Moving the Body, Stilling the Mind

Running Quicker, but Remaining in the Same Spot

In Lewis Caroll’s Through the Looking Glass, the Red Queen tells Alice (of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland fame), “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” The quote would, intriguingly, shape a theory in evolutionary biology – the Red Queen Hypothesis, which states that organisms need to adapt faster just to survive. Rabbits that run faster than foxes survive, but in turn, foxes that outpace rabbits would be more successful as predators, leading to an evolutionary ‘arms race’ that raises the population of nimbler rabbits and foxes within an ecosystem.

In many ways, Caroll’s quote and the Red Queen Hypothesis is an apt analogy for modern life. We ‘hustle’ more, and do more, just to keep pace with what life demands of us. The modern worker works fewer hours per day, fewer days per week, and fewer weeks per year since the Industrial Revolution [1]. We survive longer than our ancestors did, but our mostly sedentary lifestyles partly explain why cardiovascular disease has also increased steadily over the past thirty years [2]. Many of us are bound to our desks; our reliance on technology also means that we face constant distractions throughout the day. The average American worker loses 2.1 hours of work due to interruptions – a whopping 55% of productivity loss is because of interruptions from our mobile phones [3]. Our sedentary lifestyles and our increasingly fragmented attention give the impression that we need to do more – to run quicker without necessarily moving much, just to stay afloat.

Movement Matters

Human beings are meant to move – to be physically active. There can be no mental health without physical health. In contrast with our hunter-gatherer ancestors, our sedentary lifestyles are depriving our bodies of physical activity [4]. Research shows that exercise can be as effective as therapy and medication in improving and protecting against depressive disorders [5]. The mind needs the body more than it thinks it does. Numerous studies also show that physical activity enhances cognitive functioning. Regular exercise is associated with quicker cognitive processing speed, memory, and executive functioning – exercise enhances our ability to reason, think critically, and enhances our decision-making capabilities [6]. One study also shows that exercise contributes to creative thinking, with the researchers showing that walking briskly can help ‘give your ideas some legs’ [7]. And it may come as a relief to some that recent research also indicates that it may not be necessary to hit the popular ‘10,000 steps a day’ target. Any additional, incremental movement you can incorporate into your day. What matters, it appears, is that greater frequency of physical activity can help counteract the effects of sitting too long [8].

Mindfulness Matters

The constant interruptions we face over our workday mean that our attention is fragmented; our minds wander, and our ability to focus and make productive use of our time is severely impacted. Cultivating mindfulness can help still the mind. Mindfulness is the non-reactive, non-judgmental focusing of one’s attention on the present moment [9]. While often associated with meditation, the practice of meditation is just one way to cultivate mindfulness – the core of mindfulness is attentional control [10]. Mindfulness helps us center our attention, to return to the present moment. It helps us channel our consciousness to what is most important and immediate with an attitude of openness. Studies show that mindfulness elevates the ability to regulate our thinking processes [11]. Mindful employees also report higher levels of job performance and lower turnover intentions [12]. Finally, cultivating mindfulness can also lead to a state of flow – a deep, immersive experience where one feels productive and focused [13].

Move More, Wander Less

Here are some steps you can try to help you reduce sedentariness and distractions, while also increasing your movement and ability to focus throughout your day.

Decrease sedentariness and increase movement: Try setting up reminders to help you schedule breaks where you will engage in some light physical movement. Not all breaks are the same – breaks that allow you to engage in brief social interactions, and those that get you moving and walking are better than breaks where you remain rooted at your desk, snacking and scrolling social media. These ‘booster breaks’ are helpful not only in enhancing your physical health, but when you do return from your break, you’re likely to also be more focused and consequently, more productive. Try incorporating a brisk walk during your next break – each lasting 8-10 minutes, totalling 30 minutes a day can be an effective way to add a bit more physical activity into your day [14]. And if you can, try walking outdoors following a route with trees, shrubs, or flowering plants. Spending time with nature can have a restorative effect on your mind and body, enhancing your sense of well-being [15].

Decrease distractions and increase mindfulness: Consider how much time you devote to deep, focused work over the day. Often, it is not the time itself that needs to be managed – but your attention, As such, it may help to first realize being productive is less about time management – and more about attention management. You can try cultivating this form of ‘productive meditation’ by first identifying features of your environment that you find distracting [16]. These can be phone calls, emails, or social media messages that distract us from our ability to stay focused and attentive to the present moment. You can also try creating what is known as an environment of ‘auditory privacy’ – work environments with minimal auditory (sound) distractions to facilitate your focus and attention [17]. If your work environment and the job allow for it, consider investing in a pair of noise-cancelling earphones and pairing that with some light ambient sounds to help you be more focused. Altering the work environment, moving to a quieter workspace can also be helpful if you are allowed to work remotely. These steps may seem simple enough, but over time, can have positive and sustained benefits for your health – physically, and psychologically.

References

[1] Giattino, C. & Ortiz-Ospina, E. (2020). Are we working more than ever? Accessed at https://ourworldindata.org/working-more-than-ever

[2] Liang, Z. D., Zhang, M., Wang, C. Z., Yuan, Y., & Liang, J. H. (2022). Association between sedentary behavior, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease-related outcomes in adults—A meta-analysis and systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1018460. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1018460

[3] Yaqub, M. (2023). Workplace distractions statistics & trends [2023 update]. Accessed at: https://www.businessdit.com/distraction-work-statistics/

[4] Ratey, J. J., & Manning, R. (2014). Go wild: Free your body and mind from the afflictions of civilization. Hachette.

[5] Morres, I. D., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Stathi, A., Comoutos, N., Arpin‐Cribbie, C., Krommidas, C., & Theodorakis, Y. (2019). Aerobic exercise for adult patients with major depressive disorder in mental health services: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Depression and Anxiety, 36(1), 39-53. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22842

[6] Erickson, K. I., Hillman, C., Stillman, C. M., Ballard, R. M., Bloodgood, B., Conroy, D. E., Macko, R., Marquez, D.X., Petruzzello, S.J. & Powell, K. E. (2019). Physical activity, cognition, and brain outcomes: A review of the 2018 physical activity guidelines. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 51(6), 1242-1251. https://www.doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001936

[7] Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4), 1142-1152. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036577

[8] Bottoms, L. (2021). Is walking 10,000 steps every day really necessary? Accessed at: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/16/health/10000-steps-a-day-necessary-wellness-partner/index.html

[9] Kabat-Zinn, J. (2015). Mindfulness. Mindfulness, 6(6), 1481-1483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0456-x

[10] Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822-848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822

[11] Sumantry, D., & Stewart, K. E. (2021). Meditation, mindfulness, and attention: A meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 12(6), 1332-1349. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01593-w

[12] Dane, E., & Brummel, B. J. (2014). Examining workplace mindfulness and its relations to job performance and turnover intention. Human Relations, 67(1), 105-128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726713487753

[13] Marty-Dugas, J., Smith, A. C., & Smilek, D. (2021). Focus on your breath: Can mindfulness facilitate the experience of flow? Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000251

[14] Taylor, W. C., King, K. E., Shegog, R., Paxton, R. J., Evans-Hudnall, G. L., Rempel, D. M., Chen, V., & Yancey, A. K. (2013). Booster Breaks in the workplace: Participants’ perspectives on health-promoting work breaks. Health Education Research, 28(3), 414-425. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyt001

[15] Capaldi, C. A., Dopko, R. L., & Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 976. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00976

[16] Newport, C. (2016). Deep work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world. Hachette UK.

[17] Parkin, J. K., Austin, S. A., Pinder, J. A., Baguley, T. S., & Allenby, S. N. (2011). Balancing collaboration and privacy in academic workspaces. Facilities, 29(1/2), 31-49. https://doi.org/10.1108/02632771111101313

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