Interruptions and surprises are good for us

We are concerned about the stock market, where the next war will begin, and the costs of our medicines and food. It is fascinating to isolate and cut off from the world by expelling our energy so much and distracting our attention. We shut down and shut down the constant news. We may find ourselves separating ourselves from people who don’t deal with the same way we do, avoiding social interaction. We glue it to the corner screen to soothe persistent thoughts. Many of us had to protect ourselves from the chaos and uncertainty of the world.

But hopefully, despite everything we tune to keep ourselves sane, we will not lose our senses Opennesscuriosity, and wonder. Close too much (even with the most protective intentions) will help you close your own best qualities.

But in this ironic, spiritual world, how can we remain open?

In these times, when I realized that I had exhausted my own response anxietyanger, or thin fear With people around me and around the world, I turned to role models and saw them “for helpers” (as Fred Rogers suggests). To further understand how to deal with it, I have studied research into human traits that are optimal for living with uncertainty and dramatic change. Those who are more open and curious about everyday encounters and are more likely to find more meaning and hope in times of loss and uncertainty. They find amazing things in the little, fleeting things that pop up in their lives. And I love learning, ordinary interactions, and even being amazed by the pockets of birds and random beauty.

The importance of openness

From my personal and professional observations, I would like to give a great cry to the openness of human nature. Openness is one of the things.Big Five” personality Characteristics. This quality of our own gives us the ability to test new experiences and see them through a variety of perspectives. This ability allows us to be receptive and engaging moments as well as learning and unexpected moments. a respect And strange. This trait aids our mental and social agility; Creativityand problem solving when faced with challenges. For example, one study Openness and adoration showed how students helped them build relationships in a multicultural setting.

People who are intentional and proactive about staying open in moments of unexpected joy and wonder tend to be suited to uncertainty and change. They exhale and welcome small surprises that often share those moments with others. Even the incredible fleeting experiences are contagious. For example, while working with an elder dementia In the supportive living community, we realized how certain staff members bring out wonders to residents with authentic and voluntary comments. “It’s amazing how well you remember those quotes Star Wars. ”

Poet Mary Oliver asks us to “become wondering” in her poem “The Ponds.” Do we look beyond our worries, look up, and notice what’s right in front of us? Many of us are hungry for a little bit of fun, magic, surprise, even if only 30 seconds.

Capture those little moments

Below are some common examples of some of the pleasant surprises I personally witnessed over the past three months. (I recommend keeping logs of these little surprises Synchronizationsigns, explosion of insights, and unexpected joy. ) These sudden little moments can change the whole atmosphere of the day or tone of your room at work, in a public place, in healthcare facilities, at home.

• A surprise act of kindness: The employee received numerous red roses after the birth of his first grandchild. Everyone stopped what they were doing and cried out with applause.
• Surprising Animal Visit: Our neighbor’s curious tuxedo cat suddenly jumped into our office, floping the rug and showing us his belly to entertain us. We are still mysterious about how he got into.
• Surprise Bird Songs: Those Persistent Chickadie Mating Songs create a happy background soundtrack for doing boring spreadsheets.
• A surprise greeting card has been sent to my snail mail from my former neighbor.
• A surprising hawk feather landed in front of a wheelchair-based nursing home in the courtyard.
• A surprise song appears on the radio, mysteriously providing a message to colleagues (1978 by Gloria Gayner, “I Will Survive”).
• A surprising explosion of wind blows paper plates through the windows throughout the room, miraculously stopping anyone from discussing their work schedule.
• The surprising comments I had in conversation with my non-mini colleague reassured me that he understood me better than I had imagined.

How few unexpected moments can help us, even in the workplace

recently conversationI discovered something fascinating article It explained how certain types of work disruption can help unleash creativity. This work was discussed study I explained exactly what I noticed when it was released in 2023. Resilience And you can live with uncertainty. Based at the Hamburg Institute of Technology, the study examined the impacts on employee performance of different types of disruption in the workplace. Researchers wondered how these interruptions could be “boosted innovation in the workplace.”

This lighting study showed how certain types of interruptions helped promote creativity, concentrationa new perspective, and a more gentle mental state. Essentially, researchers labeled these useful types of interruptions as “surprise.” In contrast, researchers found that there were generally unhelpful and negatively distracting “intrusions.” Helpful “surprise” interruptions are often encouraged Mindfulness And to align with the present moment, we switch our attention from our inner thoughts (self-referential thinking) to the world around us. However, “intrusion” had the opposite effect by increasing anxiety, pressure and lack of focus.

Researchers found that “examining the effects of these interruptions on employee performance can increase innovation and identify how organizations can manage them.” Regarding positive surprises as useful interruptions, the researchers said, “Individuals exposed to such interruptions generated 58% more ideas than their uninterrupted peers within three weeks of disruption. This boost in creativity stems from continuing to maintain work and work. the goal During interruptions, ideas can be incubated. “In other words, by realizing something (irrelevant) that happens spontaneously in front of us, we can find a solution to the problem.

Certainly, we can think hard about our work and enjoy surprises like cats jumping on their desks.at the same time. While pounding our own openness and sense of wonder, we can reset our thoughts “behind our minds” while engaged in something else that is in front of our focus. (This reset of our thoughts is part of Default Mode Network,dmn,study Neuroscience) Similarly, when walking through nature, gardens, or staring at the sky, we can pause ideas and issues while focusing on what we are doing physically. But when we return to that issue, we bring a fresh perspective. Humans are wired to wonder about big things while doing small things in practical activities, even our routines.

So, can we enjoy some good interruptions in our daily work and all the other mix?