Helicopter Brain

HidingI am experiencing a serious case of “helicopter brain.” It’s a term that I picked up after reading the latest posting over on http://beatechelette.com/  (if you aren’t reading her, you need to add her to your blog roll).  Essentially,  “helicopter brain” occurs when you are flipping from activity to activity, thought to thought, half-finished project to half-finished project. I bet you guys can relate.

At this point, I barely complete a thought before it is interrupted by another thought about another project or task (and so on). I’d like to say that this just proves that I’m a great multi-tasker, but in reality, I think I’m just having trouble focusing.  We are going back to shooting the series this weekend, so I’m in full prep mode for that. I have scripts I need to write, and I am in the research phase, but every time I sit down to write, I think of something else that needs to be done first. And then, of course, there are the day-to-day things that need to be done.

I know I’m not alone.  I know you guys are constantly juggling. I keep telling myself that I’ll be able to focus after _____ (fill in blank with current priority). The problem is there is always another priority that pushes its way to the front of my brain.

Perhaps this is just the way it goes when you are building a career? Or maybe I just need to do a little running away– some sort of solo trek that will force me to pay attention to the here and now. In the meantime, this 294 word blog has been interrupted no less than eight times with, “Oh, I just need to…”

Do you have any tricks you use to get your brain re-energized and focused?  Does it involve a lot of time watching HGTV (because I could be good at that)?

 

4 comments on “Helicopter Brain”

  1. Penelope

    Helicopter Brain. Attention Deficit Disorder. Whatever the kids are calling it these days, they are taking copious amounts of Ritalin to overcome. The problem is that the more we try to “multi task” –something our brains aren’t actually designed to do–and stay, as we like to say, “crazy busy” we are actually rewiring our neurons to be less able to maintain focus. If you want a real solution, take up meditation. Minfulness practices help us stay in the moment and maintain our focus. They also recude anxiety.

  2. Penelope

    Helicopter Brain. Attention Deficit Disorder. Whatever the kids are calling it these days, they are taking copious amounts of Ritalin to overcome. The problem is that the more we try to “multi task” –something our brains aren’t actually designed to do–and stay, as we like to say, “crazy busy” we are actually rewiring our neurons to be less able to maintain focus. If you want a real solution, take up meditation. Minfulness practices help us stay in the moment and maintain our focus. They also recude anxiety.

  3. KateDating

    Is it a bad thing that meditation makes me anxious? I feel like the time I’m taking to meditate could be spent on getting something done.

  4. KateDating

    Is it a bad thing that meditation makes me anxious? I feel like the time I’m taking to meditate could be spent on getting something done.

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