A Productivity Technique For Over Active Minds

Count backward to unlock rewards

It is hard to compete with the fickleness of our minds. When a combination of blood chemistry and the brain’s survival instincts come together, it is hard to find the deep focus to get anything meaningful done.

Picture a wild horse running around or a kid in a candy store, our minds can be like that most times. There are a lucky few that can manage to mind their minds before they arrive at that state. But, for most of us, we find ourselves in that state of mind without awareness.

What do you do when you find yourself in such a state?

One of my recent ‘aha’ moments was when I realized that I can apply a meditation technique before going to sleep. This method is taught in the headspace app. It is a common technique where we start counting backward from 1000. But, first — a detour.

The Mel Robbins 5-second rule

I will be honest. I don’t know who Mel Robbins is. I did hear about Tony Robbins but never followed any of their work.

OK. Apparently, one of the principles Mel uncovered was that whenever she was eager to work on any project. She counted back from 5. She calls this the window of opportunity. If you do not act within this window, your mind will distract you to do something else.

I do not know about this 5-second rule but the general principle is correct (in my experience). One of the most prolific writers of modern times, Stephen King, mentioned a similar principle in his book ‘On Writing’. Let’s say you have an idea. From that moment on, there’s a timer that starts ticking.

If you don’t act within a certain period, the momentum for that idea dies down rapidly. It becomes like a stale egg. After that point, you are playing against the odds. There is a lot of guilt associated with that idea that takes up a lot more space in your mental psyche. Collect enough of these mental bags and it’s a miracle that you are still walking around.

The Rabbit Hole of Counting Backwards

Counting backward from 1000 gives the mind a wide space. It gives it just enough of a challenge so it can work on it, but not too much to defeat the purpose. Your mind will notice that it missed the count a few times and gets back on the task. But, slowly, it quiets down and drifts into sleep.

It is not a trick though. There is a lot of scientific studies that have explored this topic. The simple act of counting backward engages different parts of our brain in order to exchange much-needed information to keep the task going. It consumes enough of our brain’s attention that it can block our ability to process physical pain.

In fact, a variation of the counting backward (called the ‘Serial Sevens’ test) is often used in mental testing to assess cognitive function (dementia detection, head injury impact etc…).

Within this slight variation though, there are physiological effects (heart rate change, faster breathing) that can happen to support the brain’s need to maintain concentration. So, exercise caution!

There is another curious effect that you will notice when you are counting backward from a large number. It is to do with how your brain ‘smooths’ information over time. You start counting down and at some point, your mind has lost track of the count. It is following a train of thought and it takes you a few seconds to realize you have been on this train. It feels like a natural effect of a visual integration phenomenon that I recently came across.

The Road back to Focus

Or rather the road that leads back to a quieter mind — counting back from a large number (say, a thousand).

This technique is particularly useful when you notice your mind is particularly active. You notice it’s thinking too much (in endless loops and trains). In this state, your mind strains your physical body by not allowing it the rest your body (and mind) needs. In other words, a restless mind.

This same technique can be applied when your mind is overactive while you are trying to write an article (you cannot settle on a topic) or when you have two or more conflicting priorities at the same time. Settle down in your chair, close your eyes and slowly count backward. After a while, your mind should settle down allowing you a peaceful space to work on one thing at a time.

In such a seemingly simple act, there is so much depth. Enough to keep a few doctoral students busy for years. Our brains are truly amazing machines. And, their ability to hack themselves is a testament to their remarkable nature. So, keep exploring and experimenting with these techniques. Let’s see what works and what doesn’t.