Written by: Anthony Moss-Zobel, PCC (ICF), Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
According to the research, we have approximately 60,000 thoughts per day—and 90% of these are repetitive! This means we spend a significant portion of the day not engaging creatively, being less agile and unalert to opportunities being presented in front of us. This has direct implications for performance, motivation, decision-making and communication in all the spaces in which we exist.
Clients often discover that a lot of their challenges (professional and personal) stem from using the same thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and actions that may have served them well in the past, but add little to zero value today.
In a study by Norman Farb (University of Toronto), it was learned that most people are not consciously focused and are on ‘autopilot’ 46.7% of the time. That’s almost half of the entire day with the same unfocused thoughts producing the same behaviors -on repeat.
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” ‒ Albert Einstein
We are creatures of habits that are learned, mostly through experience over time. The brain tries to hardwire everything that it possibly can from those experiences, especially the ones we give the most attention. Focus and attention require the brain to use energy, so any distraction or habit takes priority, as both require much less energy.
Many hardwired habits serve us well, like knowing how to use a favorite social media app, driving a car, or riding a bike. It’ll be a challenge and time-consuming to relearn certain things each time we are confronted with them. Imagine having to remind yourself to breathe!
Autopilot also called the default network, behaves in the way it learns. The key word here is ‘learns.’ Neuroscience research on neuroplasticity ‒ the brain’s ability to rewire itself, is evidence that the brain can be rewired. Neuroplasticity is mediated through synapses -the tiny connections through which neurons communicate changes through experience, which play a key role in learning and memory. Dopamine and other neurotransmitters help expedite the process.
When we activate conscious awareness, we take ourselves off autopilot and engage our brain’s rational higher brain functions in the pre-frontal cortex. Also, when we are in conscious awareness, we are learning. Moreover, we create new neurons every time we shift our thinking in new directions – neuroplasticity!
“Neurons that fire together wire together,” according to psychologist Donald Hebb, 1949
A wide body of research supports that we are happier when in conscious awareness. We are freed from the old wiring, open and observant. Every time we memorize a fact, learn something new—think a new thought—neural networks are being restructured and awareness is heightened.
Heightened awareness allows us to notice what we notice without judging, censoring, or tuning out. For example, in conscious awareness, we are part of creating the experience that happens in meetings, on the drive home, at the dinner table, and while walking on the beach. We also learn to manage thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behaviors that serve us.
Activating the conscious awareness network improves performance, creativity, and engagement while also allowing for real-time enjoyment of the experience.
According to Dr. Dan Siegel, Clinical Professor and Co-Director of the UCLA Center for Mindful Awareness Research, “a kind of focused attention on the workings of our own mind. It helps us to be aware of our mental processes without being swept away by them. It enables us to get ourselves off of auto-pilot and the ingrained behaviors and habituated responses and takes us beyond the reactive emotions that we have a tendency to get trapped in.”
Six Take-aways to Conscious Awareness
Here's what I focus on getting across to my clients:
Self-awareness and conscious awareness empowers us to show up fully, engage deeply, and hardwire the brain we want instead of the one we might have thought we were stuck with.
To experience life mindfully involves training ourselves to recognize when we’re in autopilot mode so that we can choose what we want our minds to focus on.
It’s important to shut down some of the ‘programs’ that have been left running in the background of our minds and unlearn some of the repetitive processes.
It’s necessary to intentionally focus on one thing at a time without distraction.
Conscious awareness can be developed, especially with the assistance of a trained coach.
The duration of conscious awareness increases with practice.
I recommend beginning to practice conscious awareness by paying close attention to what you eat or listening to your favorite song; it will change the experience in quite unexpected ways. Notice what you notice, no judgment, censoring, or tuning out.
Be sure to let me know where you start and what insights you gain from practicing conscious awareness. Contact me for support in gaining more focus, clarity and boosting your conscious awareness.
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Anthony Moss-Zobel, PCC (ICF), Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Anthony Moss-Zobel, PCC (ICF), is a Doctorate of Business Administration student. He leads Neuro-led Coaching & Consulting, specializing in personal & professional cognitive neuroscience coaching and training in the public and private sectors. He also is an associate lecturer in team leadership, communication & HRM. He partners with NeuroEducation experts in France, the USA, and Africa to bring neuroscience insights to the classroom which has been proven highly effective. His work in Ghana and recent collaboration with Consortium International pour la Formation et la Recherche Coopérative en Education (CIFORCE) and l’Institut Africain pour la Neuro Education et la Ludopédagogie (IANEL) brings NeuroEducation across West Africa.
