5 techniques to cue reflection, strategic thinking and metacognition
One of the major side effects of the epidemic of unrelenting drive and constant hustle has been to limit our collective capacity for deep and broad thinking.
When it comes to reflection, learning, strategic thinking and metacognition, our brains need to slow down, focus and trigger alpha waves. To do that, we have to shift out of beta waves, which occur during focused execution.
If we can learn to do this deliberately and as needed, we can lay the foundation for improved performance and health.
Here are five things to keep in mind when you need to think deeply and broadly.
(c) Greg Wells Ph.D., 2020.
1. Put your body in a calm state
When you are learning or considering new opportunities, your body needs to be relaxed and in a state of low activation. Whenever you want to engage in learning, reflection, metacognition or strategic thinking, be intentional about what you are doing physically before and during the session.
That could mean going for a walk, listening to calming music, finding a relaxing chair or lying down on the couch. Anything that will cue your brain to emit alpha waves.
2. Use What, Why and How questions to cue metacognition
Research shows that a key way to enter a metacognitive state is to ask yourself three questions: What, Why, and How? What do I need to do? Why do I need to do this? How am I going to get this done?
Here’s an example of how this approach changed my life.
Seven years ago, I got viral myocarditis and ended up being hospitalized.
My daughter had picked up a virus at daycare and passed it along to me. She got a cold, and I got a virus that went to my heart. She was fine. But I ended up in the Toronto General cardiac ward. As a scientist affiliated with Toronto General, it was pretty humbling to end up lying in a ward there.
As I lay there trying to process what had happened – and what I was going to do about it – I turned my attention to What, Why, and How.
I asked myself, what do I want? I want to get out of here and never come back. Why do I want that? Because I've got kids and I want to see them grow up. How am I going to do that? I'm going to train for Ironman.
While I lay there, I registered for Ironman, because, you know, it's what you do. Twelve months later, I completed an Ironman triathlon. In twelve months, I went from the cardiac ward to finishing one of the most grueling endurance races out there. Granted, I finished in the middle of the night and an 80-year-old woman went by me at the finish line, but I got the medal.
By asking myself What, Why and How, I opened up possibilities and accessed different ways of operating and thinking. Use this technique to cue your brain into thinking about your thinking to help you move toward your goals.
3. Get into nature
There's very good research that shows problem-solving ability increases by 300% when you exercise in nature versus sitting at your desk. If you have a big problem to solve, consider heading outside rather than grinding through it. Get up, get out, go for a walk, and then come back and try it again.
Just by making that change, you can change how your brain approaches the problem.
This is one of the reasons why I take my family to places with oceans and water. We are deliberate about doing it several times a year. We make it a habit to go into nature, forests and mountains. When I'm there, I get new ideas.
Some of the science behind this effect has to do with the impact of a natural setting on your visual field. When you are outside, you are surrounded by visual stimuli with fractal and chaotic patterns, which are evident in waves, leaves, trees, landscapes, and almost all natural settings.
Exposure to chaotic and fractal patterns shifts your brain into alpha waves. As a bonus, ongoing exposure improves your ability to intentionally cue metacognition whenever you like.
Conversely, when you are in a built environment, the visual field is full of right angles. Everything around you is square, symmetrical, and predictable. This dampens the metacognitive stimulus and, interestingly, has a negative effect on your mental health.
Now, you won’t always be able to get into nature, but you can audit the visual stimuli that surround you.
· At SickKids, there's artwork on every wall. At Toronto General, there are different coloured lines to follow as you walk toward a clinic.
· What's your wallpaper on your computer? What artwork do you have around your home?
· Research shows that just having a plant on your desk can improve productivity.
· It’s also valuable to think about how you vacation and try to ensure you have an opportunity to get into nature.
Also, if you are planning a strategic retreat for your team, choose the venue wisely so people can go for walks and stimulate alpha waves or cue metacognitive pathways by looking out windows.
4. Be wary of the enemy of reflective thinking: tension
What kills alpha state? Tension and stress. They instantly pop you back into beta brain waves, dampening your ability to think strategically, learn and reflect.
When you are tense or stressed, your heart rate elevates, your focus narrows, your body is ready to pounce, and you are flooded with stress chemicals. That’s not a recipe for enabling your mind to step back and reflect.
When you need to think strategically and reflect on experiences, step away from the hustle and operational considerations of your life and focus on being relaxed. Don’t read your emails. Avoid hopping on a call that will drop you back into the struggle. Make sure you can fully relax.
5. Apply the magic tactic of deliberate reflection
The worldwide popularity of mindfulness is a wonderful step toward offsetting the negative consequences of hustle culture. I encourage everyone to embrace the importance of reflection and be ruthless about making the time – and space – to do so.
When you do, you nurture what I call Radical Awareness. That’s the ability to see the whole picture. The ability to make connections in your business. To see blind spots in your life. To reflect on where you are going and how you will get there.
Whenever I am home, and the weather permits, I get up early while everyone else is still asleep, make a coffee, and head out to my backyard. Sitting there by myself, with the sun rising and light spilling across the sky, I can reflect and think about my thinking.
We all need time by ourselves to think, consider, plan and learn. In our hyperconnected society, alone time can be hard to come by, which is yet another reason we struggle with our mental health. We are constantly in beta brainwave activity—hustling and racing around, taking care of our tasks and responsibilities.
By learning to step back and slow down, we can nurture optimal health and performance.
Want to learn more?
Check out my new book Rest Refocus Recharge! In the book I cover simple and innovative ways to fight fatigue, feel stronger and live better.
In a 24/7 world, it can be a real challenge to get proper rest and give your mind and body the opportunity to fully recharge. In my new book, I outline how small changes in the way you rest, refocus and recharge can help you improve your mental health, prevent illness and deliver optimal results. In high-performance athletic circles, “deliberate recovery” practices are the secret weapon of the very best. But you don’t have to be an elite athlete to benefit from these strategies. Rest Refocus Recharge offers simple and practical techniques that you can easily incorporate into your existing routine, including:
Rest and sleep
Relax and create
Reflect and learn
Recharge and focus
Regenerate and perform
Let me know what you think about this article and the new book in the comments section below!
