Make MORE TIME using Neuroscience
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, Dr. Sidhart Warrior, a neurologist, explores the concept of perceived time and how it differs from the objective time of 24 hours we all supposedly have. He explains that attention is the key factor influencing our perception of time, with studies showing that we often spend up to 50% of our waking hours daydreaming, thus losing half of our subjective time. To maximize productivity, he suggests reducing daydreaming and maintaining focus on tasks at hand. Dr. Warrior introduces a framework to structure the day into five slots: sleep, personal growth, self-work, collaborative work, and social life. This framework aims to align our attention with an internal clock, synchronizing with the natural rhythm of the day and night, ultimately making us more aware of time and increasing our subjective experience of it.
Takeaways
- 🕒 Everyone has the same 24 hours, but perceived time can vary greatly due to attention and focus.
- 🧠 Neuroscience suggests that attention is the key factor in how we perceive time, influencing whether it feels like it's passing quickly or slowly.
- 🌟 Einstein's theory illustrates that time perception is subjective; a pleasant hour can feel like a minute, while an uncomfortable minute can feel much longer.
- 🛌 Sleep is crucial for productivity, and good sleep the night before sets the stage for a productive day.
- 🏃♂️ Daydreaming and distraction can significantly reduce the amount of time we have for focused work, with studies showing we spend 40-50% of our time doing so.
- 💡 Those who manage to have more time are often those who have learned to daydream less and focus more on the task at hand.
- 🧘 The default mode network (DMN) in the brain is responsible for mind-wandering and daydreaming, which can detract from our sense of available time.
- 📈 A structured daily framework can help manage attention and reduce time spent daydreaming, thus increasing perceived time for productivity.
- 📅 The proposed framework divides the day into five slots, each dedicated to different activities such as sleep, personal growth, professional work, and social life.
- ⏰ An internal clock or rhythm, aligned with natural cycles like day and night, can help the brain stay aware of time and increase productivity.
- 🔄 The framework should be adaptable to individual preferences and can be modified to create smaller time blocks for specific tasks.
- 🤝 Social connections and personal relationships are important and should be allocated time in the daily schedule for a balanced life.
Q & A
How does the perception of time differ from the actual 24 hours we all have?
-Perceived time is subjective and can vary from person to person based on their attention and focus. What feels like a minute to one person could feel like an hour to another due to the different levels of attention they are paying to their current experience.
What is the role of attention in the perception of time?
-Attention plays a crucial role in time perception. When attention is focused on an activity, time seems to pass quickly. Conversely, when attention is divided or distracted, time can seem to slow down or stretch out.
According to the video, what percentage of our waking time is spent daydreaming on average?
-On average, studies have shown that we spend close to 40 to 50% of our waking time daydreaming.
What is the default mode network and how does it relate to daydreaming?
-The default mode network (DMN) is a part of the brain that becomes active when a person is not focused on the outside world and the mind wanders. It is associated with daydreaming and mind-wandering, which can lead to a loss of productive time.
How can understanding the default mode network help in managing time more effectively?
-By understanding the default mode network, one can work on strategies to minimize the time spent in this network, thus reducing daydreaming and increasing focus on tasks at hand, leading to better time management.
What is the proposed framework for dividing the day to manage time better?
-The proposed framework divides the day into five slots: one for sleep, one for health and personal growth, two for professional work (one for individual work and one for collaborative work), and one for social life.
Why is sleep considered the first slot in the framework, even though it starts at 1 p.m. the previous day?
-Sleep is considered the first slot because having a good, restful sleep is a prerequisite for a productive day. The quality of sleep can significantly impact one's ability to focus and manage time effectively the following day.
What is the significance of structuring professional work into two separate slots in the proposed framework?
-Structuring professional work into two slots allows for a balance between individual work, which requires deep focus, and collaborative work, which involves interaction with others. This separation can enhance productivity by matching the type of work with the most suitable mental state.
How does the proposed framework help with attention management?
-The framework helps with attention management by providing a clear structure and rhythm to the day. This allows the brain to anticipate what activities are coming and to focus attention accordingly, reducing the time spent in unproductive daydreaming.
Why is it suggested to modify the framework according to personal preferences?
-It is suggested to modify the framework according to personal preferences to ensure that it works best for the individual. Different people have different work styles, energy levels, and commitments, so a one-size-fits-all approach may not be the most effective.
What is the benefit of aligning the framework with natural cycles like day and night?
-Aligning the framework with natural cycles like day and night helps the brain to establish an internal clock, making it easier to anticipate and prepare for different activities throughout the day. This can lead to better time management and increased productivity.
Outlines
🕒 Understanding Perceived Time and Productivity
The first paragraph introduces the concept that while everyone is said to have 24 hours in a day, it seems some people manage to accomplish more and seem less stressed. Dr. Sidhart Warrior, a neurologist, explores the difference between physical time and perceived time, emphasizing that attention is the key factor. He explains that our subjective experience of time can vary greatly depending on where our attention is focused. Using Einstein's analogy, he illustrates how attention can stretch or shrink our perception of time. The paragraph also highlights that a significant portion of our day is spent daydreaming, which reduces the time we have for productive work. Dr. Warrior proposes that individuals who manage to have more productive time have learned to daydream less and focus more on the task at hand.
📅 A Framework for Maximizing Productive Time
The second paragraph presents a framework to manage time effectively by dividing the day into five slots. The first slot, lasting 8 hours, is dedicated to sleep, emphasizing its importance for productivity. The second slot, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., is for health, creativity, and personal growth activities like exercise, reading, and journaling. The third and fourth slots are for professional work, with the third slot for individual tasks and the fourth for team meetings and collaborative work. The fifth slot, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., is for social life and building relationships. The framework aims to provide a rhythm for the brain to follow, synchronizing with natural cycles and increasing the awareness of time, which in turn can make more time available for productive activities. Dr. Warrior encourages viewers to try this framework and adapt it to their preferences.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Perceived Time
💡Attention
💡Default Mode Network (DMN)
💡Daydreaming
💡Framework
💡Productive Work
💡Personal Growth
💡Professional Work
💡Social Life
💡Cardinal Rhythm
💡Time Management
Highlights
The concept that everyone has 24 hours, but some people seem to manage their time more effectively.
Introduction of the idea that perceived time differs from person to person.
The role of attention in shaping our perception of time.
Einstein's analogy of time perception when with a loved one versus on a hot stove.
The average person spends 40-50% of their waking time daydreaming.
Those who manage their time well have learned to daydream less and focus more on tasks at hand.
Understanding the Default Mode Network (DMN) and its role in daydreaming.
The framework proposed to manage time effectively by dividing the day into five slots.
Slot one dedicated to sleep as a prerequisite for a productive day.
Slot two for health, creativity, personal growth, and activities contributing to well-being.
Slot three and four for professional work, with a focus on individual work and team collaboration respectively.
Slot five allocated for social life and building social relationships.
The importance of a framework to provide a rhythm for the brain to follow and improve time management.
The suggestion to create sub-frameworks or smaller blocks of time for individual tasks.
The idea that awareness of time can make more time available to an individual.
An invitation for viewers to try the proposed framework and share their experiences.
Transcripts
we all have 24 hours that's what they
say
right but is that really true experience
K that some people seem to have more
time than others they're able to do more
they're able to multitask better they're
able to get more things done in a day
compared to others and they seem to be
less flustered but how is that possible
why should some people or some brains
have more time and if so how can you you
make more time that is what we're going
to talk about in today's video hi
everyone I'm DR sidhart warrior I'm a
neurologist and welcome to my YouTube
channel where we talk about neuroscience
and everything if you're new here
welcome and if you've been here before
welcome
back for the sake of today's discussion
I'm going to talk about two kinds of
time
physics maths
equations the velocity momentum
acceleration
time comp but there is a different kind
of time which is perceived time the time
that our brain is aware
of subjective
time minute is not a good comparison
what is 1 minute for me could be 1 hour
for you physics has tried to answer this
question but so has neuroscience and
Neuroscience has come up with an answer
which is attention attention is what
makes the difference between perceived
time for you and for
me
Einstein if you spend one hour with a
loved one it will feel like a minute but
1 minute on a hot stove will feel like
an hour this is because when you're with
your lover your attention is completely
on something else and so 1 hour can pass
by like that but when you're on a hot
stove your attention is completely on
every second of
torture and so your minute gets expanded
in other words attention can make time
expand and distraction can make time
constrict what do you think in an entire
day how much time do you spend
daydreaming thinking about things that
have nothing to do with your work at
hand Studies have shown that on average
we spend close to 40 to
50% of our waking time
daydreaming in other words whatever is
the objective time you think you have
only half of that is available to you
subjectively so so if you think you have
2 hours to study think again you
actually have close to 1 hour because 1
hour will go in daydreaming and this
partly answers the first question that I
asked how do some people manage to have
more time these are people who have
figured out how to daydream less and to
spend more attention on the work at
Hand Solve how do we hack this problem
for this you have to understand two
things one is attention and the other is
something called default mode Network
which is a part of the brain now
attention is like a
lighthouse or under and every time your
attention is outside you are doing
productive work but then you get
distracted and then your attention goes
inwards which is where the default mode
Network kicks in and that's when you
start daydreaming and after you're done
daydreaming your attention will swing
outside again and again you are paying
attention to the outside world now
imagine in this spiral you only get half
the amount of time because half the time
is gone in your dmn network so the way
out is to make sure that your attention
is hooked to things outside and spending
less time daydreaming and here is how
you do it I'm going to give you a
framework to work with now remember that
this framework is a suggestion and I
would want you to modify this according
to your life your preferences so that it
works best for you here is my framework
I want you to divide your day into five
different slots slot one is for sleeping
because this is the most important one
slot one will last for 8 hours and it
starts at 1 p.m. on the previous day and
ends at 6:00 a.m. now you might think
why slot one for sleeping I have
realized that having a good productive
day actually starts the night before and
having good sleep is prerequisite to
having a good day which is why I will
call sleep as slot one slot number two
starts at 6:00 a.m. and goes on till
10:00 a.m. so this is where you do
things that contribute to you your
health your creativity your art your
personal growth this is where you can
take walks you can go for a run go to
the gym exercise swim you could read
things that you like write Journal you
could play batminton tennis anything
that you want to do for your own
personal growth slot number three and
four are for your professional work so
10:00 a.m. to 2: p.m. and 2: p.m. to
6:00 p.m. now depending on what kind of
work you do you can structure this
differently the way I prefer to do it is
slot number three goes for self-work
where I work by myself I do research I
write down ideas things that I like to
do in my own time but for my
professional life slot number four is
what I keep for teams for group meetings
for collaborative work for working with
other people and finally slot number
five which is 600 p.m. to 10 p.m. is
where I keep for social life this is
where you connect with your family your
friends you meet up for dinners you have
game nights everything that you do to
build social relationships now the
beauty of having this framework is that
you can slot things in the day to
different windows and as you keep
playing with it you can even make subf
Frameworks block under you can make
smaller blocks of time for individual
things now why is having this framework
or any any kind of framework important
it's because now your brain has
something to work with it has a rhythm
that it can get used to and now your
attention is fixed onto an internal
clock and one of the best clocks to sink
up with is the cardian Rhythm natural
world ccle day and night c s is best so
your brain is always aware of what time
it is what BL block you are in and what
you're supposed to do because remember
that the more your brain is aware of
time the more time becomes available to
you and that is how you make time try
this out let me know how it works all
the best to all of you cheers
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