Love this -it was genius - standing in the kitchen staring at orange dishwasher gunk - acting like you're in control, but subconsciously a rogue toddler grabbing cheddar and scrolling Instagram. LOL.
This all shows why willpower alone always fails.
Curious now - does knowing how the autopilot loop works help you stop, or do you still find yourself halfway through a chunk of fridge cheese?
I’m really sorry to be a bit cliffhanger-y. It honestly is because it takes a little space and thought to get over.
Can confirm though I still eat raw ingredients from the fridge. The other day I “woke up” to see three or four teaspoons in the bottom of the sink that were the result of me eating jam out of the jar and then putting the dirty teaspoon there.
The only thing to say is that this episode is a valuable teacher.
It seems to me the question is, what was/is your mind obsessing about that you get from the phone? You were wondering, and the mind has such an interesting way of notifying us of things after we have given up pondering them…like when you remember where you’ve left something or someone’s name hours later, like a lightbulb suddenly went on…You’d been wondering about it, and when you weren’t expecting it, you had a realization. One that profoundly changed the direction you were taking in the problem you’d been pondering. Fascinating.
I find myself doing the same thing from time to time. Picking up my phone to look for an email that never shows up…It can be a dangerous waste of time and take away from the task at hand when your brain is obsessing about something while it is supposed to be focused on another task or thought…
It’s fascinating how the mind does that! It really feels like it’s running background processes and then - for reasons best known to itself - suddenly bringing them to your conscious attention.
Just think, whenever and wherever you were on that specific day, on that specific unconscious phone grab, somewhere in the deep recesses of your sub-conscious you noticed yourself. You noticed yourself doing a thing that you didn't necessarily want to do, and wonder why -- and just that super tiny minute act blossomed.
Honestly imagine if you would not have had that small insight, that small moment of clarity and questioning--no doubt, from that day to this one, you would have wasted hundreds of hours, perhaps thousands, mindlessly continuing. The connections in your brain that made you more addicted and reliant on your phone would have strengthened further still.
Think of all the small moments, from now to present, that you would have lost, if not for that seemingly small and insignificant (at that moment) realization.
Good on you to take that moment and run with it, and transform it. It has genuinely impacted me, and I too now attempt to claw back my attention and those precious moments.
Given everything, it will likely go down as one of the most important moments in my life.
So strange the little lightning storm in the brain that allows one to see these things, but also (rightly or wrongly) to attribute a lot of importance to them.
Your dear mum’s opinion aside this is terrific! I hope I’m not overstepping but I’d hazard a guess that a slight sting of correction over the stacking might be the source of the review. Lol. Very good neurology material with exceptional bridge building to it that is relatable.
In fact, I clicked the ballet recital disaster link to do a little homework. 🤓 well done.
Look forward to this continuing! Oh and dishwasher was a neverending topic in our household until my husband just decided to fully take over it because we all did it wrong 😅
That upside-down glass in the dishwasher is hurting me. I don't think I can read beyond it.
I should have included a warning. I am genuinely sorry.
Love this -it was genius - standing in the kitchen staring at orange dishwasher gunk - acting like you're in control, but subconsciously a rogue toddler grabbing cheddar and scrolling Instagram. LOL.
This all shows why willpower alone always fails.
Curious now - does knowing how the autopilot loop works help you stop, or do you still find yourself halfway through a chunk of fridge cheese?
Look forward to the next instalment of this.
Thank you so much! Really glad you enjoyed it.
I’m really sorry to be a bit cliffhanger-y. It honestly is because it takes a little space and thought to get over.
Can confirm though I still eat raw ingredients from the fridge. The other day I “woke up” to see three or four teaspoons in the bottom of the sink that were the result of me eating jam out of the jar and then putting the dirty teaspoon there.
The only thing to say is that this episode is a valuable teacher.
lol - you better not tell your cross fit pals about the jam -
no protein there -
It really is true how intention or the lack-thereof can control decision making in such contrasting ways.
I adore and delight in your writing and thinking. Content like this is why I came. Thank you!
Thank you! What an exceptionally kind comment.
Comments like that help keep me writing. Very, very much appreciated.
It seems to me the question is, what was/is your mind obsessing about that you get from the phone? You were wondering, and the mind has such an interesting way of notifying us of things after we have given up pondering them…like when you remember where you’ve left something or someone’s name hours later, like a lightbulb suddenly went on…You’d been wondering about it, and when you weren’t expecting it, you had a realization. One that profoundly changed the direction you were taking in the problem you’d been pondering. Fascinating.
I find myself doing the same thing from time to time. Picking up my phone to look for an email that never shows up…It can be a dangerous waste of time and take away from the task at hand when your brain is obsessing about something while it is supposed to be focused on another task or thought…
It’s fascinating how the mind does that! It really feels like it’s running background processes and then - for reasons best known to itself - suddenly bringing them to your conscious attention.
And yes, so many of them involve using the phone…
Just think, whenever and wherever you were on that specific day, on that specific unconscious phone grab, somewhere in the deep recesses of your sub-conscious you noticed yourself. You noticed yourself doing a thing that you didn't necessarily want to do, and wonder why -- and just that super tiny minute act blossomed.
Honestly imagine if you would not have had that small insight, that small moment of clarity and questioning--no doubt, from that day to this one, you would have wasted hundreds of hours, perhaps thousands, mindlessly continuing. The connections in your brain that made you more addicted and reliant on your phone would have strengthened further still.
Think of all the small moments, from now to present, that you would have lost, if not for that seemingly small and insignificant (at that moment) realization.
Good on you to take that moment and run with it, and transform it. It has genuinely impacted me, and I too now attempt to claw back my attention and those precious moments.
That is so kind of you to say so.
Given everything, it will likely go down as one of the most important moments in my life.
So strange the little lightning storm in the brain that allows one to see these things, but also (rightly or wrongly) to attribute a lot of importance to them.
Your dear mum’s opinion aside this is terrific! I hope I’m not overstepping but I’d hazard a guess that a slight sting of correction over the stacking might be the source of the review. Lol. Very good neurology material with exceptional bridge building to it that is relatable.
In fact, I clicked the ballet recital disaster link to do a little homework. 🤓 well done.
Thank you!
Means a huge amount coming from you, as I know you know your onions in that regard.
(Neurology and the mind I mean - no idea about dishwashers)
Glad you enjoyed the ballet story! You’ll be pleased to know my daughter doesn’t remember it and finds it extremely funny
Look forward to this continuing! Oh and dishwasher was a neverending topic in our household until my husband just decided to fully take over it because we all did it wrong 😅
Thank you! I'm so sorry to be so cliffhanger-y but it all takes a bit of explaining!
(Gosh that sounds off-putting - not too much explaining, just three posts 😃)
Dishwasher loading is such a fascinating flashpoint. We have reached an uneasy truce in our house for the time being - but are ever watchful.
Not off-putting at all, I like digesting things in small parts!