How much do we know about what we’re doing?

Helpfully our brains automate much of what we think, feel and do.

For example, just think back over the many things you have done today without using your full attention. Today, you have gotten up out of bed, washed, dressed, eaten, talked and listened to people, perhaps driven or commuted, used your computer and phone (and many more activities) most likely without using your full attention.

Your brain automates repeated activities and mental operations - so that you are able to complete these activities and still have cognitive space available in your mind to process the more unusual, challenging and unexpected events that happen.

You could also think of this process in neuroscience terms, as the wiring in your brain. Complex sets of actions become smoothly and more easily executed when the neurons involved fire together repeatedly and thus form a stronger neural pathway. The development of stronger neural pathways may explain why we can hit better forehands in tennis after hours of practice and be ‘in the zone’ at times when we are executing well-practiced maneuvers.

Research shows that stronger pathways enable people to become highly skilled in such behaviours as playing musical instruments and in therapy to better able to manage their thinking and feeling by changing their thoughts.

Think of a neural pathway as a ‘groove’ or ‘channel’ in your brain that deepens and might become more visible as it is used - again and again. Your mind will continue to think, feel, direct behaviours, make judgments, evaluate people and ideas, solve problems (or attempt to) and generally keep working even when you are not directly paying attention.

But automatic thinking can help or hinder. You can know the difference if you pay attention to what is going through your mind.

What you can do

Start to build awareness - can you notice when your mind is operating on automatic? What sort of things is your mind telling you? Are you automatically thinking and feeling negatively?