{"id":37205,"date":"2024-04-04T07:45:29","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T14:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=37205"},"modified":"2024-04-04T11:53:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T18:53:02","slug":"thanks-brain-for-all-your-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/thanks-brain-for-all-your-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Thanks Brain, for ALL your work!"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the longest time, I thought multi-tasking was a great way to get lots done in a short time period. I am not sure, exactly, what changed my mind. It might have been the stacks of papers that were left unfiled on my desk or the mountain of work I had yet to do. Regardless of the cause, years ago, I came up with a phrase to help me consider what I was really doing. The phrase was: There is no such thing as multi-tasking, only serial mono-tasking<\/em>. I realized that I wasn\u2019t getting everything done as efficiently as I could and that by focusing on one thing at a time and completing each task, I could check things off my list and move on. I actually get more done in less time.\u00a0 It seemed when I was trying to multitask, I was jumping from one activity to the next and never really giving 100% to any one thing. I implicitly knew something had to change. I did not know what to call it. Your Brain at Work<\/em> by David Rock changed that.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Rock explained that his purpose was to give language to the functions of the brain so that individuals have more power to make decisions based on mindfulness rather that impulse or reactions.[2]<\/a> His focus was primarily on work performance and interactions, yet concepts could also be useful in personal life. \u00a0The author discussed many of the functions of the different sections of the human brain from the prefrontal cortex which involves the conscious interaction with the world that needs everything in order for it to function well[3]<\/a> to the anterior Cingular Cortex which notices errors,[4]<\/a> to the Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex which inhibits many responses and allows us to limit distractions.[5]<\/a> and how all of this impacts our daily lives. \u00a0Rock used action words in his examples such as:<\/p>\n

She sees that she is stuck.<\/p>\n

She quiets her mind.<\/p>\n

She hears a subtle thought.<\/p>\n

She tries to listen.[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

Throughout the book, Rock gives other strategies such as how to minimize distractions or stay calm under pressure by labeling emotions, reappraisal of the situation, changing an interpretation of events, or managing expectations.[7]<\/a> Yet the part that I think was most impactful for me was his discussion on the interconnectedness of primary rewards and threats that the brain perceives and how it reacts to them. By utilizing mindfulness techniques rather than reacting to situations Rock demonstrated how outcomes could be different. Specifically, he outlined five things someone could do to help move a situation away from being a threatening encounter and \u00a0toward a rewarding one. Using the word SCARF, the techniques included:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Status: Recognizing the importance of status for self and others and being intentional about not diminishing another\u2019s position can help them be open to consider alternatives.<\/li>\n
  2. Certainty: Being clear with expectations.<\/li>\n
  3. Autonomy: Sharing decision making when possible.<\/li>\n
  4. Relatedness: Connecting on a human level<\/li>\n
  5. Fairness: Being consistent with each person and respectful. [8]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Rock brought these techniques to life through his character, Paul working on a project that was not going well. The examples also brought to mind two of the three kinds of questions that Paul and Elder wrote about in Critical Thinking<\/em>. In the first example, Paul was angry, directive and went right to what he thought was a solution. It was a one system approach. \u00a0In the second example, Paul used more of multi-system questioning where Eric was given an opportunity to think through the problem and use reasoning within a conflicting situation.[9]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0By showing two different examples of how to deal with the situation and the person working on it, meant the difference between salvaging a project or losing it and a lot of money. Yet more importantly, had this been a real-life example, I would suspect that Paul and Eric would have been able to work successfully together on other projects.[10]<\/a><\/p>\n

    About a year ago I read \u00a0The Coddling of the American Mind <\/em>by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. It was a difficult read because it confronted concepts that had begun permeating college campuses and other institutions, words were perceived to be a source of danger.[11]<\/a> I obviously came with a preconceived idea taught by my mother that unlike sticks and stone, words were not deadly. The book puzzled me. I thought it was unusual that students were interpreting things that were being said at some colleges not for the intended use to promote discussion and nurture critical thinking but as dangerous.[12]<\/a> Yet, reading Rock, made some sense of it. If our brains tell us we need to interpret what is safe, then words matter. If our status is in place? Words can question that. If we need certainty, that could be missing, as well as relating to others through connections and sensing that others will be just. All of that can feel as though there is no certainty in the future, it can feel dangerous. Words are often the source of uncertainty through misguided feedback and over reaction to life events. \u00a0The SCARF that our brains use to measure threat or reward could be sensing messages that make them feel not included or important. Essentially, I think it highlights that how we understand our brains in relation to words and activities has a farther-reaching impact than simply on work.<\/p>\n

    [1]<\/a> David Rock, Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2020), 56.<\/p>\n

    [2]<\/a> Rock, 56-57.<\/p>\n

    [3]<\/a> Rock, 6-7.<\/p>\n

    [4]<\/a> Rock, 51.<\/p>\n

    [5]<\/a> Rock, 56.<\/p>\n

    [6]<\/a> Rock, 87.<\/p>\n

    [7]<\/a> Rock, 151.<\/p>\n

    [8]<\/a> Rock, 199.<\/p>\n

    [9]<\/a> Richard Paul and Linda Elder, The Miniature Guide To CRITICAL THINKING: Concepts and Tools<\/em> (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., 2020), 34.<\/p>\n

    [10]<\/a> Rock, 215.<\/p>\n

    [11]<\/a> Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure<\/em> (Washington, DC: Penguin Random House, 2018), 4.<\/p>\n

    [12]<\/a> Lukianoff and Haidt, 27.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    For the longest time, I thought multi-tasking was a great way to get lots done in a short time period. I am not sure, exactly, what changed my mind. It might have been the stacks of papers that were left unfiled on my desk or the mountain of work I had yet to do. Regardless […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":211,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2681,2967],"class_list":["post-37205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-rock","tag-dlgp03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/211"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37205"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37209,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37205\/revisions\/37209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}