For the last day or two, life had felt increasingly ragged. I found myself getting too little sleep, carrying a lot of invisible burdens I had created myself, and trying to solve problems which at that moment, were not solvable. Two days into it, the neatly compartmentalized problems, some involving my business, some involving juggling work and family schedules, etc. within my mind had turned into a mess. I was stuck on a creative endeavor - a talk I was putting together for a couple of days from now. I was getting nowhere.
This morning, while at church for Easter services, I felt myself reach the bottom of the dip. When we got home, I knew the solution. The answer was obvious, go take a nap. And sure enough, two hours later, the world had changed. What had been a closet full of monsters had suddenly become clear once again. The biggest problem I had been trying to figure out seemed to solve itself.
Generally when trying to get a task done, solve a problem, etc., concentration is a good thing. When you are in the groove almost anything is possible. It is a natural form of trance, a form of spontaneous self-hypnosis. Yet after a while, that concentration fades. The brain tires. That focused perspective becomes a limitation and the groove becomes a rut. That obvious answer, or that view of the big picture becomes elusive. You need to get out of trance. You need a break.
The best form of break, the best way to get out of that rut, is simply to walk away for awhile. In NLP it is what is known as breaking state - getting your mind out of the present thought pattern. Ultimately, a nap, or a good night's sleep is the best answer - it not only breaks state, it provides the necessary rest and healing for both mind and body. While the answer seems obvious, when in the midst of the problem it can be pretty hard to see. Concentration is important, yet it is just one aspect of problem solving.
Einstein is quoted as saying, "No problem is ever solved at the level it was created" - or something like that. Often, to solve a problem, you need to break out of the box, see the bigger picture. So once rested, looking at the problem with recharged batteries and a new perspective, you can reapply the creative juices once again. You can get back into a creative mindset - a new trance - this time more suited to the solution you are seeking. The new trance fits the landscape of the problem, and within it is the solution.
And all it took was a good nap.
