I’m looking for “simple tricks” for noticing internal cognition, of variable content. I don’t have a particularly difficult time now, but if I can find something to expedite my self-training that would be neat.
I have in place a system where every week I focus on a group of techniques I want to adopt, but connecting my thinking to my notes seems like it could be a iffy sort of step. A simple physical/sensory association (like snapping fingers) is what I’m going to be resorting to, and I do practice mindfulness, but is there any other staples I am unaware of?
Brienne’s actually written a pretty great article on this, here: http://agentyduck.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-train-noticing.html I can’t seem to find the article, but she has another one where she talks about using an old style ticker for positive habits. She clicks it every time she notices, and it’s not only immediate feedback, but it gives you a running tally of how many you’ve done for the day, which is a bit gameified.
If it’s a negative habit you’re noticing, an old NLP standby is to snap a rubber band on your wrist, just enough that it stings.. A more modern version of this is the Pavlock wristband—it shocks you when you do the negative thing.
Another good one is to wear a bracelet, which you switch from wrist to wrist when you notice the habit. I believe this originated with Will Bowen and his no complaint experiment. These remind you throughout the day by having the wrist band, and every time you switch it, you’ll be paying more attention because you haven’t habituated to the wristband yet.
Finally, there’s apps like tagtime/moodrecorder/etc. These are installed on your phone and pop up variably throughout the day, asking you to be present to internal state and record it. This gives you a more holistic view of what’s going on internally throughout the day.
I’m looking for “simple tricks” for noticing internal cognition, of variable content. I don’t have a particularly difficult time now, but if I can find something to expedite my self-training that would be neat.
I have in place a system where every week I focus on a group of techniques I want to adopt, but connecting my thinking to my notes seems like it could be a iffy sort of step. A simple physical/sensory association (like snapping fingers) is what I’m going to be resorting to, and I do practice mindfulness, but is there any other staples I am unaware of?
Thanks :)
Brienne’s actually written a pretty great article on this, here: http://agentyduck.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-to-train-noticing.html I can’t seem to find the article, but she has another one where she talks about using an old style ticker for positive habits. She clicks it every time she notices, and it’s not only immediate feedback, but it gives you a running tally of how many you’ve done for the day, which is a bit gameified.
If it’s a negative habit you’re noticing, an old NLP standby is to snap a rubber band on your wrist, just enough that it stings.. A more modern version of this is the Pavlock wristband—it shocks you when you do the negative thing.
Another good one is to wear a bracelet, which you switch from wrist to wrist when you notice the habit. I believe this originated with Will Bowen and his no complaint experiment. These remind you throughout the day by having the wrist band, and every time you switch it, you’ll be paying more attention because you haven’t habituated to the wristband yet.
Finally, there’s apps like tagtime/moodrecorder/etc. These are installed on your phone and pop up variably throughout the day, asking you to be present to internal state and record it. This gives you a more holistic view of what’s going on internally throughout the day.
Thank you, this was useful.