Metacognition is so important, how can we improve our metacognition? This requires deliberate practice. How to train? There are several methods, including meditation, concentration and reflection, which should be used together. Today, I will introduce meditation:
Meditation: Meditation, med means "Middle" in English, such as middle. This etymology comes from the Pali word vipassana, which means "going deep into something for observation". Common meditations are:
"Concentrate on meditation"-cultivate concentration;
"Compassion meditation"-producing empathy;
"Mindfulness meditation"-eliminating emotional troubles.
Meditation is a particularly effective "brain gymnastics", and many people who rely on their brains to eat have the habit of meditation-the famous hosts Oprah, Jobs, Shinnosuke of Panasonic, the god of management and Ladario, the head of bridgewater, all have the habit of meditation for more than 20 minutes every day.
Ladario began to contact meditation when he was in college, and he practiced it for more than 40 years. He said, "I meditate from 1968 or 1969. It completely changed my life ... made my mind clear, made me independent, and let my thoughts soar freely. It has given me many talents. "
Scientific evidence shows that meditation can directly increase the surface area of the trainer's cerebral cortex. There are many folds (also called "grooves") on the surface of cerebral cortex, and the increase of the surface area of cerebral cortex is actually the result of the increase of grooves. Can you imagine how good this deliberate training is for the brain?
What we use most is mindfulness meditation.
Meditation is "observing yourself without judgment". The action is observation, the object is the present self, and the requirement is no judgment and no separation. It sounds simple, but it's hard to do.
When exhaling, realize that you are exhaling, and when inhaling, realize that you are inhaling;
When your breath gets bigger, you realize that your breath gets bigger; When the breathing becomes smaller, I realize that my breathing becomes smaller;
If you are distracted, you realize that you are distracted, and then don't criticize, just pull it back as soon as possible.
Let the breath last for a long time, one breath is about 15 seconds.
What if I can't breathe for a long time? Realize that you are not growing up, and then pull it back.
All logic is one-observe yourself without judgment. There is no judgment, so I am not in the mood.
Not too long at first, once a day, three breaths at a time is enough. Preferably in the morning, preferably in the same place. When you get used to doing it three times a day and start to feel insufficient, gradually increase the time to 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes. Once you find that you can't stick to it, you will maintain the original progress.
When there is a major emotion coming or facing a major challenge, you can do 1 minute mindfulness meditation.
At first, you don't need to cross your legs or special mats. Find a hard chair and sit with your feet flat. Keep your back straight, or you will fall asleep easily.
If you need some guidance or background music, you can also use some auxiliary apps. Personally, I prefer to rest with Whelan's yoga. When it is not easy to concentrate, it is much better to have guidance. It's better without guidance, which shows that your metacognitive ability has improved.
In fact, when we focus on a certain place and start to take the initiative not to think about it, our brains will be more active than usual and can make more connections. But our brains are used for thinking. It is not easy to make it empty without thinking. When we meditate, we find that it is thinking again. Just realize that the brain is thinking and then gently pull it back. This is a normal reaction, and there is no need to get emotional. With this knowledge as the foundation, when we meditate again, we will face all kinds of situations calmly. Because we know that these are normal reactions, we just need to accept and adapt slowly and we will certainly make progress.
Meditation is a process of getting familiar with one's own psychological activities and bringing about long-term cognitive and emotional changes through psychological training. Practicing meditation can improve the function of the brain, even the structure of the brain, and increase the "sulcus gyrus" of the cerebral cortex. Meditation can help us realize our physical and mental state. When walking, meditation can tell you that when you are walking, your heels can feel the hardness of the ground and your toes can feel the elasticity of the ground. Through meditation, we can realize our own consciousness and self-consciousness, and we can improve our metacognitive ability. Interested friends can immediately sit down and meditate for one minute, or find a related book to read, such as Miracle of Mindfulness or 5 minutes of meditation equals deep sleep 1 hour.
One minute of practice is better than ten minutes of doubt and deduction. Put down the phone and meditate!
I hope you and I can better understand our own cognition.
Reference: Classic Super Personal ("Getting" Course)