Thinking modes, Pomodoro and Noble Silence
Thinking modes
There are two modes of operation:
- Focused mode
- Diffuse mode
Focused mode is what happens when you deeply concentrate on one thing, like doing math problems. The brain tries to understand, evaluate or memorize what you are doing.
Diffuse mode is what happens when you are not concentrating on anything. The thought runs randomly when we are doing other things such as jogging, cycling, or doing something in the toilet. At this time, the brains find the connections and over all of the big pictures.
Pomodoro Technique
- 25 minutes (a Pomodoro session) to work in focused mode.
- After each session, take a break for 5 minutes. At this time, we change the thinking mode from focused to diffuse. You can do anything not related to work like take a short walk, get a cup of coffee or tea.
- After 3-4 Pomodoro sessions, you can take a long break
Noble Silence
There is a mediation technique called noble silence.
Noble silence could be considered a mode where you let your brain goes into a vacuum. You will focus on breathing and feeling your body, your soul, and your elements.
I believe we should practice noble silence when we are in the diffuse mode.
I live in a retreat center in southwest France where we practice a kind of silence called noble silence. The practice is easy. If we are talking, we are talking. But if we are doing something else – such as eating, walking, or working – then we do just these things. We aren’t doing these things and also talking. So we do these things in joyful noble silence. In this way, we are free to hear the deepest call of our heart.
…
Practicing silence to empty all kinds of noise within you is not a difficult practice. With some training, you can do it. In noble silence, you can walk, you can sit, you can enjoy your meal. When you have a kind of silence, you have enough freedom to enjoy being alive and to appreciate all the wonders of life.
Silence – Thich Nhat Hanh
I created a todo application called Minimalist-Todo (midoto). When you start a task, after the first 25 minutes, a bell will ring to tell you to switch from focused mode to diffused mode. Currently, you could not customize the timer, I will update it soon.
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