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How do I stop thinking about projects?

7 points by laifu ↗ HN
Currently a student who also has some projects on the side ranging from relatively small/easy to hugely complex. As a result, the constant idea's and interests flowing through my head interfere with my ability to perform well academically, any tips?

6 comments

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abudabi123
Swim or cycle on a routine basis. Exercising while you think on the backburner clears the slate in your head. Jogging is bad on the knees.
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baremetal
Meditation.
cpach
Many people seem to eschew meditation. But I totally agree with this recommendation. For me personally, meditation has been life-changing. But it takes practice to learn it. I recommend the Headspace app for doing guided meditation and learning how it works. (Some people prefer the Waking Up app so YMMV.)
hayst4ck
You're asking how do you manage your dopamine. Andrew Huberman is probably the authoritative person presenting on the subject to the public unless you go to books.

Maybe these would be good to page through:

https://hubermanlab.com/tools-to-manage-dopamine-and-improve...

https://hubermanlab.com/leverage-dopamine-to-overcome-procra...

https://hubermanlab.com/controlling-your-dopamine-for-motiva...

He started out pretty quality, but has become a little bit joe-rogan-ified with time. So I would take him with a grain of salt. There is also a clear conflict of interest when it comes to supplements and what he advertises that he is in denial about.

This is a topic he frequently references and talks about, so you may want to page through his podcast library.

Conventionally speaking, you're basically communicating you think you have ADHD and likely want adderall. The conventional answer to your statement is talk to a mental health professional and tell them you are having trouble focusing and are locked in a cycle of procrastination that is stressing you out.

The long term consequences of not addressing your problem is increased stress and poor self esteem. You will put off things until late and then experience huge amounts of stress which you are using to motivate completion of projects. This will slowly build up resulting in a harder and harder time completing projects and greater and greater amounts of stress required to perform. You will judge yourself for not being able to just do what you know is right, and that will make it hard to forgive yourself. This is the path to academic burnout and actual depression (the state of depression rather than the feeling of depression).

Worse, the later you get in college, the less you can rely on stress and the more you have to rely on consistent regimented work. Then when you enter the work force, stressful deadlines basically disappear and the mental tactic you were using to do things you don't really want to do goes away, leaving you unable to perform your job.

So, I would definitely treat your problem with a greater gravity than you are right now, because while you are managing right now, there is a very real possibility you will not manage later and it will materially harm your life.

simonblack
I find the easiest way is to 'store that idea'. I tend to keep thinking about a project or part of a project so that I won't lose or forget what that thought was about. ("If I think about it a lot, then I won't forget it.")

At times like that, I will store that thought, either on paper or as a file with a detailed descriptive name. My mind will then happily let the thought go, as it can now be picked up again at some unspecified time in the future.

And then I can now do what I am supposed to be doing, instead of thinking about something else.