"Don't try your Best!" - Why does Overthinking sabotage our creativity & performance?
Why people choke under pressure? & What creates Flow Experiences?
A UCSB study investigates the mechanisms behind 'paralysis by analysis' and why paying full attention and trying too hard often interferes with peak performance & creativity. Their findings suggest that the secret to not choking lies in overriding our 'explicit' memory system, and unleashing our 'implicit' memory system to act free.
We have two types of memory: implicit memory and explicit memory. Anything that we learn to do through practice that becomes automatic (like riding a bicycle) is part of our implicit memory. Explicit memory is formed consciously and can literally be described in words.
When we are completely absorbed by an action, when we are in Flow, we rely on our implicit memory. Yet as soon as there is a mistake detected by the brain, self-awareness is turned on and descriptive corrections are thought about. In such moments our self-awareness is used to update our inner narratives and automated implicit skill sets.
When updating our implicit intuition, we start to improvise beyond our recipes. When entering the flow state while improvising, there tends to be decreased activation in a part of the brain (“dorsolateral prefrontal cortex “) that has to do with our sense of self, our inner critic, social norms.
You kind of release your inhibition. The second you become too self-aware, you lose that flow state. In addition to losing inhibitions, people who are in a creative state have increased activation in a part of the brain (“medial prefrontal cortex “), which has to do with the internal generation of ideas.
Take in all the information, absorb it, eat it and let your subconscious digest it while going for a walk. Go out, do something else. Because when you obsess over thinking about it too much, using your inner critic, you are limiting yourself.
The second possibility is to bless the mess. “Don’t try your best!” Trying our best, activates our inner critic that judges & evaluates our behavior and inhibits our idea creation.
When we learn to act without thinking (auto-writing, talking, dancing), we learn to trust our intuition to update our recipes & maps of the world. Be become more relaxed when facing uncertainty and learn to act free from the fear of failures.
When can start to enjoy life in more playful ways. We can start to see that world as a “PLAYce” for curiosity driven exploration & creation. Become intrinsically motivated & driven by the aesthetic of our mental maps.
Additionally with our learning progress, we feel more and more emotionally secure and confident. This perceived security will guide us intuitively through decisions without costing us much energy.
And by taking the leap into spontaneous creation, we open ourselves to collaboration. We don’t fight anymore dogmatically for our world view & recipes but are open for the ideas and impulses of others. We start to find the treasure of vulnerability and love.
Sources:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268037838_Out_of_control_Diminished_prefrontal_activity_coincides_with_impaired_motor_performance_due_to_choking_under_pressure
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-athletes-way/201308/why-does-overthinking-cause-athletes-choke
https://www.psychologie-aktuell.com/news/aktuelle-news-psychologie/news-lesen/ucsb-study-reveals-that-overthinking-can-be-detrimental-to-human-performance.html