When I used to do Yoga earlier I had one major problem. Not sure if you have tried concentrating on something and you kept having thoughts continuously take you in a different direction.

I had thought Yoga would help me improve my concentration but my brain would keep hijacking me and I was never able to understand how people see so many benefits of doing Yoga and meditation.

And then I was reading Hyperfocus and Deep Work – two books with an agenda to improve productivity – that’s when the Zeigarnik effect came back into focus. I have written about this effect in a couple of posts earlier also. Due to this the brain keeps coming back and reminds you that a task needs to be closed.

Now when I would do Yoga, all the pending tasks would come right in front.

So a simple solution – instead of trying hard to concentrate and suppress the thoughts, I have started carrying my phone or a sticky note pad with me. The moment a thought starts flashing I write it down on paper or on my to do list on the phone.

So now since my brain knows that I have written it somewhere to take action, it stops trying to remind me for that period of time. Then I do my Yoga peacefully.

Next I make it a practice to strike of the items which I have completed. This action of physically striking of the item tells my brain that it does not need to anymore do the job of reminding me. This also has helped me feel less stressed overall.

There’s one habit which Tony Robbins speaks about bunching tasks after you have made lists and Dan Sullivan talks about eliminating all the irritating tasks. I have still not been able to master them.

As I do, I will let you know of the results.

If you find this method worthwhile do let me know in the comments section

Till next time….

Carpe Diem!!!