV. It's bonkers to me. I resolve so many of my own issues just... staring out the window, or staring at the c…

I need to be very tired to just stare out the window. Get fidgety and somehow anxious. But a motorcycle ride or a nice drive? Even doing the dishes? Now we’re talking! The mind and body are occupied in a mostly autonomus task so the rest of your brain can process and digest. It’s great. Dare I say I almost enjoy doing chores now. Another great option for me is boxing. For those 3 minutes in the ring, you are _not_ th…

Bikers of HN! What do you ride? I have BMW R1200GS.

Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#68
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was in the same boat. I subconsciously reached for ways to distract my mind whenever it didn't have something to occupy itself with. - When I was doing the dishes, I would immediately put a podcast on - When I was waiting for my kid's music lesson, I would immediately grab a book to read - When I was eating, I would always turn the TV on - When I was sitting on the couch, to supposedly rest, I would put a music rec…

Soooo did you come up with good habits to handle the thoughts causing stress and anxiety? Was the change good or bad?

Nothing particularly fancy, just being more mindful and conscious of when I tend to do this, and deliberately stop doing it.

Re: Lately I've been using timers daily

#69
post #64

Taking a break from work and just going for a walk/bike ride in a forest or visiting some interesting place while traveling and working remotely often gave me really great ideas that helped me to solve problems at hand much faster than sitting in an office, fighting with a problem. Like what would take me a week to solve was often done in a day when changing scenery.

Very much so.

I have solved far more tricky problems on a chair lift at a ski area than I have in an office chair.

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