Stop Information-Overwhelm!

[Janice, Productivity Strategist]

Mind on info overload? I was reading Angela Hunt's novel, She Always Wore Red, when I ran across the following sentences:

Whatever made me think I could go back to school? For thirty-nine years, the neurons in my brain have been fling information away, and now I'm pretty sure the drawers are either full or stuck. I'm not sure there's room for more then a dozen new fifty-cent words.

Do you feel like that? That your brain is overflowing with organizing information information and there just isn't any room left? Just like we can have too much stuff in our space or too many tasks in our schedule, there can be too much info in our brain. Let me list a couple of ways to "destuff" your brain:

• Write it down. Whether it is an event, a list, or a task, you need to get it out of your head and onto a piece of paper or into the computer. Gone are the days when we could keep track of everything in our heads. It isn't an age thing either. With all of the info out there just waiting to get in, we need to let some out!
• Stop the flow. We can't read or watch everything. Even if we could, there isn't enough time. So cut back. Lots of our brain clutter is a response to something we have heard, seen, or read. With all of the ways to get info these days, you don't have to remember it. You don't even have to remember where to find it, because searching is so easy.
• Be quiet. Sometimes you need to get away. Even if it is only a 10-minute "mind vacation" where you listen to ocean waves crashing and visualize yourself on a beach. Of course, I am a big advocate of going on real vacations, without any connectivity. If you think it can't be done, think again. I usually go away for three weeks at least once a year and don't check voicemail or email. It can be done!

So what do you need to do to decrease your brain's info overwhelm? What is one step you can take today or tomorrow? Let me know all of your good ideas for reducing brain strain. If you need a couple of ideas, check out the Flow page on our Flexible Structure Method website.

[Pat Howlett]

Great info - I use "Lists" and "Quite Time" ALL the time and it really helps.

"Stop the flow" is something that I might be incapable of :)

[Janice, Productivity Strategist]

Thanks, Pat. Glad "lists" and "quite time" work for you. These days with the amount of potential information we can receive each day increasing by the boatload, it's more important than ever to figure out a way to at least reduce the flow. But I admit it is hard! Maybe I should do a post on some different ways to reduce the flow. It's all about little steps. You don't need to stop cold turkey!

[Pat Howlett]

Janice, I do agree that's its a really good idea for many to control the flow - but I thrive on it.

I'm wired to increase the amount of information I consume and love the times we live in because it allows me to go broadband.

Now, there will come a day when I'll be ready for coin and stamp collecting and sitting on the back deck near some river (or ocean or mountain top) and watching the world move on by.

A post that shares how one might reduce the flow (staying productive) would be a good follow up.

[Janice, Productivity Strategist]

Glad to hear you thrive on information rather than getting too overwhelmed by it. I'll work on a "reduce flow but stay productive" post.