The Stress Free Guide - Part 1

Our changed surroundings
Over the past 25 years, we have moved from being an industrial-based economy to being a knowledge-based economy. This has had a significant impact, both in our private lives and in our working lives. There are increasing demands for greater efficiency and profitability in our worklife. As workloads increase, our brains must work harder and more intensively and we need to find new ways to manage the over-abundance of impressions and information we receive each day. It will probably take several generations before our brains adjust and construct new ways of dealing with the new tempo and increased flow of information.

Relative to its weight, the brain is the organ in our body that uses the most energy, comsuming around 20 percent of our daily energy output. Each day, we make thousands of decisions, both big and small. Generally, the processes are automatic and do not require much energy. But we also have controlled processes that are slower and demand more energy. Examples of controlled processes are those times when we need to plan, structuralize, prioritize, or need to solve problems. In these situations, we are in control of the thought process and thus it is known as a controlled process. We have a resistance system in our brain to not use the controlled processes too much because it consume so much energy. But, as with any other skill, it is possible to train our brains to be able to manage these controlled processes.

Humans are gregarious animals and you can still see that our brain hasn’t changed very much from our time on the savannah. A great example of this is when we use social media. When you post a picture and you get ‘likes’, you get positive feedback because we need attention and appreciation to feel that we are part of the group. Back in the days on the savannah, attention from your group was important for your survival: you couldn’t survive alone. That is an explanation of why it so hard to resist social media and why social media is so popular. 

Frazzled
Have you ever found it difficult to get things done at work? That you are constantly being interrupted? It can take your brain up to 13 minutes to regain concentration after an interruption, and it can also take a lot of energy to get there. There is an American concept that describes this ‘brain overload’: Frazzled. Being frazzled means that your brain is overloaded with impressions and is constantly being interrupted, and as a result, finds it difficult to focus. When your brain is overloaded it is comparable to not sleeping for twenty-four hours. Your ability to concentrate deteriorates, together with your ability to manage the brain’s controlled processes. This makes an enormous negative impact on how productive you will be. Over the long-term, this overloading of the brain can lead to stress problems, including problems with exhaustion, memory loss, and concentration difficulties.

Four tips for working more energy efficiently

• What is interrupting you: Of course, by being more energy efficient with your brain’s controlled processes, you can avoid being frazzled and suffering brain overload. For your brain to be more energy efficient, you need to know what it is that drains energy. Reflect on the causes of interruptions when you work and do something about it. Is it co-workers, your phone, or emails?

• Don’t multitask: Multitask takes a lot of energy; as a result performance can suffer by up to forty percent. Our brains have developed to do one thing at a time.

• Best time for you: Time is of course a very individual matter, but most people concentrate best in the morning because they are well rested and the brain is recovered. This is why it is often a good idea to undertake major tasks in the morning. In the afternoon, it is common for people to get tired, as the brain has been active for a long period of time. This can be the time to do more routine tasks, such as reply to emails and have meetings, etc. The afternoon is often also a good time to do more creative tasks, because the brain is in a more relaxed state.

• Breaks: Most importantly, let the brain have a little break, preferably every hour. Just let it idle for a short period. Additionally, ensure that weekends are work-free, so that the brain is more relaxed going into the next working week. For a more complete recovery, it is important to take at least three weeks continuous holiday each year – the brain only starts to rest and recover after two weeks’ break.