Embark on a metacognitive reset

When 2020 feels like an out of control game of disaster Bingo (Pandemic! Power outages! Fire!), it seems impossible, impractical and ever so slightly insane to be able to achieve the kind of zen state you might reach while on a dream vacation, sipping a piña colada on a beach watching the waves completely relaxed.

Yet it’s precisely at this moment of cognitive overload that we all should be packing up and running off to our mental beaches. There are the obvious reasons for this — first, sanity. Second, sanity. And lastly, sanity. However, there’s a bigger reason — during these times of high stress, our decision making is impaired. This can be a vicious cycle. Whether it’s a small decision (forgetting a carton of milk at the grocery store) or a larger decision (hosting friends outside of your quarantine bubble) our decision making is off kilter. Or as you might hear it in your head: “What was I thinking? What were they thinking?”

The better question is how were you thinking, and the answer is: you were thinking under a great deal of stress. If you are reading this thinking, “nope, I’m great under pressure,” you may be right. Yet as none of us have experienced this kind of long-term, external stress situation before, it’s unclear where everyone’s tolerance is or where the impact on decision-making may be occurring. We have to find a way to reset.

Resetting is of particular importance to the kinds of people who may be least likely to have enormous amounts of time to step away for a traditional break- entrepreneurs, small business owners, frontline workers- and most likely to make consequential decisions that impact large numbers of people significantly.

I found a way to my mental beach within a matter of a few days while working. For me, the initial step of finding my mental beach was recognizing I was starting to buckle under the strain of a hectic and overwhelming year. I found myself on edge, fatigued but unable to sleep, with a lower frustration tolerance for small things and a vague, constant headache. I had had enough and I knew it.

I decided to embark on a metacognitive reset.

Step 1: Write An Opposite of Gratitude List

First, I identified my daily moments of tension and stress. Every moment I was tempted to sigh, groan or grumble, I noted it down. This opposite of gratitude list really helped me express my frustration, notice when I was being simply ridiculous and figure out what I needed to do.

There is a lot that we can’t control these days, and much of my list was out of my control to change or modify. However, I was able to find a few things I could control, and I set out to do just that.

Step 2: Draw Lines In The Sand

I drew lines in the sand in order to find my mental beach. For example, I worked to define a safe zone for my laptop. I knew I was on the brink of losing it when I fondly daydreamed about throwing my laptop out of the window — and as such, recognized that the mere presence of my innocuous, innocent looking laptop was actually a massive stress trigger. I saw it, and I saw all the work I had to finish; it connected me directly to the external stress I felt. I made a commitment to physically move my laptop out of sight when I wanted to disengage from work and be present with my family.

Step 3: Create Cognitive Clutter

I then chose to flood my environment with the things that brought me intellectual energy. I made a giant pile of books I had wanted to read this year — including a book on the physics of reality that the pandemic had, ironically, interrupted me finishing. I split the pile up, ensuring that when I had a moment, I would be reaching for a book rather than my laptop out of habit. I placed magazines and sketchbooks where I would be most likely to reach for them. My violin re-appeared on a bookshelf in my room, ready to be picked up at any moment. I strategically cluttered my environment with things that sparked and broadened my cognition.

Writing and acting on an “opposite of gratitude” list was a powerful first step to clear the way to “create cognitive clutter.” Together, these two things helped me reduce the overall stressful impact of VUCAD in my life, while prompting cognitive growth through recharging my intellectual energy. I allowed myself to metacognitively reset in a productive way, with just a few small changes.

Now, when my laptop is out of sight and I’m surrounded by books and family, I’m at my mental beach, watching the waves and relaxing. The keys to everyone’s mental vacation are different, but taking an active, metacognitive approach to finding these keys is an important and consequential act of self-care.

If you read this far and learned something valuable, please give this post fifty claps and follow me for more metacognitive tips and tricks! Thank you so much.