C
CosmoGTD
Guest
__________________
Thanks!
Coz,
thank you for this interesting report. In my work as an occupational safety engineer at a hospital I sometimes get reports about employees having an accident at work that was caused by stress and too much information, e.g. surgeons cutting themself into the finger or hand while working in the emergency operating room.
Rainer
Coz,
thank you for this interesting report. In my work as an occupational safety engineer at a hospital I sometimes get reports about employees having an accident at work that was caused by stress and too much information, e.g. surgeons cutting themself into the finger or hand while working in the emergency operating room.
Rainer
C
CosmoGTD
Guest
I thought this study and paper fit perfectly with the GTD idea of Psychic Ram, and what's great is that there were some objective tests carried about by Cognitive Scientists, and it was not just subjective opinions and anecdotes.
If this is close to accurate, then DA is very correct when he states that if we have a bunch of crud in our head, then the Ram just cannot cope, and could very well push us into chronic stress and panic modes.
But since our Ram is SO LIMITED...think about it.
If it can really only manage 4 things at once before it overloads, then a GTD type solution can work very well, by keeping the Ram clear, just like on a computer.
Personally, i am trying a new little trick along these lines.
When i start feeling scattered, and cannot focus as well as i would like, i have a box of small note papers handy, about the size of large Post-Its.
First, i get out ONE piece of paper, and take a deep breath, and RELAX.
Then, i DECIDE on ONE NA to do from my lists. ONE.
It doesn't have to be the perfect or ideal one. Just any one, really.
Then i write that ONE NA on the paper from my lists.
Then i hold this NA in my hand, and LOOK at it.
Then i notice what i am feeling/thinking...and do some CBT or REBT on it, if i am having some Anxious thoughts, or worry, and then I Dispute the irrational thoughts that are causing the trouble.
Then i simply DO THE NEXT ACTION written on the little piece of paper.
I STOP THE WORLD for the few minutes to get that ONE little thing done.
Then i recycle that little square of paper, and check it off my list.
Of course, i only use this when i feel STUCK, or a bit STRESSED, or feel i can't focus.
Otherwise its business as usual, and i just use the Context Lists.
But when i get STUCK, i am using this STOP THE WORLD, and DO ONE Next Action to just get moving, and to clear my Mind, to clear my Ram...to REBOOT MY BRAIN and start fresh!
This would make sense with this study.
My brain is trying to do TOO MANY things at once, and it seems to go into "freeze" mode. It starts freezing up, like Windows, and maybe it even gives me the Blue Screen Of Death, or just starts to freeze up in certain areas, and get sluggish.
So then i just take a deep breath, pick ONE NA, write it down, sometimes stand up for a minute with the paper in my hand, RELAX and breathe, think for a moment, do some cognitive Disputing, and then BOOM, just do it.
Throw out paper, check off Next Action.
Rinse and repeat.
Reboot your brain, clear your Psychic Ram.
It seems the cognitive mind can only literally handle a FEW things at once, like maybe 3 things.
So bring it down to ONE THING, and get it DONE, and start fresh.
Coz
If this is close to accurate, then DA is very correct when he states that if we have a bunch of crud in our head, then the Ram just cannot cope, and could very well push us into chronic stress and panic modes.
But since our Ram is SO LIMITED...think about it.
If it can really only manage 4 things at once before it overloads, then a GTD type solution can work very well, by keeping the Ram clear, just like on a computer.
Personally, i am trying a new little trick along these lines.
When i start feeling scattered, and cannot focus as well as i would like, i have a box of small note papers handy, about the size of large Post-Its.
First, i get out ONE piece of paper, and take a deep breath, and RELAX.
Then, i DECIDE on ONE NA to do from my lists. ONE.
It doesn't have to be the perfect or ideal one. Just any one, really.
Then i write that ONE NA on the paper from my lists.
Then i hold this NA in my hand, and LOOK at it.
Then i notice what i am feeling/thinking...and do some CBT or REBT on it, if i am having some Anxious thoughts, or worry, and then I Dispute the irrational thoughts that are causing the trouble.
Then i simply DO THE NEXT ACTION written on the little piece of paper.
I STOP THE WORLD for the few minutes to get that ONE little thing done.
Then i recycle that little square of paper, and check it off my list.
Of course, i only use this when i feel STUCK, or a bit STRESSED, or feel i can't focus.
Otherwise its business as usual, and i just use the Context Lists.
But when i get STUCK, i am using this STOP THE WORLD, and DO ONE Next Action to just get moving, and to clear my Mind, to clear my Ram...to REBOOT MY BRAIN and start fresh!
This would make sense with this study.
My brain is trying to do TOO MANY things at once, and it seems to go into "freeze" mode. It starts freezing up, like Windows, and maybe it even gives me the Blue Screen Of Death, or just starts to freeze up in certain areas, and get sluggish.
So then i just take a deep breath, pick ONE NA, write it down, sometimes stand up for a minute with the paper in my hand, RELAX and breathe, think for a moment, do some cognitive Disputing, and then BOOM, just do it.
Throw out paper, check off Next Action.
Rinse and repeat.
Reboot your brain, clear your Psychic Ram.
It seems the cognitive mind can only literally handle a FEW things at once, like maybe 3 things.
So bring it down to ONE THING, and get it DONE, and start fresh.
Coz
M
MarkTAW
Guest
CBT=Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
REBT=Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
I've heard of the first, but not the latter. It's a fairly effective tool for dealing with anxiety. I'd also add EMDR = Eye movement decensitization and reprocessing.
REBT=Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
I've heard of the first, but not the latter. It's a fairly effective tool for dealing with anxiety. I'd also add EMDR = Eye movement decensitization and reprocessing.
M
MarkTAW
Guest
In addition to this study, I'd point out that the more "expert" you become at a given task, the larger chunks you can handle. A whole series of steps become so automatic that it's only 1 item in your brain, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, a total beginner has to break down the task into so few steps they're constantly referring back to the instructions/roadmap/expert for validation and to confirm what the next step is.
C
CosmoGTD
Guest
CBT is explained a bit here.
http://www.cognitivetherapy.com/basics.html
http://www.beckinstitute.org
REBT is similar to CBT and is an amazingly powerful method of self-management.
http://www.rebt.org/
EMDR has been discredited, i would not recommend it.
http://skepdic.com/emdr.html
CBT-REBT are a set of Cognitive-Emotive-Behavioral tools we can use to manage our Moods, Behaviors, and Beliefs.
In my opinion, they are the most scientific and highly effective therapies in the world today. I would recommend both of those, either in books, or better yet by a highly trained accredited practitioner.
Coz
http://www.cognitivetherapy.com/basics.html
http://www.beckinstitute.org
REBT is similar to CBT and is an amazingly powerful method of self-management.
http://www.rebt.org/
EMDR has been discredited, i would not recommend it.
http://skepdic.com/emdr.html
CBT-REBT are a set of Cognitive-Emotive-Behavioral tools we can use to manage our Moods, Behaviors, and Beliefs.
In my opinion, they are the most scientific and highly effective therapies in the world today. I would recommend both of those, either in books, or better yet by a highly trained accredited practitioner.
Coz
M
MarkTAW
Guest
IMHO EMDR works, at least for me. I mentioned it in another forum, and someone said it worked for them too. CBT does have more research and people behind it.
I don't know (some say nobody knows) why EMDR works, all I know is I feel better when I do it. It's not rocket science, just try it and see if it works for you.
PS - everything has been "discredited" by someone. I recently read a story about someone from the Flat Earth Society looking at pictures of the Earth from Space. He said "It's amazing what a well rendered fake can do."
I don't know (some say nobody knows) why EMDR works, all I know is I feel better when I do it. It's not rocket science, just try it and see if it works for you.
PS - everything has been "discredited" by someone. I recently read a story about someone from the Flat Earth Society looking at pictures of the Earth from Space. He said "It's amazing what a well rendered fake can do."
C
CosmoGTD
Guest
EMDR is not a big cosmic mystery, we are dealing with basic Cognitive Therapy and cognitive science principles here.
There is a lot of "hand-waving" and eye rolling, :roll: going on in EMDR, literally. But if a person likes it, then go ahead, roll on.
But you can get the same effects, without the placebo stuff, by just modifying your thoughts-beliefs directly.
The AMA states...
"Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has received a great deal of publicity. It has been proposed as a technique for working with trauma patients. At present, EMDR is not a standard part of disaster psychiatry. Recent reviews have indicated that what is new in EMDR does not appear to be helpful, and what is helpful is what we already know about relaxation, education, and psychotherapy" (37,43). http://www.psych.org/disasterpsych/sl/principlespractice.cfm
For a TERRIFIC intro book on REBT and some CBT, you can read this book online starting here, and learn the basics. Just press the little green arrow that says "Next".
Its Not As Bad As It Seems by Dr. Ed Nottingham
http://books.iuniverse.com/viewbooks.asp?isbn=0595141684&page=fm7
(no hand-waving or rapid eye-rolling needed!) :roll:
Coz
There is a lot of "hand-waving" and eye rolling, :roll: going on in EMDR, literally. But if a person likes it, then go ahead, roll on.
But you can get the same effects, without the placebo stuff, by just modifying your thoughts-beliefs directly.
The AMA states...
"Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has received a great deal of publicity. It has been proposed as a technique for working with trauma patients. At present, EMDR is not a standard part of disaster psychiatry. Recent reviews have indicated that what is new in EMDR does not appear to be helpful, and what is helpful is what we already know about relaxation, education, and psychotherapy" (37,43). http://www.psych.org/disasterpsych/sl/principlespractice.cfm
For a TERRIFIC intro book on REBT and some CBT, you can read this book online starting here, and learn the basics. Just press the little green arrow that says "Next".
Its Not As Bad As It Seems by Dr. Ed Nottingham
http://books.iuniverse.com/viewbooks.asp?isbn=0595141684&page=fm7
(no hand-waving or rapid eye-rolling needed!) :roll:
Coz
C
CosmoGTD
Guest
Actually, i just wanted a change from looking at plain-text.
But by the way, let me make the suggestion that we (me included) discipline our mental focus and keep this thread about the alleged nature and limits of Psychic Ram.
If we want to debate various techniques from self-help psychologies, perhaps someone could start a new thread, and discusss how these can help us implement GTD, and perhaps how certain techniques might just be Hype and Salesmanship, or Placebos, or just plain wrong, or even unhelpful.
I think the concept of Psyhic Ram is a critical one, and perhaps THE most critical one. After all, its in these MOMENTS where the details of GTD happens, or does not happen.
Coz
But by the way, let me make the suggestion that we (me included) discipline our mental focus and keep this thread about the alleged nature and limits of Psychic Ram.
If we want to debate various techniques from self-help psychologies, perhaps someone could start a new thread, and discusss how these can help us implement GTD, and perhaps how certain techniques might just be Hype and Salesmanship, or Placebos, or just plain wrong, or even unhelpful.
I think the concept of Psyhic Ram is a critical one, and perhaps THE most critical one. After all, its in these MOMENTS where the details of GTD happens, or does not happen.
Coz
J
jmarkey
Guest
How do I know when my psychic Ram is full? When I put the cereal in the refrigerator and the milk in the cabinets. :?