The importance of unfocusing
Our society is slightly obsessed with focus. Heck, my last blog post was all about it. We spend a lot of time emphasizing focus and finding ways to harness it more often. There exist endless tools designed to help us maximize focus, all in an attempt to inch us towards greater productivity. The problem is that too much focus can exhaust our brain. And, well, that’s obviously not ideal.
My late mentor, Ken Ravizza, used to do a 30-second “presence drill” with sports teams. After each athlete verbally committed to focusing all of their attention on his words for 30 seconds, he’d lean forward and, with his unique voice and a slightly motivational tone, speak about how it feels when the collective energy is engaged in the present moment. After approximately 30 seconds he’d say, “OK, space out.” The presence in the room (or on the field) was palpable, but perhaps it was only so in contrast to the spacing out that occurred after the drill, and likely before it as well.
It turns out that focusing requires a lot of mental effort. OK, that’s probably obvious. When an athlete is learning a new skill, they often share with me how mentally exhausted they are after those particular practices or training sessions. It makes sense. The brain’s focus circuit - or the task-positive network, as neuroscientists often refer to it - works optimally for relatively short periods of time (usually 45 minutes max). While a gymnast needs to be able to focus wholeheartedly on their 10-second to 4-minute routine, a baseball player shouldn’t expect to focus for an entire game.
The problem is that we often force ourselves to focus, instead of being intentional about both deep work and unfocused time. And, it turns out, our brain needs a bit of both. In fact, the best way to cultivate creativity, improve decision-making, and develop resilience is to toggle between focused attention and relaxed unfocus. So, here’s one way to incorporate more unfocused time into your day and to ultimately strike a better balance in your brain.
Positive Constructive Daydreaming (PCD)
The name alone sounds lovely, doesn’t it? To practice PCD, first choose a low-key activity, such as walking or perusing a coffee table book. Then, let your mind wander someplace fun and wishful, like paddleboarding in Hawaii or having a picnic in Bryce Canyon National Park (you’re welcome for that peek inside my daydreams). From there, allow yourself to explore the recesses of your mind. Follow the trail and just see where it takes you. By doing this, you actively engage the Default Mode Network (DMN) in a healthy and effective way - allowing your brain to pick up less of the conscious thoughts and more of the subtler experiences that give your life texture.
By giving your brain the opportunity to unfocus in a positive and supportive way, you are enhancing its cognitive abilities while you simultaneously explore deeper layers of yourself.